Not many people realize how easy and cost-effective it can be to get completely custom images for their company instead of using stock photos. Especially when it comes to larger companies, showing their own employees and CEO’s on their website brings a completely different feel than showing curated models pointing at a slide. In this Blog post, I’ll go over what custom business photography actually is, how it’s different than stock, and why you might want to choose one over the other, along with some examples of custom photos that were done for businesses in the past.

What is custom photography for a business or company?

Custom business photography involves hiring a professional photographer to create images tailored specifically to a company’s needs. This can include headshots of the team, photos of the office environment, product shots, and even lifestyle imagery showing products or services in action.

Because these images are created specifically for your company, you can define what they look like, how they are used, and who appears in them.

• Team Headshots and Group Photos

  • Law firms, accounting offices, and consulting agencies often use professional headshots on their websites, LinkedIn profiles, and marketing materials to showcase the team. Custom headshots can reflect the professionalism and personality of your business while maintaining brand consistency.

  • Highlighting the faces behind the services—doctors, therapists, trainers, or staff—makes the experience feel more personal and approachable.

• Day-in-the-Life Lifestyle Imagery

  • Photos of employees collaborating in a meeting, working at their desks, or interacting with clients add a personal touch to "About Us" pages or recruitment materials.

  • Lifestyle images of professionals meeting clients over coffee, working in creative spaces, or presenting at workshops convey their approachable yet professional persona.

  • Lifestyle photography for blog posts, interviews, or LinkedIn articles that showcase executives in relatable settings, like reading in an office or preparing for a presentation.

• Office Environment Photography

  • Highlight your office space to show your company culture. This works particularly well for startups or creative agencies that want to attract like-minded talent or clients and established companies that want to showcase their office environment.

• Product Photography

  • Show your product being used by people or within lifestyle scenes that can be set up on site.

How is it different from stock photos?

Stock photos are pre-shot images you can license and use for your marketing needs. You can find stock images of almost anything—business meetings, happy customers, shiny products—but they weren’t made for your business. They’re designed to be generic, so they’ll work for any company in any industry.

While stock photos are convenient and inexpensive, they often lack authenticity. For instance, a stock photo of a “team meeting” might feature models who look nothing like your actual team. Plus, other businesses (maybe even your competitors) could be using the exact same image. Stock images also look like stock. They tend to be polished, people in them tend to be beautiful, and everything appears to be perfect. If your company is going for authenticity, stock photos translate very differently for most website or social media visitors.

Is a custom business photoshoot more expensive than stock images?

On the surface, yes. Custom photography can require a bigger upfront investment because you’re paying a professional photographer to create something unique for you. Stock photos, by comparison, can be cheap and easy to access through subscription services like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock. Quality royalty-free stock photos from Getty, however, start at $199 per image for the smallest size and can add up considerably very quickly.

In fact, if you’re doing a custom photoshoot and capturing many images, it very well cost much less than buying the same number of photos from Getty.

And if you’re using images for marketing/advertising, licensing can get tricky and you’ll definitely want to stick to the more reputable stock sites who are able to provide model releases and the proper rights for each image. And, because stock photos are so generic, they might not have the same impact or longevity as custom images, meaning you’ll have to invest in new replacement images sooner than you thought.

What are the benefits of doing a custom business photoshoot?

Custom business photography is one of the smartest investments a company can make because it allows you to tell your unique story visually. Unlike stock photos, which can feel generic and overused, custom images are tailored specifically to your brand. They capture the essence of who you are—your team, your office, your products, and your culture—creating a stronger connection with your audience. When people see authentic images of your business, they’re more likely to trust you, engage with your content, and ultimately choose your services.

Another major perk is versatility. Custom photos give you a cohesive library of visuals that can be used across your website, social media, email campaigns, and even printed materials like annual reports. Plus, they provide a level of professionalism and consistency that stock photos just can’t match. Whether it’s headshots of your leadership team, shots of your products in action, or behind-the-scenes moments that show your team at work, custom photography brings your brand to life in a way that’s both relatable and memorable. It's a way to stand out and ensure your business looks polished and credible in every interaction.

What is the start-to-finish Process for a custom business photoshoot?

Every photographer’s process will be different, but here is mine…

1. Once I’m engaged for the project, I ask my client to consider all the types of images they would like from the photoshoot. Who will be photographed? Is there a specific location like an office? How many final photos do we need? All of this goes into a shot list that we can utilize to make sure nothing is missed on the day of.

2. The day of the photoshoot I always arrive on time or a bit earlier and we do a quick walkthrough of the location and chat about the plan to make sure we are still on the same page. If there have been any changes, and there usually are, this is also when we talk through the solutions so that we are ready to go once I start photographing.

3. During the photoshoot itself, typically we will move through numerous locations and photograph different individuals and groups of people. I set up the scenes and provide ample direction to make sure everyone feels comfortable and also looks their best in front of the camera. We’ll usually do a few run-throughs of each scene and then quickly move on through the shot list.

4. After the photo session, I will do an initial cull of the images to select the best options, which is usually 2-3x what we need as the final number of deliverables. They are then put into a contact sheet for review and emailed to the client. The client can take some time with their team to decide which photos perfectly fit their needs and showcase exactly what they wanted. Once I get that selection, each final image goes through a retouching and finalizing process, gets exported in high resolution and web-ready formats, and delivered to the client within 3 days.

5. Once delivered, the client can use their images in any way they like with a full commercial print release!

Are there any downsides?

That main downsides are that a custom photoshoot takes more planning and the people who will be in your photos aren’t trained models, so you really need to find a photographer who can make everyone look good and will coach them through the process. The initial price investment also tends to be bigger than buying one or two quality stock photos or a slew of cheap stock photography.

While I don’t think custom commercial photography is the right fit for every business, most established companies (even small ones) can probably really benefit from moving to custom images instead of using stock.

Stock photos are a great quick, low-cost solution, especially if you’re just starting out or need placeholder images. But they’re not ideal for businesses that want to build a strong, unique brand identity.

Custom business photography can also go by a variety of names, depending on the context or industry. Here are some alternative terms you’ll find used for these sort of images:

1. Corporate Photography – Often used to describe photography tailored to professional settings, including headshots, team photos, and office culture.

2. Branded Photography – Emphasizes the visual alignment with a company’s branding, including colors, tone, and messaging.

3. Commercial Photography – A broader term for photography used in marketing, advertising, and promotional materials, often including lifestyle or product images.

4. Lifestyle Business Photography – Focuses on capturing real-life, relatable scenarios that showcase a company’s products, services, or culture.

5. Personalized Business Imagery – Highlights the tailored nature of the photos to represent the specific business authentically.

6. Professional Brand Photography – Combines professional headshots, team photos, and action shots to establish a polished brand identity.

7. Visual Branding Photography – Stresses the role of custom images in building a consistent and recognizable brand.

8. Business Portraiture – Focused on professional headshots and portraits, often used for websites, LinkedIn, and other networking purposes.

9. Marketing Photography – Photography designed to be used in advertising campaigns, websites, or other promotional efforts.

10. Custom Corporate Imagery – A more formal term for tailored photos created to represent a company’s unique identity and culture.

No matter what you call it, a custom business photoshoot can get your all these types of images and more, because you can always mix and match the types of images we capture since these photoshoot are truly custom for each client!