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WHAT'S INSIDE:
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Record shots, detail and texture, works in progress, context shots. The most important session — get it right and everything else builds from here.
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The space, the tools, the process, the mess. Shoot like nobody will see anything. :)
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The essentials and the context portraits — including the human one, not just the posed one.
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So close it becomes almost abstract. The shots that make collectors feel the work before they can touch it.
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Your work in a space. You in the world. The business of being an artist.
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Prints, editions, packaging, printed materials — styled cleanly.
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The shots that feel right in the moment and undermine your brand. Ten specific things to avoid — plus four common technical mistakes that are easy to prevent once you know about them.
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A phone, a tripod, a remote shutter, and a reflector. Under $75 total. Everything else is optional.
What you'll receive:
One PDF, delivered immediately. Designed to be read on screen and shared digitally with a photographer or collaborator.
Pairs naturally with the Brand Guidelines template — once you have the shots, you'll know exactly where they belong.
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*A note on the images: I'm not a photographer. The examples in this PDF are drawn from my own working image library — the real brand photography I use for my artwork, my studio, and my practice. Shot on iPhone and with a photographer when the work calls for it. Not staged for this guide, just the actual images an artist accumulates when they're paying attention to their brand. Plus, as a bonus for the shy guys my mug is included in the examples — which means anyone can do it. Be brave. :)
How to use it
Two ways. If you're shooting yourself — phone, tripod, good light — work through each category at your own pace. Three sessions of around two hours each will cover everything on the list and leave you with three to six months of brand imagery. The images in this PDF are a practical example of that approach — shot on iPhone and with a photographer when possible, using what was already on hand rather than staging anything specifically for this guide.
If you're working with a photographer, hand them the relevant sections before the shoot. It's a brief, not a script — it starts the conversation and makes sure nothing gets missed. A good photographer will bring their own instincts to every category on the list.
Either way: consistent, on-brand imagery that makes your work look as considered as it is.