What should you cover in your annual report photography?

Of course, it’s a matter of budget and strategy, but consider including any and all of the following in your annual report photography.

Portraits
The natural starting point for any brief. Naturally you’ll want the key figures in the business covered – especially if they’re writing a section of the report, but consider the value in looking beyond the senior team. How, for example, can the right commercial portraits demonstrate how you’re helping staff develop, how you’re delivering exceptional customer service, or how you’re benefitting the community?

Customers
How are your customers benefitting from what you do? If you can agree a few case studies, the imagery can really help bring your work to life.

Processes
Using images of your processes isn’t simply a matter of telling the story of your products’ creation. It’s about aligning that creative process with the broader themes of the annual report. So when the report explores areas of innovation, technology, expertise etc, the right process-based imagery can help reinforce that message.

Products & services
When your product is a jet fighter, a car or a new smartphone, the subjects of your product shots rather resolve themselves (although composition presents its own challenges). But what happens when the products or services you produce are intangible, or not easily ‘packaged’? Banking services, water, social care – they’re all examples of services that don’t come in an easily identifiable box.

They are also examples of services that have a long history of a certain type of rather hackneyed imagery, one that’s all too easy to replicate as a sort of default style. So for your annual report, the challenge is not only shooting the product or service; it’s doing it in a way that remains visually exciting.

Architecture
Often, there’s an inspiring shot to be found in even the most unassuming building – the way light reflects off a window, the angles of a roofline or stairwell. But often, buildings and other parts of the estate are anything but unassuming.

So when your estate – or parts of it – reflect the best of your brand, include it in the report.

Global impact
When your organisation has a reach that extends far beyond the UK, show it. Not only does it add weight, credibility and interest to your annual report photography; it can help give an epic edge to the corporate photography you use on your website, social media etc too.

Let’s talk about your annual report photography.

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