If it’s been a while since your institution updated the photos on your website, you’re not alone. Time gets away from us when we aren’t paying attention and pretty quickly your ‘new lifestyle photos’ are 3 years old. The faces on your site may have long since graduated, and some other cringe fashion trend from your youth is making a comeback. But don’t stress, one of the easiest (and most impactful) ways to breathe new life into your website and online presence is by updating your branding photos.

Whether you're a small business owner, a marketing director, or a nonprofit leader, knowing the difference between corporate and commercial photography can help you make the best investment for your brand’s visibility and success.

Both corporate and commercial photography styles serve different purposes, and understanding which one you need will make sure your visual content actually works for you, not against you.

Sometimes it feels like we are drowning in a sea of perfectly curated content where every Instagram feed looks like a magazine spread, every LinkedIn post feels like it went through three rounds of PR approvals, and you know as well as I do, we're all getting a little numb to it. This is exactly why candid event photography is one of my favorite things. True candid images should become your best friend when it comes to marketing your next corporate event.

This year, one of my long-time clients, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), is celebrating their 125th anniversary. This year-long celebration of course includes many events and awards, but also features several issues of their alumni magazine dedicated to honoring PCOM’s past, present, and future.

This fall, I had the opportunity to travel to Mississippi for a two-day shoot at Alcorn State University. The first day we had beautiful, sunny fall weather, while the second brought an overcast, foggy atmosphere. Spending two full days on location provided a wonderful variety of weather and backdrops, resulting in a diverse collection of outdoor photos. While on campus there was no shortage of programs to document. We hopped from the business school, to the tennis courts, agricultural courses in the chicken coop and radio & television hands-on-experience on set. It was a great experience to travel outside of my usual stomping grounds and challenge myself in a fresh setting.

We spent two days shooting at Saint John’s Prep on a pretty perfect Fall day recently. Spending two days on campus really allowed us to capture such a wide variety of photos and content that SJP will be able to use all year long. From music class to robotics, science labs to the teachers’ lounge, we captured it all, even a group of students running around campus with bug nets all in the name of science!

Branding photography is an investment in your business that keeps on giving, providing high-quality photographs for everything from blogs to social media, marketing materials and newsletters. Need some ideas on how you can use your branding photos throughout the year? We’ve got you covered:

Today marketing is all about content, content, content. There is no better way to increase your content bank efficiently than to add photography to your marketing video shoots. Visit PA gets it.