Investing in Branding Photography: Full Session or Mini?

This is one of my FAVOURITE topics as a Calgary branding photographer. So often, small businesses will ask me when my next mini sessions will be. And I get it, as small business owners, we all try and save money where we can. But how do you know what your business really needs? There is more to branding photography than the time I spend photographing you and the amount of photos I deliver. In this post, I am going to break down the key differences between a full branding session and booking your spot in one of my mini sessions!

The Brand Experience

The biggest difference between a full branding session and mini’s, is the brand experience. Mini sessions will leave you with stunning, high quality photos. With a full session, you get more than “just branding photos”. You can read more about what I include in full sessions here (I have two options - the start up and the small biz) but they both include my signature brand experience. We start with a brand discovery call, where we will plan out the visual identity you need for your brand. Then, we will hop on a planning call so when it comes time to take the photos, we both know exactly what we do to get you what you need. We don’t waste a second of our time together!

If you need help establishing a visual brand identity, I highly recommend a full branding session. At least to start! You can always save money in the future with mini sessions or taking advantage of my yearly subscription packages. If you really are on a tight budget, starting with a mini session is a great way to get high quality photos at a less expensive price. For more ways to invest in your business on a budget, make sure to check out this post here.

Getting Quality Branding Photos

I firmly believe in quality over quantity. My work is my pride and joy and I actually want you to use every single photo that I deliver to you. For mini sessions, I typically send over 30-40 images in a proofing gallery and then you choose 10 for me to edit and deliver. There is always an option to purchase more if you can’t narrow it down as well. For a full branding session, you will receive a larger proofing gallery and then you can choose between 30-50 images for full editing and delivery. For both mini sessions and full branding sessions, you receive commercial licensing to use your photos for your own business.

Commercial License or Custom Quote

More than deciding if you need a full session or a mini session, you should also consider what licensing you need. As a personal branding photographer, I include commercial licensing in my branding photography packages as a standard. For some of the companies I photograph, they need additional licensing as well which requires a custom quote. If you are using your photos to market your own business, commercial licensing is all you need. If you are going to be using your images in collaborations and paid partnerships, additional charges will apply.

Choosing a location for your branding photos

I only offer mini sessions for one week per quarter. During that week, you can book mini sessions Monday - Thursday at a location of your choice for a 30 minute session. On the Friday, I rent a show home for a stylish, modern backdrop for your photos. Who doesn’t want to take photos in a dreamy office you wish you owned? For full branding sessions, you choose up to three locations depending on your package. We can rent a show home, a photography studio, take photos outside, or even at your own home office!

Personal Branding Photography

Whether or not you invest in a full branding photography package or a mini session, you should pat yourself on the back for making an investment in your business. There has been a ton of research showing that branding has a huge ROI potential for your small business. Your customers want to connect with you and high quality visuals of you and/or your products is a great way to get them to know-like-trust you (so that they buy from you). If you still have questions about whether or not you should invest in a full branding photography session or a mini session (or are ready to book!), contact me here!