Depending on your desired aesthetic and brand message, there are many different seasons that could be considered for your next branding session. Spring is a great time to capture the beauty of blooming flowers and budding trees, while summer offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor shoots with vibrant colors and natural lighting. Autumn is a beautiful time for capturing the changing leaves and warm tones, while winter can be a great time to capture the unique beauty of snow-covered landscapes and muted tones. Ultimately, the best season for your branding session depends on the look and feel you are trying to create, AND depending on what the goals of your marketing campaign are.
In this blog post, I will share 4 different seasonal viewpoints on how to plan out your branding session based on the season and time of year!
Spring is a great season to consider for branding photo sessions! Here are a few reasons why you should consider planning out your session for the spring:
1️⃣Spring is a great time to capitalize on the freshness of the season and incorporate nature into your branding images. You can use the blooming flowers, lush green grass, and bright sunny days to create a vibrant backdrop for your branding photos.
2️⃣Spring is often a time of renewal and growth, so it can be a perfect time to create images that reflect your business’s new goals, initiatives, or products. You can use the season as a way to represent the growth your business has experienced and show potential customers what you have to offer.
3️⃣Spring is the perfect time to take advantage of the longer days. The sun sets later and the days are much brighter, allowing you to capture more natural light in your branding photos and create a brighter, more eye-catching look.
4️⃣Here’s a bonus tip: don’t forget if you want to have a strong SUMMER or even FALL Campaign: SPRING is the time to plan and execute your branding session for any Summer or Fall Marketing Goals.
Summer is a great season to consider for a branding session! Here are three reasons why:
1️⃣Warmer weather means more outdoor options for a photo shoot, which can add a unique flair to your brand identity.
2️⃣Longer days mean more daylight for photography, allowing for extended shooting hours. If you need to capture your business in different lights (meaning a sunrise for one aspect of your business, and then more golden hour photos for another storyline, perhaps consider having your branding session in the summer)!
3️⃣It’s a great opportunity to capture some of the vibrant colors of summer in your photos, creating a cheerful and cheerful atmosphere for your brand.
4️⃣ Here’s a bonus tip: don’t forget if you want to have a strong Fall or even Winter Campaign: SUMMER is the time to plan and execute your branding session for any Fall or Winter Marketing Goals.
Fall is a great season to consider for a branding session! Here are three reasons why:
1️⃣Fall is a great time for branding photos because the leaves are changing colors and provide a great backdrop for photos. The natural lighting during this time of year is soft and flattering, and the temperature is often pleasant. Even if the weather is cooler, consider taking some photos outdoors and then renting an elevated Airbnb for some indoor shots (like the photo examples below)
2️⃣In the fall, people often take a more relaxed approach to their wardrobe, so you can create a more laid-back look for your branding photos. Plus, you can incorporate seasonal elements like plaids, scarves, bigger hats, and boots into your outfits to give them a unique feel.
3️⃣Fall is an ideal time to showcase your business or brand. With the holidays coming up, having fresh photos ready to use for your website and social media will help you stand out from the competition. Plus, the cozy vibes of fall can be used to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for your branding photos.
4️⃣ Here’s a bonus tip: don’t forget if you want to have a strong WINTER or even SPRING (think indoors for Spring) (of next year) Campaign: FALL is the time to plan and execute your branding session for any Winter or NEXT Spring’s Marketing Goals.
3+ reasons for a Winter-based branding session
1️⃣The crisp winter air can provide a beautiful backdrop for your branding photos. The soft sunlight and snow-covered trees or mountains can give your photos a tranquil, peaceful atmosphere. And even if you cannot shoot outdoors (due to the colder weather) the crisp bright atmosphere provides perfect lighting (as seen in the photos below which were taken in winter)
2️⃣Winter is the perfect season for capturing photos that feature cozy and inviting textures like fur, knits, and warm blankets. These textures can help to create an inviting, homey aesthetic that can reflect the values of your brand.
3️⃣Wintertime often brings unique holiday-themed props and decorations that can be incorporated into your branding photos. Holiday decorations can be a great way to keep the photos fresh and current while still staying true to your brand.
4️⃣ If your brand embodies the outdoors and a lot of your products are supposed to be used in the “cold” weather, then plan on having a winter-themed branding session (or at least when it snows) so that your ideal client can picture themselves using your products
5️⃣ Here’s a bonus tip: don’t forget if you want to have a strong Spring or even Summer Campaign: WINTER is the time to plan and execute your branding session for any Spring or Summer Marketing Goals (I know that during Winter it’s colder and if you have marketing goals that require ‘warmer’ looking weather, then rent a space indoors during Winter to plan ahead)
To be transparent, most businesses do not do this, meaning most business owners do not plan out marketing strategies AHEAD of time (so if you want to be ahead of the curve, and ahead of the game, plan out your marketing campaigns for your small business AHEAD of time) and by marketing campaigns, I am referring to your BRANDING photos. This takes intentional planning and strategy and can be overwhelming! Thankfully, I serve not only as a branding photographer but a Systems + Workflow educator for creatives on the education side of my business. So if you need help in planning out a strategic branding session or a launch of a newer product for your small business, I would be more than happy to schedule a call with you (because launching involves systems and workflows)! Contact me here.
🔖If you would like to read further blog posts on how to prep for your branding session check out this blog post on what to pack for your branding session:
Dolly DeLong is a Nashville-based branding photographer for small business owners, a family photographer, and a creative business owner who educates other creative business owners on all things systems, sops + workflows. Dolly loves serving business owners with her bold, elevated, and radiant photography. And, she also loves educating other creative business owners on how to set up systems and workflows that will ultimately help them save time in their business-she does this by producing weekly blog posts and weekly podcast episodes on The Systems & Workflow Magic Podcast.
She has a heart for serving the larger business community. Dolly shares her knowledge of tools like Dubsado, Email Marketing, and Business Systems with new creative business owners & family photographers in an encouraging and supportive way because she believes that anyone can find joy in automation! Plus BONUS: Systems is where the MAGIC happens! You CAN streamline & automate the backend of your creative business with ease!
Dolly’s faith and love for her family motivate her to help other business owners find the joy and freedom she’s found in running a successful small business.
Whenever she has a spare moment, she enjoys watching TV (i.e. Survivor), loves eating way too many sweets, and listens to podcasts while running or walking. To work with Dolly DeLong Photography for a branding photography session, fill out her contact form here.
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