Here’s our guide to the top styles of marketing photography — and how to use them.
Matching the right photography style with the right platform has never been more important than it is in today’s digital marketplace.
Headshots in professional attire are perfect for LinkedIn, for example, but a casual “polished yet candid” style of photography gets more engagement on Instagram.
However, if you’re focusing on local marketing, you might want to opt for an outdoor headshot rather than going with a more traditional in-studio look.
And the list goes on.
To make matters more complicated, most professionals need multiple styles of photography in their visual marketing arsenal if they want to maximize their engagement across multiple platforms.
So curating that “just right” mix of marketing photography is becoming increasingly important and, possibly, increasingly overwhelming.
That’s why we created this easy guide to the top five marketing photography styles for 2020.
5 Marketing Photography Styles & How To Use Them
1. Traditional In-Studio Headshots
When you think of a traditional, corporate headshot, this is it. In-studio photography allows us to control all elements, from lighting to hair and makeup. It produces the cleanest look, and you can use these images to create cut-outs for your graphic designer, as well.
Additionally, a traditional headshot is usually from the shoulders or mid-torso up. It focuses on you as your brand and is the most versatile type of image.
That’s why we always recommend a traditional in-studio headshot as your foundational piece of marketing photography. If you don’t have any professional images — or your images are outdated — start here.
Suggested SchlickArt Session: SchlickArt Professional Portrait Session
2. In-Studio Professional Portraits
Once you have your perfect in-studio headshot picked out, we also suggest a professional portrait. The difference is the composition. A professional portrait typically captures a full-length shot of you, which is great to use in your marketing pieces.
For example, if you’re a Realtor, a full-length shot of you in professional dress is perfect on a For Sale sign, brochure or flyer. They’re also great for blogs, email newsletters and lifestyle websites.
The benefit of a professional portrait is it can showcase the different sides of you — whether you’re serious and professional or friendly and approachable — because it captures your body language in a way the “head and shoulders” headshot may not be able to do quite as effectively.
Suggested SchlickArt Session: SchlickArt Cityscapes Professional Portraits Session
3. Outdoor Headshots In Santa Clarita
Once you’ve laid the foundation with some in-studio headshots or portraits, many local professionals build on their visual content by taking some incredible shots with Santa Clarita as their backdrop. We shoot at a couple different iconic locations, such as Westfield Valencia Town Center and Downtown Newhall, as well as outside your business location (see #6).
Shooting outdoor headshots in Santa Clarita gives you the opportunity to capture a fresh take on your headshots or professional portraits — with the added benefit of being branded in your community. It sends the message that you are the local expert, even to those potential clients who don’t know you yet.
Suggested SchlickArt Session: SchlickArt Cityscapes Professional Portraits Session
4. Lifestyle Marketing Photography (Social Media Photography)
Lifestyle marketing photography is going to capture a very different look and feeling than your headshots or professional portraits because they show a more personal side of you. Rather than being posed in a professional stance, we’ll pose you in a natural, relaxed position that shows you in your element.
For example, if you’re a realtor, we’ll shoot you as you set up a house for a showing. If you’re an author, we’ll capture you leafing through the pages of your book. If you love coffee or wine, we get images of you holding your favorite mug or sipping a glass of your favorite red — whatever makes you you.
These lifestyle marketing images are particularly powerful on social media, which is perfect because they’re less formal than a traditional headshot. It allows you to create a more relatable feed, as well as a showcase a different side of yourself that makes you human, interesting and fun. They’re also great for blogs and email marketing, too!
P.S. For a more detailed look at the best types of photography for each social media platform, check out this blog.
Suggested SchlickArt Session: SchlickArt Professional Portrait Session
5. Business Location Photography
Once we’ve captured your professional foundational images, as well as your relatable social media images, the final look is a cross between the two: business location photography. We come to your business location and photograph the exterior of the building with your signage and your logo, the inside of your offices, and your team working together and with clients. While these images are more professional than a typical lifestyle shoot, they still have that polished “candid” look, like we’re getting a glimpse of a day in your life.
For example, if you’re a financial planner, we’ll capture you sitting down with a client or strategizing with another staff member. We may shoot the entire team interacting in your conference room or your front desk staff greeting a client at the door. The idea is to show potential clients what it’s like to work with you, so they can begin to picture that relationship in their minds.
Suggested SchlickArt Session: SchlickArt Cityscapes Professional Portraits Session
About Lindsay’s Photography for Women
With the mind of a businesswoman and the heart of an adventurer, Lindsay began to conceive of a different kind of Santa Clarita photography business. In her vision, stepping in front of the camera could be an empowering experience that gave her clients more than just a photograph — it would give people a new way of seeing themselves. With an eye for seeing the beauty in life and in others, Lindsay could use the camera to spread beauty.
Visual Marketing In Santa Clarita
At SchlickArt, we offer more than photography and video services to the Santa Clarita area and beyond. We do our best to provide our clients with marketing expertise and direction every chance we get. We know you need your images and video to help grow your business — that’s why you invest in them, and that’s why do, too. Please take a minute to search through our blogs to find the visual marketing information that will help your business, or give us a call. We’re happy to help!
About SchlickArt Photography and Video
SchlickArt, a boutique photo and video studio in Santa Clarita, started in March 2012 with the simple idea that empowerment creates a kind of beauty and authenticity that shines through every camera lens. Built on a philosophy — rather than a product, service or person — SchlickArt has rapidly evolved, meeting professional portraiture, business photo and business video needs as diverse as the community we capture. It’s the desire to take care of you, the client, that drives us at SchlickArt.