As a dog trainer, you may be considering having a brand photoshoot if it’s within your budget. If you do have the spare cash to invest, it is one of the best investments you can make in your website and will do more than just make your brand look more professional. 
Let’s dive deeper now into why I recommend this if you can spare the funds. I’ll also go into what you can do instead if you don’t have the cash right now.

Brand photography creates a fab first impression 

It only takes a few seconds for a person to form a lasting impression of your website and in my opinion, if you have brand photographs you have the opportunity to make it fabulous. 

So many people make the mistake of using too many stock photos from the same free websites like Pexels, Unsplash, and Pixabay. These sites are fine for incidental photos or for your blog, but I recommend ideally having a brand photoshoot every year or so so that you have enough of your own images. 

Why?

Because the free stock images have been used repeatedly online, they are less likely to appear high up in search results on Google, for example. (Did you know that images really make a difference to your website SEO too? I’ll go into those nuances in a separate post soon) 

Brand photos tell a story 

This is so powerful and it’s worth thinking about what story you want to portray ahead of your shoot, so your photographer is prepared. 

You are likely to be so passionate about force free training and keen to get that message out into the world as much as possible. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing. 

You could be pictured training with a dog wearing a harness. 

If you work with rescue dogs, you could arrange to have some footage filmed as part of the day, with a rescue pup you train. 

You could take a photo of a dog enjoying enrichment activities with you in a garden. 

You could ask a fellow dog parent to come with you and be part of a training shot. 

Brand photographs help you stand out as an expert

One of the most important things for establishing trust is to stand out before anyone meets you, as the expert you are. Brand photos can do a lot of the heavy lifting here. Think about the key problems you solve for your ideal clients and have some evidence of these things where possible through your branded images. 

This could be a photo of you loose lead walking through your local area. Some photos of you working inside a house can be useful too, again depending on what training you focus on. 

5 types of brand photos you need on your website 

About page photo

This needs to be you as you are, wearing what you feel comfortable in. Get your photographer to shoot a few different photos for this. About Page photos tend to be vertical orientation, but I would ask for a couple of horizontal aspect photos too so that you can have a header section if you want to. 

A great example of this is from Louise Glazebrook’s dog trainer website.

You training dogs (process shots)

These are the life-blood of your business, as people will take so much about you from these images. If you can demonstrate everything you are passionate about here, you’re going to attract so many dog parents. 

Have some that are you set to one side with space for text, in case you wanted to use these as website headers (the top image everyone sees first) 

Pictured here is Toby Craze (from his services page) – the image is so powerful because he’s demonstrating his process but also his specialism which is working with foreign rescue dogs.

You helping someone else with their dog 

As I said previously, this kind of photo is so powerful because it shows that you are a person who dog parents can trust to help them. Done right, along with good copy (text) it will alleviate a lot of the concerns they have that they have found the right dog trainer. 

You could ask a friend and their dog to help you for the day or a family member who has a dog that fits the bill when it comes to the types of dogs you want to train. 

Wide shot with space to add text over the top 

Your photographer will know what these are when you ask, but I’ve included some examples for you to look at, so you get your head around it. These are useful for headers or banners for e.g Facebook groups or courses. 

I could only get a partial capture of Janey’s image on her homepage, but this is a stunning example.

Check out the full image on Janey’s website Make Fetch Happen

Wide detail photo with tools of your trade in shot 

This tells a story of who you help and how. So your photographer could take a picture of your kitchen table with your equipment laid out for a training session. Or close ups of you wearing your equipment. 

Ways to repurpose your photoshoot images 

Remember that any photos you have taken can be repurposed as part of your wider marketing strategy – it can elevate your socials, email marketing and anything else you communicate with. 

Further examples of repurposing images: 

Training notes and next steps you send to clients after a training session 

Training portal if you have one

Appointment schedular pages and emails 

Invoices 

Course and membership images 

Blog posts 

PR opportunities 

Speaking opportunities. 

Videos – B Roll 

This is an extra tip because you may want to have videos on your website. These are fantastic for client experience on your website and tell a longer story. 

Also a lot of people like to watch videos now, so it makes sense to have some B-roll created. 

Some brand photographers offer this as part of their brand photoshoots, so it’s worth asking, especially if you want to use the footage for different purposes like Youtube, or on social media. 

Who does amazing brand photoshoots? 

My top recommendation is Amanda Hutchinson as she digs so deep into your brand story, values and mission. She goes above and beyond and what she creates is pure magic. 

The other thing about Amanda is that she’s so organised and will require you to do some prep before your photoshoot. Depending on what service you opt for, she will get inside your business and organise you to get the best out of the time she spends with you. 

Flexibility and relaxed atmosphere

Amanda, aside from me (haha) is the most chilled person I know in business and time and time again, puts people at easy in front of the camera. She’s amazing at creating photos that make people feel something. 

So in context, she’ll find the best way to compel dog parents to book a call with you. 

You can find her here 

Not got the budget yet? 

Not to worry – Amanda has you covered in this situation too. She has a free guide to getting started with brand images if you have no budget. 

The guide contains: 

The 5 must have images for your online business – a guide on the images you need and why they are important for your business

5 lifestyle stock images – weekend edit images for showing what you are up to outside of your business along with a textured background for you to overlay quotes or testimonials.

Brand Shoot Checklist – what to consider when planning your shoot and what to remember to pack when it comes to shoot day

Click here to download 

Brand photoshoots – final thoughts

Whether you have the budget or not, it’s important to consider planning different types of images before you create your dog trainer website. You will need a mixture as we dived into above.

Even if you end up hiring a brand photographer, I recommend downloading Amanda’s guide as it will give you a great idea of what to expect and guide you from there on what to do. I’ve used it so I know the inside take on this!