Plan a Commercial Photography or video Session
In the ever-growing competitive landscape (notwithstanding social media and AI content), it’s fair to say your business is judged in seconds, often before you’ve had the chance to say a word.
Whether it’s your website or social media post, the visual content you use sets the brand tone for how customers, clients, and partners perceive you. That’s where professional business photography (commercial photography or video is the creation of visual content for business or promotional purposes) comes in.
Unlike stock photos, AI-generated or quick smartphone snaps, a carefully planned business photoshoot gives you powerful, authentic images that reflect your professionalism, brand, and build trust with your audience.
But to get the most from your investment, planning is key. I’ve previously created a guide for personal brand photography, which you can read here. However, there are subtle differences for a company or business-focused photography/video session.
Why Businesses Need Commercial Photography and Video
Professional Photography and video is more than decoration. It’s an evergreen business asset.
- Websites and landing pages: Crisp, professional, evergreen imagery creates a strong first impression and increases conversion rates. For example, service businesses with authentic team photos tend to win more trust than those using generic stock pictures.
- Social media and content marketing: Regular high-quality visuals keep your social media feed fresh, consistent, and engaging. Images on your Google Business Profile typically attract more attention for search results.
- Recruitment and HR: Team and workplace images help attract new staff by showing off your culture and environment.
- Press and PR – Journalists are far more likely to feature stories if supplied with strong, ready-to-use visuals. (EPK’s Electronic Press Kit)
- Client presentations and proposals – Bespoke imagery sets your company apart from competitors who rely on the same tired stock photography.
The negative impact of not investing in your visual content?
It has the potential to create a lower perception of your brand, leading to a lack of trust and missed opportunities. A website full of stock images, poor quality or outdated images suggests a business that doesn’t care about its presentation.
Key Considerations Before Your Commercial Photography Session
Before booking a session, it’s worth clarifying a few essential details:
- Objectives
What do you need the photography for? Team Headshots? A new website or product/service launch? Marketing campaigns? Investor relations? Clear objectives help your photographer/videographer design the right approach. - Usage
Where will the images be used online, in print, or both? Will they need to work across formats such as banners, brochures, and social media? - Brand Identity
Your visual content should reflect your brand’s style and tone. If you have brand guidelines (colour palettes, typography, image style preferences), share these with your photographer to help build a complete picture of how your business is perceived. - Audience
Think about who you’re trying to reach. Are the photos aimed at potential clients, new employees, stakeholders, or the press? The intended audience can influence the style, type and composition of the imagery and video.
Take a moment to look at my article about creating a compelling photography or video brief that will help me build cost-effective proposals for your project.
Planning the Commercial Session Step by Step
A smooth, successful commercial shoot doesn’t happen by accident. Remember, prior planning and preparation prevent poor performance!
1. Create a Commercial Photography Brief
Provide your photographer, videographer or agency with a clear brief. Include your goals, brand guidelines, target audience, and a shot list if available. The more information you share, the better the results. As already mentioned, check out my article about creating a video or photography brief.
2. Determine your Locations
Will the shoot take place in your office, at a workshop, in-store, or other venue?
Does your workplace reflect the right image, or would an external setting be more effective? Work with your content creator (photographer/videographer) to explore different options.
3. Timings
Think about your schedule and the practicalities of shooting.
For example, a construction company may want photos taken during daylight hours on an active site, to capture when it is most active, while office-based businesses may prefer quieter times to avoid disruption.
The time of year may also be a factor. A hospitality venue will want to show off its location at its best in the warmer times of Spring and Summer, when flowers and trees are in full bloom.
The same goes for drone operations, where it is critical to have contingency plans (possibly multiple days) in place in case of inclement weather.
4. Prepare Your Team
Staff should know what’s happening and feel comfortable. Offer guidance on dress code (aligned with your brand identity), let them know when they’ll be photographed, and remind them it’s about being authentic to the company culture.
I provide dress code and guidelines for businesses to share with teams to help you brief your teams.
