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September 15, 2020 by Terran Leave a Comment

Color & Story: Creating Unique Branded Photography Through Your Brand’s Aesthetic

Your brand is unlike any other. It has a distinct message to share with the world and you want to make sure your imagery celebrates all the things that make it unique!

You don’t want your marketing to look exactly like your main competition but how do you differentiate?

Here’s the secret no one talks about: you need to tell stories to your target audience that will build brand credibility and loyalty.

Look at Subaru, for example — they know exactly who their people are and how to speak to them. They have built a cult following and extreme levels of brand loyalty with their use of dogs, humor, and a love of the great outdoors in their campaigns.

So, I ask: what stories do you want to tell your audience?

Who is your target customer?

First we need to know who we’re speaking to. Who does your business serve and/or who do they aspire to be? Are they trendy hipsters, high-powered city-dwellers, middle-class suburban families, or salt-of-the-earth country folk? We want to create photos that allow your target audience to easily envision themselves and their dogs in the story we’re about to tell.

Who are their dogs?

Just as important as who your target customer is, we need to know who their dogs are. Are they big dogs, small dogs, rescue dogs, purebreds, or all of the above? It’s also worth looking at if your company has a strong tie to rescue work or if your brand gives back to shelters. Is that part of the brand story you want to tell? The animals in your photos will most likely be the main subjects in your photos so it’s important to choose dogs that are relatable.

What’s your brand color palette?

Does your brand go for more subtle or muted tones or bright, vibrant colors? Is your brand’s style more rustic, ultra-modern, or something in between? Should your images feel warm or cool? The answers to these questions will help us determine the types of locations and lighting strategy that will make your brand images stand out.

What kind of textures represent your company or product?

What kind of background images, colors, and textures do you currently use in your marketing? Perhaps you have natural wood grain, manicured green grass, and or solid stone surfaces like marble or concrete. Unless you’re going for a brand new look, it’s important for your new images to work with your current branding assets. Understanding the colors and textures that do the subtle work behind your brand will allow us to bring those exact textures or complementary elements into your photos.

How can you make your photos different from your competition?

This is the million-dollar question! While the easy answer is tell your story, not theirs, here are a few ideas and guidelines I like to use:

  • Do something different; have a solid, unique concept for your campaign.
  • Choose locations and scenery that are different from what your competition is doing.
  • Consider casting distinctive-looking dogs vs. purebreds that look alike.
  • Ask if your human and dog models have worked with your competitors and, if so, when. Using the same models as your competitors is risky and unfair to you both. Imagine you each had an ad on a facing page in a magazine… awkwaaard.

When all of these elements come together, you’re going to be able to reach your target customer without any brand confusion between you and a competitor! It’s important to talk to your photographer and creative team, too. Share your concerns so everyone is on the same page and can work together to create something truly special.


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Home » Color & Story: Creating Unique Branded Photography Through Your Brand’s Aesthetic

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Based in San Diego, CA
Traveling the U.S. in 2022
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There was a small delay with the arrival of our Ai There was a small delay with the arrival of our Airstream but we get to pick her up TODAY! We are so excited to finally begin this new adventure!​​​​​​​​
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Are you following along in our Instagram stories?
How stinkin' adorable is this??? Sweet Riesling ab How stinkin' adorable is this??? Sweet Riesling absolutely LOVED being in the photos with her mom and dad! This photo is one of six that make up a collage of rustic barnwood-framed canvases above their fireplace!
I always love seeing my photos on my clients' webs I always love seeing my photos on my clients' websites! Spotting Arlo's photo on West Paw's was no exception! ➡️ Swipe to see!
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#westwaypets #sandiegophotography #sandiegophotographer #sandiegopetphotographer #sandiegopetphotography #sandiegodogphotographer #sandiegodogphotography #commercialpetphotography #commercialpetphotographer #commercialdogphotographer #commercialdogphotography
I love the little moments like this one, which was I love the little moments like this one, which was captured during our session with Willow this past autumn. It was just a few short months before she crossed the rainbow bridge. I think of her often and wanted to share one of my favorite photos of her with her mom. ❤️ Willow was such a sweet & happy pup who loved her people so, so much.
As we plan our big journey, the question I get ove As we plan our big journey, the question I get over and over is about exact timing of our stops. My go to answer is "I don't know yet but I suspect it'll be sometime around..." ​​​​​​​​
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Here's the thing: with a few minor exceptions, we aren't on a set schedule. If we find someplace we'd like to explore for an extra day or two, we will. If we get in somewhere and think, "this really isn't for us," there's nothing keeping us there. When things go wrong, we will do our best to roll with it and remember that nothing ever goes exactly to plan.​​​​​​​​
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This is a whole new mindset to get used to but we're excited to give it a try! Do you think you could travel this way?
Here's a little Sunshine to brighten your day! ☀ Here's a little Sunshine to brighten your day! ☀️
When Riesling's mom contacted me for a session, sh When Riesling's mom contacted me for a session, she said she really, really, really wanted a silhouette shot. I think we absolutely nailed it with this one! Riesling is a little kangaroo and was having an absolute BLAST running and jumping as we wrapped up our afternoon together!
Do you ever have those moments where everything ju Do you ever have those moments where everything just feels like it is perfectly in place? I know they're rare but they DO happen — and this was one of them. As we wrapped up a very big day of adventure in the Eastern Sierras, Roxy lay down in the cold, sparkling snow just as the last rays of sunshine kissed the mountain peaks goodnight. My heart felt so full and I'm so grateful I had my camera ready to capture this moment + feeling for all time. 
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I have a hard time putting my own personal memories out into the world sometimes (hello, guarded introvert here!) but for Earth Day, I couldn't think of a piece of work more perfect for me to share than this one.
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We love getting out in nature, hiking, exploring, and adventuring. We are grateful for this incredible place we call home and are so excited to see more breathtaking landscapes on our upcoming six-month road trip (which begins in just two weeks)!
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Happy Earth Day, everyone! Let's celebrate this beautiful planet we share!
For the past few years, Greg and I have been dream For the past few years, Greg and I have been dreaming a very, very big dream — but it always felt like it was light years away from ever being possible.​​​​​​​​
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As the pandemic turned the world on its head, though, we realized life was too short to spend just dreaming. We knew it was time to make a giant leap of faith and live our dream of exploring this beautiful country we call home. ​​​​​​​​
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And now, in just a few short weeks, Greg, Roxy, and I are setting off to travel the US for the next six months in our Airstream and photograph dogs all along the way!​​​​​​​​
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We will be starting in Tampa, FL in mid-May and working our way up to the northeast for summer. Eventually, we will head back to San Diego for winter. There's no set schedule; no hard timeline. We are going to see where the road takes us!​​​​​​​​
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I will be posting lots of photos here on the Westway Studio Instagram & Facebook along with monthly blog posts on my website. If you want to sign up for our monthly email newsletter so you never miss a blog post, just go to westwaypets.com and scroll down to the bottom where you can sign up in the green box.​​​​​​​​
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Shameless plug: if you are on our basic route (FL > NY, VT, NH, MA, ME > San Diego (exact route home undecided)) and are interested in a portrait session, commercial project, or private mentoring, reach out! :) If you're in San Diego and would like to get on my 2023 waiting list, reach out, too!
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