FAQ: Why is it Important for a Photographer to Be Familiar with the Specs of My Brand Identity?

I am having a fun pre-production day today and I wanted to share some of what goes into our photoshoot design process. This is topic is hefty, so it will probably continue over a few posts.

Let’s start with introducing the Pre-Production Questionnaire.

When you work with me, I ask you to fill out a pre-production questionnaire after your photoshoot design booking is finalized. It should take about 30 minutes and I have found that most people seem to like to do this part on their own (but I am always happy to chat through it with you if you prefer).

You may wonder why some of the questions I ask are important for a photographer to have answers to. This is completely understandable, as it is apparently uncommon for photographers to dive into your branding.

Well, the reason I ask these questions focused on your brand identity is that we are more than a photographer or blogger who will show up and take pictures with no defined agenda. I am a designer. I am a stylist. And yes, I am a photographer. You hire me to make pictures for your company -pictures that are intentionally geared towards your audience.

Yes, I have our own perspective and sense of style that I carry from shoot to shoot. However, these photos are going to represent you to the public. Your images need to fit into your brand persona to maintain the uniformity of your visual voice (the aesthetic elements that form your overall visual schema). Your recognizable visual voice is important because it establishes loyalty to your brand. Your audience learns to trust you to show up with the same personality at any touchpoint, at any time. Showing up with clarity, consistently and constantly (check out our blog post on the C’s of branding), generates that trust.

To sum up

I create images designed for your customer to identify with in some way. In order to do that, I need to understand where you are coming from -and where you want to go. You’re investing in these images and I want to make sure they will provide you with that value to the best of my ability.

So while I do not design logos or brand identities, I do design photoshoots to stand alongside those very significant visual assets. I don’t want to wing-it and I don’t want to waste your time or resources. There are always opportunities for fantastic images on the fly, for sure! I came to commercial photography from music photojournalism, after all. But the questionnaire informs my design of the images you know you need and allows me highlight your brand with the most value that I possibly can.