5. Props and Branding
Ensuring that your key products, uniforms, signage, and branded materials are available to add subtle but essential brand context to the images.
Using brand elements throughout the session (even team headshots) A strengthens your brand identity and creates image consistency.
6. A Shot List
Some examples:
- Individual headshots and team group photos.
- Key action shots (meetings, working on projects, serving customers).
- Behind-the-scenes moments that capture your culture.
- Products or services in use.
- Wider workplace or environment shots.
Don’t forget tools like Pinterest boards to save ideas and research what’s popular within your industry.
Typically, as part of any commercial photography project, I will research the types of content that do well, but also brainstorm innovative ideas to make your images stand out from the crowd.
On the Day of the Shoot
- Point of contact: Having someone on-site who understands the brief and can act as a liaison during the photoshoot is recommended. They can help round up staff (team headshots), coordinate access, and deal with any unexpected moments. It also gives me someone to bounce ideas off in real time, ensuring the results align with the business goals.
A great example of this was while shooting a 360 virtual tour of an event’s venue and hotel. Not all the rooms were available at the same time, and having someone on-site to coordinate staff ensured we still managed to get everything needed (and more) from the brief. - Plan for minimal disruption: A good photographer will blend into your workflow, but it helps to let staff know what’s happening and when. Simple things like tidying work areas, removing distracting clutter, or scheduling breaks around key shots can save time and keep the day efficient.
- Stay flexible: Even with the best planning, some of the strongest images and clips come from unscripted moments. Being open to spontaneous opportunities, whether it’s a quick team interaction or a behind-the-scenes detail, can add depth and authenticity to your final content.
- Aim for variety: Encourage a balance of formal and informal candid moments to ensure we maximise variety, resulting in visual assets that work to the brief.
After the Shoot – Maximising ROI
Your new business photography isn’t just for your website homepage. To get the most value:
- Refresh website content regularly with new images.
- Use photos across social campaigns, newsletters, and email marketing.
- Add professional imagery to recruitment adverts and job boards.
- Include visuals in press releases and case studies.
- Create a visual content library of easily accessible and evergreen assets.
Businesses that don’t maximise their photography and video often end up with unused files sitting on a hard drive; they’re just wasting potential.
Positive Examples
- Construction firm: Professional photos of the team on-site helped them win a significant contract by demonstrating scale and capability.
- Accountancy practice: Consistent staff headshots across LinkedIn and their proposals built trust with corporate clients.
- Retail brand: Lifestyle product shots boosted e-commerce sales by replacing flat (Packshot) product-only images with content showing their products in action with the end-user.
Frequently Asked Questions - Planning a Commercial Photoshoot
How far in advance should we book a commercial photoshoot?
Ideally, at least 4–6 weeks in advance. This allows enough time for planning, location scouting, and coordinating staff schedules.
For urgent projects, I can often accommodate shorter timelines depending on availability.
Can you help us plan the shoot so our staff feel comfortable?
Yes, preparation is key. I provide a simple pre-shoot guide for your team and can even run a short briefing session on the day to ease nerves and make the process enjoyable.
Can you photograph large teams or multiple locations in one day?
With the correct planning, we can capture everything from staff headshots to action shots and premises photography efficiently — minimising disruption to your working day.
How long does a business photography session take?
Sessions can range from a few hours for headshots to multiple days for larger projects covering products, staff, and workplace imagery.
Do you travel for business or commercial photography?
Yes. I’m based in Welling (London Borough of Bexley), Kent, and I regularly work with clients across London, Kent and the South East, as well as across the UK (England and Wales) and even internationally. Travel arrangements can be tailored to your project, whether it’s a single-day shoot at your office or multiple locations.
Prior Planning and preparation prevent poor performance
A business photography session is more than a photoshoot.
It’s an investment in your company’s reputation, credibility, and growth. With the proper preparation, you’ll walk away with an engaging library of visual content that can be used across every area of your business, from marketing to recruitment, PR to internal communications.
Are ready to elevate your business with professional commercial photography?
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