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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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Sometimes a photograph is so much more than just a Sometimes a photograph is so much more than just a picture. Sometimes it holds a deeper meaning to the photographer than the average viewer might expect. This is one of those photographs...
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Meet Greg's aunt Charlotte, who lives full-time at the ranch, caring for all the animals and the property. She is an incredible horsewoman and a strong-willed, independent human being. She barrel raced competitively into her mid/late-70s, only recently making the decision to stop riding.
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Charlotte has never been one to want her photo taken but when she asked me if I would create some special portraits of her with her horse, Brawley, I was honored. Her main goal was one nice photograph to hang on the wall of family portraits to celebrate her time as the ranch's caretaker.
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If you've ever spent more than a few hours at the ranch, you've certainly seen Charlotte out riding around the property, either checking the gates or practicing running barrels in the arena.
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While Charlotte wanted her portraits to be more traditional to match the feel of the other family photographs hers would be hanging alongside (which we did), I knew in between locations that I also wanted to capture a moment that we, her family, have all seen time and time again... her, on Brawley, simply walking down the road.
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As soon as I saw the light on the road and how the dust hung in the air, I knew this was the image I had envisioned. I held back an extra few seconds as Charlotte, Brawley, and her trusty ranch dog, Sage, continued up the road. This was it. This was the moment I had waited for. It was the slightly more artistic and creative portrait that I knew not everyone else would fall in love with but I knew I would... and sometimes in between creating art for others, we have to remember to create art that means something to us, too. 
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*wink wink* Betty clearly has a secret that she th *wink wink* Betty clearly has a secret that she thinks I know (but I haven't a clue). What do you think it is? 🤣
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#westwaypets #sandiegophotography #sandiegopetphotographer #sandiegopetphotography #sandiegodogphotographer #sandiegodogphotography
I've been getting a fair number of end-of-life ses I've been getting a fair number of end-of-life session inquiries lately. They are so hard emotionally for everyone. I do my best to keep things light and joyful, though, which you can see here in little Licorice's portrait.
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For Lic’s portrait session, we ventured down to the beach where he and his mom loved to walk every night. Their session was filled with mama and puppy snuggles, kisses, and, yes, even some laughter.
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I've often gotten very lucky with these types of sessions. I get the sense that our animal companions know what's happening and this is their moment to shine. I frequently hear "he's doing really well today!" before the start of our photo shoot. Our dogs and cats have taken care of us their entire lives so it's not surprising they'd want to leave us with happy lasting memories, too. Animals are INCREDIBLE.
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For dog mom and dads, this day can be filled with For dog mom and dads, this day can be filled with dread instead of joy. How do we keep our dogs stress-free with fireworks? Will someone set off firecrackers when we're not prepared? Will we be hearing rogue fireworks and firecrackers late into the night?
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Last year, I found a trick that worked really well with Roxy. My home office has an attached bathroom with a very loud fan. Roxy and I made ourselves comfy in the office, turned on the fan, pulled the blinds, closed the blackout curtains, and watched loud movies with the volume higher than normal. I could hear the fireworks but she couldn't distinguish between them and The Avengers, especially with the white noise of the fan.
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Anytime we're traveling, though, and there are loud, scary noises, I am prepared with nature sounds on my phone that act as white noise. I have used them in the past and within a few minutes, Roxy will settle down and go to sleep (and so will I).
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Also remember that it's a good idea to keep a collar on your dog with your current address and phone numbers. If they're microchipped, make sure the information on your account is up-to-date and that it still scans at the vet's office.
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I hope these tips help and that you and your furry companions have a happy and safe July 4th! 
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#westwaypets #westwaywisdom
All dogs can be lap dogs! This sweet buddy is Harl All dogs can be lap dogs! This sweet buddy is Harley. I found out that he passed away recently. This was one of my favorite images from their photo shoot a few years ago. Harley was a big love and so, so special to his family.
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When animals come into our lives, they change everything for the better. It's hard to remember the times before they were with us. We all know it's inevitable, though, that someday we'll have to say goodbye. When that time comes, I believe our companions take a little piece of our souls with them but leave a little piece of theirs in exchange so we will always be together no matter where we are. 💗
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#westwaypets #sandiegophotography #sandiegopetphotographer #sandiegopetphotography #sandiegodogphotographer #sandiegodogphotography
Few things in life are cuter than a fluffy Pomeran Few things in life are cuter than a fluffy Pomeranian booty — and Rocco knows it.
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Sundays are for relaxing in the grass with your be Sundays are for relaxing in the grass with your best friend, don't you agree? .
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