Let me say this right away: You do not need to know what to do with your hands.

You don’t need to practice poses in the mirror.

You don’t need to Google “how to pose for brand photos” the night before your shoot.

A good photographer knows how to guide you, adjust you, and capture you so that you look amazing (yes, even if you feel a little awkward walking in!).

The posing? That’s just good photography.

Where brand photography often falls apart isn’t in the posing, it’s in the lack of strategy.

Looking Good Isn’t Your Issue

Most small business owners I talk to actually like their brand photos. They look professional, polished, and like someone who clearly owns a business.

And yet…they’re not using them.

When I dig deeper as to why, they tell me their images feel a too generic, or just a little “off.” But mostly it’s because the photos don’t quite match what their business looks like where it’s going next.

Strategy Has Entered the Chat

When you book a brand session, you’re usually doing it for a reason: you have a launch coming up, or you’ve been in business for a few years and it’s time for a real photo shoot already. You’ve got goals and plans, and you need some images that will step up and show the world all the amazing things you’re doing in the world.

What’s missing from your previous brand shoots is not that your photographer didn’t know how to take a pretty photo of you. It’s probably that there was no strategy involved.

They probably didn’t take into account how you want to show up, what if feels like to actually work with you, and what you want your audience to know about you right away.

When I plan strategy with my clients, I’m asking questions like:

• What do you want to be known for in the world?
• What offers are you actively supporting?
• Where will the images live (website, emails, launches)?
• What should someone feel when they land on your site?

When questions like these guide the shoot, your photos will stop being random “nice shots” and start working together as part of the bigger story of your brand.

When Strategy Comes First, Photos Work

So if you’re planning brand photos this year, don’t stress about posing. You definitely don’t need another PDF download of the top poses for your brand session.

What you do need is to know what your photos are doing for your business.

So ask yourself this: Is there a clear plan behind the images I’m hoping to get from this brand shoot…or am I just hoping they’ll work once I have them?

Because when your photos are built around strategy, they don’t just look good on shoot day. They keep working for you long after.

If that’s the kind of brand photography you believe in, let’s talk!

Interested in checking out a real-life strategic brand session? Check out some of my featured brands HERE.