Nine photo ideas for service-based small businesses
Are you a service-based small business looking to up your visual content game?
Whether you're a solopreneur or have a team working with you, having great photos can make a big difference in how potential clients view your business. But let's be real, coming up with creative photo ideas is not always easy. That's where I come in!
In this post, I'm sharing nine photo ideas plus examples, that will help you showcase your brand and services in a fun and engaging way through branding photography, while also highlighting the faces behind your business. From playful behind-the-scenes shots to detail shots, I hope these photo ideas can help your visual content pop and help you stand out in a sea of competitors.
Scroll down for ideas to take your business's visual game to the next level!
1. Behind the scenes: showcase your team at work
About this photo:
Some of the team from law firm Ink LLP during a daily update meeting. We shot this in the lobby area of their new office building. The artwork behind them has been custom painted by a local artist, and the colourful and creative energy of their space is one of the things that makes them different from other law firms.
2. Images of your team delivering your services in the field or to clients
About these photos:
AtSource, pictured here provides waste equipment all over Canada. They have a dedicated and top-class on-call service department that provides maintenance for the equipment. The service department of AtSource is one of the reasons they’ve got such a great reputation, and so it was important to get photos of the team out in the field doing what they do best.
3. A close-up of tools or equipment you use to provide your services
About these photos:
Gina is a reiki master and trains other reiki practitioners. When she’s preparing to work with a new client she makes sure that the physical space and ambiance feel calm, and people will come to their session safe and immediately feel they’re in a nurturing environment and will be taken care of.
One of Gina’s rituals in setting up her space includes creating a spa-like atmosphere with a diffuser + essential oils. She also has time in her training for tea, so we captured both of these for her branding photos.
4. An image that showcase your unique process or approach to your services
About this photo: Tara is a career coach and helps people find work that represents them authentically so they can show up as them. Tara has a methodology called Firework Career Coaching, and this photo shows part of the process that a client goes through when they work with Tara.
5. An image that showcases something uniquely you
About this photo:
Debbie runs The Holistic CFO helps women reprogram their money mindset and break limiting cultural indoctrinations. Debbie does a great job at bringing her community into her world through social media and shares about what brings her joy: one of which is the colour pink. Pink also represents abundance for her, so it was a must-have image for the branding shoot: we used a pink mouse, mousemat and nails as a detail shot and to share alongside her messaging on abundance and joy.
6. Images that showcase your different values at play
About these photos: Decade Impact is a consultancy group that helps businesses define, measure, manage, and communicate their impact. Two of the values co-founders Kristy and Brianna wanted to communicate with their images were collaboration and laughter. Here’s a couple we got with these in mind!
About these photos: Some more photos from shoot with The Holistic CFO. A few of Debbie’s strongest values are adventure and fun. We chose a few areas where Debbie could let out her inner child!
7. Photos of your team members collaborating or discussing projects
About this photo: The team at law firm Ink LLP is highly collaborative and interactive. They are a majority in-person team and have a deep emphasis on team and client relationships, so getting lots of different photos of all the team connecting in different areas of their downtown Vancouver office was top of the list of must-have shots.
8. Photos of your work environment, including your office or workshop
Who doesn’t love to see where a business works from? It’s a window into that brands world, and an invitation to come on it.
About these photos (l-r):
Whether you work from a work space, coffee shops, or from home, getting photos of you in action in your space is always a great addition to have in your library of brand images.
9. Event photos showcasing your business in action at trade shows or networking events
Lastly, if you’re a service-based business, it’s likely you’ll be out and about at events, presenting somewhere, at a trade show, or perhaps being interviewed on a panel or podcast. Adding these kinds of photos of you in community and ‘in-action’ to your image library is a great way to round out your image library, and offer your community and potential clients a deeper insight into what your business looks like as a whole. It also helps your potential clients to get related and see themselves as part of your community
About these photos: WeBC celebrated 15 years of mentorship at a special event. The images we got were heavy on 2 words: celebration and connection.
In summary:
1. Behind the scenes: showcase your team at work
2. Images of your team delivering your services in the field or to clients
3. Detail images of tools or equipment you use to provide your services
4. Images that showcase your unique process or approach to your services
5. An image that showcases something uniquely you
6. Images that showcase your different values at play
7. Photos of your team members collaborating or discussing projects
8. Photos of your work environment, including your office or workshop
9. Event photos showcasing your business in action at trade shows or networking events