What photos should I put on my website? A strategic guide to brand photography
You finally have branding that feels like you.
Your logo is polished. Your messaging sounds like something you'd actually say. Your colors finally make sense together. Your website is coming together, and for the first time, everything feels cohesive.
Then your designer asks for photos.
So you start scrolling, and realize your phone contains thousands of images… and none of them belong on your website.
You probably have:
Screenshots of recipes you’ll never make
2,000 photos of your dog
Products you were thinking about buying
5,000 photos of your kids
Interior design inspiration for a future house
Memes
More screenshots
But photos that actually reflect your business or god forbid quality headshots of yourself? Surprisingly hard to find.
When was the last time you even took a photo of yourself that wasn’t a group selfie or a family picture? Or a photo that actually aligns with what you do day to day?
Maybe you run a service-based business where most of your work happens on Zoom, in meetings, or behind a screen. Or maybe you run a product-based business, but your camera roll is still mostly random life moments instead of intentional brand imagery.
Either way, you’re not alone.
Most business owners don’t naturally have photos that tell the story their website needs to tell. And that’s where it gets tricky.
People are forming an impression of your business before they ever read a word.
They’re making decisions based on visuals. Like…
Do I trust this?
Does this feel like a professional brand?
Can I picture myself here?
So let’s talk about what your photos actually need to do.
First, WhaT PHOTOS should even go on your website?
Well, honey, every photo should have a job.
Some build trust. Some communicate personality. Some showcase your product or process. Some help people imagine what it’s like to work with you or buy from you.
The goal isn’t a gallery of pretty images. It’s a collection that tells the story of your biz.
SElling a product vs. selling an experience
One of the biggest mistakes we see is using the same photography approach for every business.
A candle brand and a marketing consultant do not need the same type of images.
Product-based businesses need to help people imagine owning the product. Service-based businesses need to help people imagine working with the person behind it.
When someone is buying a product, they want to see:
The product itself (duh)
Details and textures
Packaging
Lifestyle context for size comparison
The product in use
When someone is hiring a service, they want to see:
The face behind the business
You doing what ya do best
Your process
Client interactions
BTS moments
The experience of working with you
The website shot list starter pack
If you’re building or refreshing your website, here’s where to start.
Headshots: Yep, ya still need em. No, they don’t all need to feel like corporate LinkedIn energy. A few strong, natural photos of you go a long way. They’re a great way to use your brand color palette too!
Show the work (BTS): This is where people actually connect with your brand. People aren’t just buying what you do. They’re buying how you do it.
You and your team creating and brainstorming
Meeting with clients
Teaching
Packing orders
Building something
Let them picture themselves there (experience photos): For service businesses especially, this is huge. Show:
Conversations
Workshops
Collaboration
Consultations
Client interactions
For product brands, this might be:
Customers using your product
Lifestyle scenes
Organic CGC (that’s customer generated content)
Don’t forget the little things (detail shots): Not everything needs to be a person. Small details often carry the biggest personality.
Workspace
Tools
Packaging
Materials
Notebook scribbles
Coffee (probably reheated)
Product closeups
Personality (lifestyle shots): This is where your brand becomes human. Don’t overthink it or over stage-it. It needs to feel real.
Working in your favorite coffee shop
Walking in your studio at your actual computer
Reading, sketching, creating
Enjoying your favorite hobbies
Contextual life images that show you’re a real person (with pets, people, and places)
The photos matter less than the feeling they create.
Before you plan a shoot or start a Pinterest board, consider: How do I want people to feel when they land on my website? Welcomed? Confident? Inspired? Calm? Energized? Understood? Those feelings should guide everything else.
The best brand photos show people how it feels to experience your brand, not just what you do.
Now allow us to shed some light on, well, lighting:
Lighting and editing style does a lot of the storytelling. Bright and airy often feels open, approachable, and optimistic. Warm and cozy feels personal, grounded, and inviting. Moody and dramatic feels elevated, intentional, and luxurious.
None are right or wrong.
The key is choosing what matches your brand, not what’s trending.
Plan the website, then plan the photoshoot.
Before your shoot, map out your site:
Homepage
About page
Services or shop pages
Contact page
Blog
Then ask:
What story needs to live here? What image supports that?
No more random gallery of pretty photos that don’t actually get used.
USe pinterest, but make it strategic.
Pinterest is helpful, but, instead of saving everything that looks good, look for patterns:
Lighting
Color tones
Posing style
Emotion
Energy
Don’t copy someone else's shoot. Use it to decode your own preferences.
And if you need an extra hand, we created a few Brand Photoshoot Pinterest boards to help guide brand shoots for both product and service-based businesses.
One last snapshot
Your photos are often what help people decide if they trust you, feel connected to you, and understand what it’s like to work with you before you ever speak to them.
So if you’re stuck wondering what belongs on your website, don’t start with poses.
Start with your story. The photos are just a visual way to tell it.