Those who own businesses understand the importance of investing in your company. From learning to legal to finances and marketing – there are numerous elements to consider. Yet, one may wonder when the best time to arrange a brand photoshoot is and how it fits in with the other components. Better said, you may wonder when to invest in branding photos.

It’s not about when to invest in branding photos but how.

I’ll cut to the chase. From my experience as a brand photographer and business owner, the right time to invest in branding photos is when you launch. I had a soft launch because I wanted to put a reliable service out there, but everything about my business was up in the air, like my branding. A lot of business launch like this, so if you’ve already launched, the question is when is the right time to invest in branding photos, but what is the smartest way to do that if you don’t have your branding figured out?

If your branding and messaging are in flux or transition, you should still invest in branding photos. Mini sessions are the best solution for you.

You don’t have to resort to stock photos because your branding ideas haven’t taken shape. Mini sessions will give you a small package of images but enough to get your story in front of your ideal client. For many business owners, creating a brand evolves, so not only will minis put your best foot forward now as you are, but imagine having a collection of images that tells the evolution of you as a business owner and your brand. Nothing in life is static, so capturing how we grow is magical, even in business.

If you’ve hired a brand and/or website designer, you should invest in branding photos. A full-service branding photo session is your best solution.

My customers often contact me when rebranding or having a brand design created for the first time. This is an ideal moment to invest in brand photography too! If you hire a graphic designer and a brand photographer, they can collaborate to build the brand you have always wanted.

Once your website is ready, your brand photos will be necessary. It would be beneficial for your web designer and photographer to work together. The web designer can specify the shots and where they should go, and the photographer can make sure those images are on their list. This way, you can ensure your website visuals are cohesive and strategic. Boom – problem solved!

A full-service branding photo session is for you if you have a branded design/website but not enough photos, so you are constantly hunting for stock images that fit your brand’s aesthetic.

Likely, photography does not come naturally to you if you are not a professional photographer. That’s all right, though, as hiring a brand photographer can save you time. As an example, here are all the things you don’t need to bother with when you invest in personal branding photography:

• Devote time to finding stock photos that are appropriate for your brand. Don’t get me wrong, sites like Unsplash are lifesavers for new businesses, but getting a photo that matches your brand takes time that you could be dedicated to growing, and sometimes you don’t find it.
• Try taking pictures of yourself with your phone and experience frustration
• Find yourself in a pickle when it’s time to share on social media because you don’t have an image to use

You can delegate the obligations to a personal branding photographer, enabling you to concentrate on what you do best.

If you’ve recently experienced a considerable transformation, then a full-service branding session is for you.

Have you got a completely new hairstyle recently? Or perhaps, you’ve shifted to a new place. In either case, significant life events or changes necessitate a brand photoshoot. If you’ve undergone a dramatic transformation of your look or physical appearance, fresh brand pictures will aid you in both: (1) capturing this change and (2) conveying this change to your viewers. This is particularly crucial for service providers since they want to give their clients an exact representation of who they are collaborating with.

An indication that you are ready to produce brand photos is if you have shifted to a different location and are providing on-site services. The simplest way to reveal this move is to take pictures close to well-known spots like iconic places, recreational areas, and other local attractions.

I hope I helped you see that it’s never about when to invest in branding photos but how to get them based on where you are in your business. Our business grows in different ways, and even if yours isn’t fully there in terms of its brand–girl–don’t put off telling your brand story because that’s putting off telling your story, the story of building your business.

Angela Atelier is a New Jersey-based portrait and personal branding photography studio in Perth Amboy, NJ, empowering women everywhere to live their best life. Want to learn more about how we help women discover themselves through portrait photography? Contact us to schedule your complimentary consultation.