As they say here in the South, “Happy Fall, Y’all!”
I’m always amazed at the renewed delight I feel come early October when autumn leaves begin to color our world in shades of red and rust. There’s a crispness in the air and a richness to the late afternoon sunlight that’s hard to describe, yet as familiar and comforting as a cozy sweater. As Robert Frost so famously penned, “Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold.”
As is typical this time of year, I’m busy designing annual reports and a few school admission and enrollment projects. I truly relish digging into long-form publications like impact reports, case for support documents, student recruiting packets and school/alumni magazines. Each is a puzzle brimming with possible creative solutions.
While working on these type projects, one brand asset I often find my clients struggle with, and one where I can offer expert support and guidance, is photography.
No doubt, photography can make or break your brand communications.
But what do you do when your photo library is less than ideal? Maybe you don’t have original, professionally-shot brand photography yet. (It’s not all that uncommon, even for a school or young nonprofit.) And instead, you have:
- Some original photography but it’s noticeably outdated based on the people and events featured.
- A vast, though largely disorganized photo library, taken by photographers of varying expertise. You’re not sure what all is there – let alone determining resolution quality – or how to sort the diamonds from the rough.
- A small collection of photos taken by parents, donors and faculty/staff, but nothing compelling enough to capture and carry your audience’s attention through an entire communications piece, let alone motivate them to act.
- The means and desire to begin building an original, professionally-shot brand library, but you’re not sure where to start or who to work with.
It can feel like an uphill battle, for sure.
I get it, and you’re certainly not alone.
Here are my 3+ go-to strategies to level up your brand photography
- Lean on the expertise of a professional designer. There’s a lot to consider when vetting your photo library – resolution, quality, composition, needed color correction and retouching. I do this all day, every day, and can offer my design expertise as well as an outside perspective.
- Sprinkle with stock – One of my favorite ways to cultivate compelling photography, while staying true to the authenticity of your school or organization, is to use broadly-focused stock images juxtaposed with smaller, actual photos of your students, alumni and faculty. It draws your reader in with photography that’s colorful, emotionally engaging and compositionally strong while also connecting and highlighting the people and relationships that make your school special. Here are a few examples from Union Academy Foundation’s annual report.
- Leverage untapped resources – Although you may not realize it, you likely have a professional photographer or two right at your fingertips. Reach out to your school-wide community and/or donor family and ask for gratis help. (You’ll be surprised at the talent and generosity in your own backyard.) Once you find a suitable photographer, offer to showcase their business as an in-kind sponsor with byline recognition on their featured photography in upcoming publications and fundraising communications. That way, it’s a win win!
- Share your vision – Whether you’re working with (A) a volunteer, small business photographer from within your school network, (B) a paid, freelance photographer or (C) an on-staff school resource, communication is paramount. Although I won’t get into all the nitty gritty of organizing and executing a successful photo shoot, I will share a pro tip I’ve used to ensure the photographer understands my vision for needed photography and captures it memorably.
When brainstorming photography concepts, I look to stock for inspiration and use the selected images as placeholders in the layout. This approach allows for quick client buy-in, builds their anticipation and excitement around the upcoming photo shoot and helps them identify student, parent and faculty models who can recreate the energy of the stock images.
At least a few weeks before the scheduled photo shoot, I create a “Photo Shoot Guide” to share with both the client and photographer. (Very original title, I know. 😉) It’s a quick reference pdf which includes the placeholder stock images to be recreated in the photo shoot along with specific art direction from me on lighting, composition, model selection and coaching, wardrobe, recommendations on additional props, etc. This not only helps the client and photographer prepare for the shoot, but also serves as a virtual art director if I’m not present on the big day. It can be a real game changer.
When it comes to brand photography, there’s a lot to unpack! I hope my recommendations have been helpful and insightful.
Is it time to level up? If you’re ready for an ongoing creative partner to support you and/or your in-house team with strategic branding and graphic design, let’s talk!
Whether your priority is attracting and enrolling more students, strengthening alumni pride in their alma mater or building a greater sense of community around your institution—I can help you get there.
For more of my thoughts on strategic branding, brand communications and graphic design, check out How to create a buzzworthy annual report and Carolina Day School Magazine.
And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my email newsletter to receive monthly-ish content to help level up your creative communications.
