Why I curate your complete brand photography collection (and don’t let you pick your own images)
Most business owners don’t realise why a curated brand photo collection matters until they actually start using their images.
If you’ve ever worked with a brand photographer before, you might have been given a massive gallery of proof images to sift through, with the expectation that you’ll pick your favourites. On the face of it, that sounds great. After all, they’re your photos – surely you should get to decide which ones to keep, right?
Except ... You probably don’t know which ones you actually need.
Sadly, not all images will work hard for your business. The best brand photography isn’t just about looking good; it’s about choosing images that connect, engage, and persuade your audience.
And that’s exactly where you need my help.
I say this with respect, but as a business owner, you’re looking at your brand photos with completely different eyes from your audience. You’re instinctively drawn to the images where you think you look good, or the ones where you feel like your best angles are on display. But that’s not usually the right way to choose.
What matters isn’t just how YOU feel about an image – it’s how it makes your ideal client feel. Does it create the right connection? Does it reinforce your brand message? Does it position you in a way that makes people want to hire you, buy from you, or trust you?
That’s why I don’t hand my clients hundreds of proof images to wade through. Instead, I carefully curate their final collection – selecting the strongest, most impactful shots that will actually help them sell, and making sure I have a full range of image types that will cover different scenarios you'll need them for.
The psychology of a brand photo – why what you like isn’t always what works
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Humans process images faster than words – in a fraction of a second, we get an instant feeling from a photo before we even register what we’re looking at. That’s why the right image can draw people in, make them feel something, and build trust, while the wrong one can create hesitation, disconnect, or even push people away.
Let’s say you’re a business coach who helps people gain clarity and confidence in their work. You might love a particular headshot where you look polished and professional (and BOY that was a good hair day!), but if your expression is a bit serious, your audience might subconsciously feel like they’re about to be told off rather than guided with support. The better image might be the one where you’re mid-conversation, smiling warmly, and gesturing as you speak – because that one feels like the kind of approachable, encouraging expert they want to work with.
Or maybe you’re a copywriter who wants to position yourself as creative, engaging, and full of ideas. You might pick the most traditional headshot in your set because you think it makes you look the most professional, but if the better choice is one where you’re sitting in a cosy wee café, mid-thought, scribbling notes in a journal – that’s the one that tells the right story.
And if you’re a yoga teacher, you might be tempted to choose the image where your posture looks perfect, but your audience is drawn to the one where you’re adjusting a client’s pose, smiling and encouraging them – because that tells viewers more about what it’s like to work with you. They don’t care about YOUR posture. They care about how you help your clients correct THEIRS.
The best image isn’t always the one where you think you look the best – it’s the one that tells the strongest story about your brand and makes your audience think, yes, this is the person I want to work with.
The difference between a nice photo and a strategic brand image
This is why I don’t let my clients pick their own photos from a huge proof gallery – because what they think they need and what will actually help their business grow are often two very different things.
When I curate your brand photography collection, I’m not just selecting the ones that look great. I’m choosing the ones that:
- Reinforce your brand identity and messaging – every photo in your collection has a purpose.
- Make your audience feel something positive about you – trust, connection, warmth, credibility.
- Give you a variety of images that work across different platforms – website, social media, press features, marketing materials.
- Position you as the expert in your field while still feeling like (and coming across as) your natural, relatable self.
And those photos where you look serious, or thoughtful, or anything BUT smiley? I'll include some of them too, because you need more serious looking expressions to illustrate blog posts or social posts where you're discussing a more serious topic. A collection which only includes smiley shots of yourself is seriously letting you down, and I don't want to risk you only picking those smiley shots.
You don’t need a hundred almost-identical photos to sift through – you need a cohesive, carefully selected collection that does the hard work for you.
So that’s exactly what I deliver.
Anji and Roddy – and why the right photo isn’t always the obvious choice
Let’s take my client Anji as an example. Anji offers professional care and support using Bach Flower Remedies, and one of the key services she offers is pet bereavement counselling. She works closely with vet surgeries all over Edinburgh, helping people navigate the grief of losing a beloved animal companion. Anji’s dog-daft, just like me, but at the time of our brand photo shoot, she had not long lost her own dog and wasn't yet in a place where she could welcome a new one into her home.
