"Help! I'm a Houston business owner looking for a photographer. Who can help me?"
If I only had a dime for every time I've seen this question posed in a Spring or The Woodlands Facebook group!
The inevitable follow-up to this question is scores of photographers pitching their websites (which, humorously, often have taglines like "capturing your precious moments) or Aunt Suzie proclaiming the merits of a friend-of-a-friend who just did her family photos.
Portrait photography isn't business photography.
Over 90% of photoshoots taking place in Houston start something like this:
Hi, I'm looking for photos.
Okay let's choose a date and time!
Where will we go?
I'll send you my location guide.
Did you notice the problem? These questions are only getting into aesthetics. When it comes to photography for your business, you need so much more than pretty pictures. You need a marketing partnership that leads to strategic pictures. Pretty is only the baseline.
Do all headshot photographers & brand photographers offer strategic photography?
The short answer is no. Many photographers list brand photography or headshot photography as a subpage on their website. You can get a good feel for whether or not a photographer specializes in photography for business by taking a look at their home page. Does it scream biz & marketing nerd? Then you're in the right place.
Business & marketing expertise required
A brand photographer should understand business and marketing approaches, not just photography. For example, prior to being a brand photographer, I was a commercial copywriter (5 years) and managed communications for a non-profit organization (15 years). When I tell you this overlap is essential to the work I do with my clients, I mean it!
When researching brand photographers in Spring & The Woodlands, here are a few questions you may want to ask:
- What is your process for getting to know a business?
- What marketing trends are you personally seeing right now?
- What is the best business book you've read lately?
These questions will give you a clue into how your photographer's brain works and whether he or she is a good fit for your business.
What about style? Is it only about strategy?
Pretty is baseline; strategy is what takes a brand gallery to the high-ROI level for your business. Every photographer's work should be pretty. But in order to get to the level of strategic AND pretty, I ask my clients a lot of important questions before a photoshoot like:
- What launches, promotions, or products will you be marketing in the next few months?
- Where do you plan to use these images? (This helps guide whether I shoot horizontally, vertically, or a mix of the two)
- Six months from now, what will success look like for you?
- What words do you want others to use in describing your brand?
As far as style is concerned, this has less to do with editing and more to do with careful selection of location and lighting during the photoshoot itself. When I have a health coach whose brand colors are white & pink, I'm going to make a different location & lighting selection than I would for the men's beard care company whose brand colors are charcoal & gold.
Even style ultimately comes down to strategy.
Is planning included in my Houston business photoshoot?
Should a brand photographer help plan images for website and social media use? Absolutely. Before I finalize a photo list and mood board for a client, I will want to see his/her website, social media platforms, and print materials (if applicable).
My goal is to ensure that the images we create during the photoshoot support the already-existing brand image OR bring it greater into alignment with the business owner's preferred future. And in cases where the two are not in alignment? I'll bring this up during a pre-session planning call so we can ensure we get on the same page before the photoshoot.
Is liking a photographer's portfolio reason enough to choose them?
This is possibly going to sound like a hot take, but no. Looking at a portfolio alone is not going to answer questions like:
- Will they answer my emails?
- Will they help me pick locations & outfits?
- How long before I receive my images back?
- Do they take the time to "get" my business before they start clicking the shutter?
Brand alignment matters more than trends in brand photography. You want someone who "gets" business and will take the time to understand your business and needs as well. This takes time (and, in my experience, multiple conversations and a detailed questionnaire!).
What should the brand photography experience feel like from start to finish?
I can only speak for my business, Laura Pulliam Photography, but I believe that it should feel more like you're talking to a business coach than to a portrait photographer.
In fact, very rarely do my clients end up talking very much about the photographs themselves. Instead they share their hopes for their business, excitement about an upcoming launch, or roadblocks that they need help breaking through.
I believe that, ultimately, strategic brand photography reduces owner stress. How? By simplifying marketing. And at the finish line, that's the goal in my book -- when an owner starts showing up online in a completely different way after their brand photoshoot.
Red flags to watch out for when hiring a Houston photographer for your business:
- They don't answer your emails or DMs.
- They don't have testimonials on their website or any 5-star Google reviews.
- They ask you more questions about photo style than about your business.
- Their website homepage doesn't emphasize the problem they solve through their photography services. Or says anything along the lines of "capturing memories." (Kidding! But only a little bit.)
How do I choose the right Houston photographer for my business?
- They are very interested in getting to know the ins and outs of your business.
- They help you gain clarity about your business from the very first call.
- You feel guided, not sold to.
- Their process seems intentional and repeatable.
- Their portfolio images are varied, indicating customized planning for lighting & location for each client.
Looking for a strategic headshot & brand photographer in North Houston?
Let's see if we're a good fit! Here are the next steps:
- Schedule your no-pressure discovery call.
- See if we're a great fit.
- Plan a custom photoshoot for your business!
