Stories are the basis of how we share information about our past, present and potential future. Stories influence our decision-making and the ways that we identify who we are and who we want to align ourselves with as people.

Advertising photography is a powerful way to share compelling stories with the people who you want to take notice of your business. In essence, you want to know who you are trying to communicate with and what you are trying to say. It’s way more in-depth than getting your friend to take a few snaps.

Your branding as a whole, is the story you are offering for people to understand your business. It’s the combination of many disparate parts, that together, become your business’s identity. A logo, a colour or group of colours, the weight and type of stock your business cards are printed on and the layout of your website. It’s also the locations, props or people you choose to include in your photography, the words used to accompany all of that and much more. It’s a far-reaching combination of often simple, and some complex choices, that need to fit cohesively together. It sets the tone, communicating the quality, affordability, and utility of your endeavour to prompt engagement with the people you need to entice.

How do you tell the right story for your brand? A grassroots sports video producer should be telling an entirely different story to an established high-end furniture manufacturer. Ultimately, a successful story is one that makes your target demographic want to align with your core message.

No one will dispute that Porsche makes amazing cars but they have created a mystique about their brand that is greater than the sum of its parts. A Porsche is a symbol, it’s a statement about the type of life we assume the Porsche owner has attained. An inferred part of their storytelling is that most people couldn’t possibly own a Porsche. Truth is, it’s just a car, but the narrative represents an exclusive gateway to status and freedom.

To fulfil all of the objectives to make viable commercial photography takes a lot of effort and thought. Every element in the photograph should look believable and belong together if it's to be in service of the story you are weaving. The image needs to represent the product or activity in a targeted and appealing way while sitting harmoniously with the rest of your branding. An image must rapidly communicate, tone, quality and appeal to a specific demographic.

The type of lighting chosen will dictate the mood of the photograph, and believe me, there is so much to know about how to manage light well that there are books and books on it. A dark and soft lighting state might be perfect for a high-end whiskey brand while bright strong light going to suit advertising for a school. But there will always be choices and decisions to be made depending on the product. The mood of the image needs to align with the intended message.

The final image needs to be arresting enough to stand out and be easy to understand at a glance. The end result should appear vibrant, and enticing and be deceptively simple. Importantly, the photography for your business should ideally have equal to or better production values than your competition.

I have great personal interest and experience in storytelling and can help you tell your business's story through strategic professional photography. I feel that I am in a position to help guide my clients to the best value and most considered choices around their visual identity and I can offer an objective eye on the direction of your marketing.

How well are you telling the story of your business?