Enter my black Lab, Roddy, who was recruited as a stand-in.
This photo definitely doesn't work
This photo definitely does work!
This photo definitely doesn't work
This photo definitely does work!
I knew before we even started that we needed an image of Anji and Roddy giving each other their full attention. A shot that would show a strong, emotional connection between Anji and an animal - because that’s entirely relevant to the service she offers her clients. That sense of deep understanding, empathy, and compassion.
Now, here’s where the psychology of a brand photo really comes into play.
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At first glance, the first image I took of them was a perfectly good photo. It was clear, well lit, and well composed. Roddy’s face was visible, which I know a lot of dog lovers like in photos. But there was a problem - it was all wrong.
Roddy looked bored shitless. Or depressed. I don't know, but there was zero connection between him and Anji. You might not immediately pinpoint why it didn’t work, but you’d feel it. It lacked warmth, lacked engagement, lacked that essential sense of compassion and understanding that Anji absolutely needed to communicate in her branding.
If I’d handed her a gallery of proofs and let her choose, she might have picked that first one. She might have thought, Oh, I like that I can see Roddy’s face clearly in this one, or I think I look better in this one. But would that image have worked for her business? Hell no.
The second image, the one I actually included in her final collection, told an entirely different story. Anji and Roddy were fully engaged with each other. The way she looked at him, the way he responded to her ... That image showed the connection I'd planned for. That one told her story.
You as a viewer of that first photo might not have consciously thought "god that dog looks bloody miserable, what's she doing to him?!", but you'd think it subconsciously. It wouldn't feel right, although you might not consciously know why.
Images evoke feelings instantly. So you simply mustn't get them wrong.
Why first impressions matter, and why I make sure your images give the right ones
People make snap judgments in a fraction of a second. The moment someone lands on your website or social media, they’re forming opinions about you, whether they realise it or not.
If your images don’t send the right message instantly, you risk:
- Confusing your audience - if your brand images don’t align with what you do, people won’t connect the dots.
- Losing trust - if something feels off about an image, viewers might not be able to explain why, but they’ll feel hesitant.
- Missing the opportunity to make the right impact - because the best brand images make people feel something positive about you.
This is why I don’t let my clients pick their own photos from a huge gallery of proofs. It’s not about taking control away from you, it’s about making sure the images you use actually work for your business.
I know what sells, connects, and engages an audience - because it's my job. And that’s why I curate your final collection carefully, selecting the images that will work hard for you in your marketing, your branding, and beyond.
A curated brand photo collection matters
Every photograph in your brand collection plays a strategic role. It’s not just about aesthetics, it’s about creating a visual presence that attracts, engages, and builds trust with your audience. When I curate your final collection, I’m selecting images that work together cohesively to tell the right story about you and your business.
Your brand photos should do more than just sit prettily on your website. Screw that. If you’re after pretty pictures to stroke your ego, hang on the wall at home, or use as click-bait on Instagram, you’d be better off with a standard portrait photographer because I'm not the right photographer for you.
Your business photos should showcase your expertise, make you instantly recognisable, and help your potential clients feel like they already know and trust you before they even speak to you.
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Each image has its own purpose
A well-curated brand photo collection includes a mix of different types of images, each with its own purpose. A polished headshot establishes credibility and professionalism. A candid behind-the-scenes shot makes you more relatable and humanises your brand. An action shot of you doing what you do best reinforces why you’re the expert in your field. Every image I deliver is chosen with intent so you have exactly what you need to market your business effectively.
If you're a small business owner based in Edinburgh or elsewhere in Scotland, and you want brand photography that actually works for your business - without the overwhelm of choosing the right images yourself - I’d love to help.
Let’s create a curated collection of brand images that positions you as an expert, connects with your audience, and gives you the confidence to show up online with ease. Get in touch with me to start planning your brand photo shoot.
