Both commercial and consumer photographers need to be concerned with branding and brand identity, for different reasons.
Read the following post on brand identity to get an overview of what it may mean to photographers:
Commercial photographers, whose
main aim is to create images that sell a product, need to brand
themselves in order to be hired by ad agencies and designers who want
their particular "look" to be associated with a product or design. When
creating an ad or a fashion image, a commercial photographer also needs
to understand the brand identity of the product (for instance: Nike =
hardcore athleticism = just do it).
Consumer photographers, who work
directly for clients to produce images for personal use (weddings,
portraits, etc.), create a brand identity that will appeal to the
particular demographic they want to hire them (for instance: wealthy
young couples who think they're hip and cutting-edge).
Choose one of the following exercises to blog about branding and photography:
Option One: Local Wedding Photographers
Choose two local wedding photographers from the following link to compare/contrast their brand identity:
Start by naming the photographers and providing the URL for their websites. Examine their websites for their stylistic
approach, the wedding packages they offer, and how they present
themselves to clients on their "about" pages. Then, answer the
following questions:
How does each photographer create a distinctive brand identity?
How would you compare/contrast the style of shooting for each photographer?
Based on what they say about their work
and the look of it, as well as the prices they charge, what kind of
couple do you think each photographer is targeting?
Choose one of the following fashion photographers and examine his or her brand identity in depth: Javier Vallhonrat -
Ruven Afandor -
Glen Luchford -
Steven Meisel -
Solve Sundsbo -
Vincent Peters -
Enrique Badulescu -
Ellen Von Unwerth -
Peter Lindbergh -
Steven Klein -
David LaChapelle -
Donald McPherson -
Nigel Barker -
Albert Watson -
Bruce Weber -
Helmut Newton -
Tim Wal
List the name of your chosen photographer and post a URL with his/her work
How would you describe the "look" he or she is trying to market?
What campaigns has the photographer worked on for which he/she may have been hired because of their brand identity?
Why do you think the photographer's personal brand identity may have been a good fit for the brand of the product being advertised?
http://www.donaldmcphersonstudio.com/
ReplyDeleteDonald McPherson was my choice for this comment. The feel I get from is his work is a very urban/cold feel. It seems that he tends to shoot most of his fashion photography in very low light conditions where as his celebrity photography kind of has the same feel. I have noticed that in a few select images of his he has some warmth to them but they are few and far between. I believe his style of shooting has helped him with the new trend of the "Hepster" style that has started booming recently. Now on the project portion of this commentary I couldn't find any information on what specific campaigns he has been hired for but I would like to know if anyone finds anything in specific so I could check out more of this great photographers work.
Jamie Bosworth ( http://bosworthstudio.com ) creates her distinct brand by capturing her clients with a feeling of wholesome storytelling. She doesn’t hide behind frills or extreme Photoshop effects but instead stays true to raw natural moment. Her branding has a very journalistic feel to it, because of the way she captures natural untouched moments.
ReplyDeleteAnna Jaye ( http://www.annajayephotography.com ) has a very editorial look and feel to her brand. She captures her clients in picture perfect backgrounds, with perfect lighting and poses. Her style resembles something out of lifestyle wedding magazine.
Both photographers have a very romantic and lifestyle feel to their photographs. They are both able to capture a strong scene of storytelling. Bosworth has a more raw feeling to her images and rarely poses her clients, while Jaye has a very clean cut magazine/editorial feel to her photographs and uses a good amount of posing with her clients.
Bosworth’s clients would most likely be down to earth couples that are somewhat simple and don’t like large extravagant weddings but rather more modest family/friend oriented weddings.
Jaye’s clients would be couples that are trying to have the picture perfect wedding. They would most likely look to have a large somewhat over the top events with every little detail perfectly in its place.
Glen Luchford: http://www.glenluchford.com/index.php/photograph
ReplyDeleteHow would you describe the "look" he or she is trying to market?
Retro modernism, and or sexy
What campaigns has the photographer worked on for which he/she may have been hired because of their brand identity?
Levi's, Vogue.
Why do you think the photographer's personal brand identity may have been a good fit for the brand of the product being advertised?
These brands are attempting to sell a product based off of a perceived life style. "People who wear x and y are sexy and timelessly fashionable, wear these out fits and always be ahead of the curve" or something. The photographer's images ooze a feeling of timelessness, they are hard to pin to a specific time period. People who care about fashion, may want to wear cloths that will be hip no matter how old they are. Glen's images give you that sense.