Brand photoshoots can really make your brand stand out amongst the internet noise. That’s why I love it when unique businesses reach out to collaborate on brand photos that aren’t like all the other brand photos in their industry.

Just in case we haven’t met yet, I’m a NYC brand photographer who consistently photographs in both the NYC area and LA. Through photographing multiple brands over the past few years, I’ve learned exactly how to help my clients and business owners like you really connect with their audience through visuals. 

Keep reading to learn all about this mouth-watering brand photoshoot in NYC for cookie artist, Angel Baked. 

Meet the Cookie Artist

A woman with long dark hair wearing a black turtleneck holds a rectangular cookie with the text 'angelbaked.' on it.
A woman with dark hair styled in an updo smiles while leaning on a white block, wearing a white button-down shirt and blue jeans.

First things first, I’m sure you’re wondering who these brand photos are of. Let me introduce you to Abbey Kowalec from Angel Baked! She’s based in NYC and has worked with big brands like L’Oreal, Red Bull, and Paramount, as well as influencers like Kris Jenner.

Her story with cookie making started back on the Knicks City Dancers NBA Dance Team, and she fell in love with creating edible art after making custom cookies for her team.

She needed photos that could be used on her new website that were more than just your basic cookie photos. You’ll see all the types of photos we took, including the ones that are a bit more unique, throughout this article. 

Shotlist for a Brand Photoshoot

So, now that you know all about Abbey and Angel Baked, what types of photos should you actually get when you do a brand photoshoot? This is a list of some of the types of photos that can be great to get during your brand shoot. Be sure to think about how you’ll be using your photos, as that can make a difference.

Behind the Scenes or the Process

A hand with red nail polish decorates a flower-shaped cookie with white icing using a piping bag, surrounded by other decorated cookies and art supplies on a white table.
An overhead view of a woman in a white shirt decorating cookies on a table covered with art supplies, color palettes, and photos of decorated cookies.
Close-up of a hand with red nail polish using a piping bag to decorate a butterfly-shaped cookie with white icing, surrounded by other decorated cookies, color palettes, and art supplies on a white table.

First things first, get some behind-the-scenes or “process” photos. These can be helpful if you’re an artist like Abbey. With these photos, the goal is to show through visuals exactly what you do. This is easier if you’re in a creative field, but can really be done for any type of brand photo. Even chefs need photos of themselves cooking, right?

These help connect with your audience for a few reasons. First, it very quickly portrays exactly what it is that you do or offer with your business. It also shows you while you’re working. Everyone’s nosy. There’s a reason why behind-the-scenes videos on TikTok perform so well, right? Shots like this help to humanize the brand.

Headshots

A woman with dark hair styled in an updo smiles while leaning on a white block, wearing a white button-down shirt and blue jeans.
A woman with long dark hair smiles while wearing a black turtleneck, standing against a white background.

I know, I know, headshots may seem a bit “boring” or “corporate” when you see them on this list. But I know how to take some pretty creative headshots. The goal here is to have headshots that you can use whenever you’re being featured anywhere, for your website’s about page or even for your profile photos. Trust me, they’re needed, and they don’t have to be boring.

Personality Pics

A woman with long dark hair smiles while holding two piping bags filled with different colors of icing, wearing a black turtleneck and sitting on a chair.
A woman with long dark hair smiles while holding a rectangular cookie decorated like a guest check that says, 'Do you guys have cookies?', wearing a black turtleneck.

People buy from people, not brands. Think about it; UGC and influencers have been at the forefront of selling products and services over the past ten years. That’s because people connect more with people. Most people don’t want to support a big company but will support other individuals. 

So, by incorporating personality pics, whether that’s dancing in front of the camera or just lounging and getting more lifestyle-esque shots, you’ll be able to be a lot more relatable. This can help people connect with your brand more.

Detail Shots

A white rectangular cookie with the text 'angelbaked.' placed next to a paint palette with colorful paints and brushes, along with orange and yellow bottles on the side.
Black and white image of a hand decorating a butterfly-shaped cookie with white icing, surrounded by other decorated cookies, color palettes, and art supplies on a white table.

Detail shots are always so important. They can be used as backgrounds on your website, in social media posts, or to show off your work. Think of them like your classic flatlay, but with a bit more oomph. 

For instance, with Abbey, this could look like flatlays of cookies or even the piping tools that she uses to create art on the cookies. For a designer, this could look like Pantone cards. For a makeup artist, this could look like makeup tools or even makeup itself. 

Detail shots could also just be closeups of you, too. For example, maybe you wore a really unique necklace. We can photograph closeups of you clutching the necklace that can be used as a detail photo. Of course, this would work well, depending on what your brand is actually all about! It all comes back to coming up with clear goals before you even book your photoshoot.

Blank Space

A woman with long dark hair wearing a black turtleneck sits on a chair with her legs extended, leaning slightly back, against a plain white background.
Black and white image of a hand holding a rectangular cookie decorated like a guest check that says, 'Do you guys have cookies?' against a plain background.
A hand with red nail polish squeezes two piping bags filled with light blue and green icing, with the icing streaming out, against a plain white background.

Blank space photos are often overlooked, but this essentially means having the subject of the photo only take up some of the space so that you can add overlays like text in the blank spaces. These are important if you’ll be using photos on your website or even on social media.

These blank spaces could be a wall or another type of background. And they don’t even necessarily have to actually be blank. It’s just about creating space that can be used in case it has to later on in your marketing.

Workspace

A woman with dark hair in an updo decorates a cookie using a piping bag, leaning over a white block and focused on her work, wearing a white button-down shirt and blue jeans.

Do you have a specific workplace that you commonly use? This can also be great for photos, but would make a bit more sense for brick and mortars. 

A great example of this could be a florist. If you have a shop, or even a greenhouse, getting photos of that with and without you in it can help to bring your brand to the real world. Plus, it helps to show off the area that someone might actually visit when they invest in you.

Group Photos

Last but certainly not least, if you have a team, it’s important to get some group photos! These can be with your co-founders or other team members. Again, it’s all about putting more faces to the name. This lets others know exactly who they might work with or meet when they work directly with your business.

Group photos are another shot that I know probably doesn’t sound super fun, but there are ways to be more clever with these photos. It all depends on your brand specifically and the type of messaging that you’re trying to get across. 

Final Thoughts: Branding Photoshoot

Well, I told you that this brand photoshoot was going to make your mouth water! I hope that it has helped spark some ideas for you when you have your next brand photoshoot. I know that it’ll come out awesome if you take the time to plan beforehand.

Are you still looking for a brand photographer in LA or NYC? I’d love for you to get in touch so I can help you connect more with your brand’s audience through co-created images. Click here to get in touch!

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NYC Brand Photoshoot for a Cookie Artist (+ Brand Photo Shotlist!)

Person creating art on cookies during a brand photoshoot

May 31, 2024

I’m an NYC photographer who is more than a little obsessed with documenting your looking-good-feeling-even-better moments.

I’m Francesca!

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