When business owners come to me asking about photos for their business, one of the first questions I ask myself is: Are they looking for commercial photography or a brand session?

At first glance, they sound similar—and honestly, there’s some overlap and gray areas. We were just talking about this in my coaching group call this week. The planning, prep, goals, and outcomes can be very different. Knowing which one you need will help you get the most out of your investment and ensure your images truly serve your business.

What Is Commercial Photography?

Commercial photography is all about the thing you sell. Think products, services, food, or spaces. These sessions are designed to show off what your customer is buying in the clearest, most polished way possible. Your team (and possibly customers) can also be a part of this though too.

You’ll most often see commercial photography in:

Catalogs or online shops
Menus and food boards
Advertisements
Websites or brochures

The spotlight is on your product or service—not you. Though the people in your business should still be a part of the equation. Lighting, angles, and styling are all crafted to make “your thing” look irresistible. Your commercial session can also involve team photos or headshots, though those are typically priced out separately from your product or marketing photos.

What Is a Brand Session?

A brand session, on the other hand, is about you and your story. It’s usually limited to 3 people or less. YOU (or you and a partner or two) are the face of your business. People buy from people.

Brand sessions are designed to capture the personality, values, and behind-the-scenes moments of your business. These sessions give you a library of images you can use across your social media, website, newsletters, and anywhere else your audience connects with you.

Brand sessions often include:

Headshots of you and your team
Lifestyle images of you working in your space (or my studio space or on location too!)
Story-driven photos that showcase your process and personality

The goal? To help your audience feel like they know you, trust you, and want to work with you. We will work together to create images backed by strategy, intention, and consistency to take your business to the next level.

Speaking of Headshots…

Many commercial AND brand sessions will include headshots, though this is totally up to you. Headshots require a different workflow, file management, and editing style than all my other types of sessions, so they are priced accordingly by number of employees. Headshots are INCLUDED with brand sessions, because your face is part of your personal brand. I’m happy to provide a quote to any business for team photos or headshots for your next commercial session.

Key Differences at a Glance

Commercial photography: product/service-focused, polished, transactional.
Brand photography: people-focused, storytelling-driven, relational.

When to Choose Which Type

Here are a couple of quick examples:

Restaurant: You’ll want commercial photography for your menu items, but brand photography for portraits of your head chef and behind-the-scenes shots of your team in the kitchen.
Boutique: Commercial photography shows off your clothing inventory in detail, while brand photography highlights you (the owner) styling outfits, interacting with customers, or giving a peek inside your store’s vibe.

Most businesses benefit from having both, because together they tell the full story: what you sell and who you are.

Why They Work Best Together

Commercial photos show your customer what they’ll get.
Brand photos show them why they should get it from you.

When you combine the two, you create consistency and credibility across every platform you use to market your business.

Ready to Figure Out What You Need?

If you’re not sure which type of session fits your current goals, let’s chat! I can walk you through the options and help you choose the best path for your business right now. Most of the time, I can sort this out during my free discovery call.

Whether you need to showcase your products, tell your story, or a little of both—I’ve got you covered.

I want to schedule my call!

Do You Need a Commercial Shoot or a Brand Session? Here’s How to Tell