CANNABIS LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHERS
In the world of cannabis branding, more businesses, including producers, processors, and dispensaries, are turning to professional cannabis lifestyle photography. Rather than the technical precision of product photography and spectacular closeups of cannabis macro photography, lifestyle photography aims to capture the essence and atmosphere of your brand in an elegant way. The goal is to create an aspirational vibe around your products, so that your potential customers and clients can see themselves in your advertising, whether it's on social, in magazine ads, or on your website. And while there are plenty of great lifestyle photographers to choose from, cannabis businesses are wise to partner with professionals who specialize in, or at least have experience with, the cannabis industry already.
​
The Hood Collective has focused exclusively on the cannabis industry since our inception. Our team of professional photographers is passionate about the plant and advocating on behalf of patients and those left behind by the war on drugs. This lends a measure of authenticity to our lifestyle photography that could only be achieved by years of working within the industry. The final results speak for themselves, and our clients are pleased by the impact our photography has, not only with their intended audience but also on their bottom line.
WHAT IS LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY AND HOW CAN YOUR CANNABIS BRAND BENEFIT?
Lifestyle photography is a category of model photography that aims to depict people in natural, real-life scenarios. And while oftentimes people associate these types of photos with non-models, the truth is that many of the lifestyle photos you see in ads and marketing materials are professional models or actors being photographed by professionals. The main delineation therefore is that the subjects are captured in natural settings with at least the aura of authenticity surrounding them. In other words, you don't want it to look like you are photographing models on carefully staged sets, even when you are. This makes it easy for your intended audience to see themselves in the situations you present.
Professional lifestyle photography is great for accomplishing a number of goals. If done successfully, lifestyle photos should effectively connect with your audience on an emotional level. In terms of grabbing attention, it's well documented that photos featuring people's faces garner increased engagement (even better if you can include some puppies in there as well!). By adding a human element to your photography content, you'll also help to increase trust with your potential customers, as lifestyle photography is a form of soft marketing, as opposed to more aggressive techniques in which you actively try to solicit their business. While there is a time and place for such tactics, many brands find that lifestyle photography is extremely effective at selling their brand without drawing too much attention to itself as a sales pitch.
​
With all the clear benefits, it's a wonder that more cannabis companies aren't taking advantage. One reason is because farms, grow ops, and processors don't realize that they can benefit from lifestyle photography. For example, if you want to highlight the natural and environmental benefits of your farm's growing practices, lifestyle shots of your growers (or even professional models posing as farmers) that highlight the amazing beauty of your cannabis farm can do this way more easily and effectively than a paragraph or two of text extolling the many virtues of your approach.
THE SECRET TO GREAT CANNABIS LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY
The first rule of thumb when it comes to cannabis lifestyle photography is that all content needs to be true to your brand and who you are as a company. I've seen many growers and producers dip their toe into professional photography by partnering with really talented creative teams, but whose style is world's away from their own. This creates the potential for an odd juxtaposition, where there's a huge and obvious discrepancy between the various aspects of your company's marketing presence. And the last thing you want your photography content to do is create confusion for your potential customers.
​
Before hiring a lifestyle photographer, it's essential that you have a strong grasp on your branding and have implemented a comprehensive marketing strategy and approach. This foundation will help ground your search for the right photographer or cannabis marketing agency. If you see the work of a photographer that you really like, but who doesn't seem to match your brand's aesthetic, and you still really want to work with them, it might be time to think about undergoing a company rebrand.
​
Having a strong idea of who your model customer is, or researching your target audience's demographic and preferred tastes is a good precursor to investing in lifestyle photography. For cannabis brands, a lot of lifestyle branding is focused on removing the stigma of cannabis consumption, and highlighting that lots of people outside of stereotypical stoners regularly partake on a recreational basis. Another approach is to focus on the healing and therapeutic impacts of cannabis, which is a natural fit for lifestyle photography.
​
Whatever your goals, in order to ensure you get the best results, you need to partner with a professional photography team that understands the cannabis industry.
WHY HIRE THE HOOD COLLECTIVE FOR YOUR CANNABIS LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY?
At The Hood Collective, our lifestyle photographers are dedicated to capturing the essence of our clients' brands in eye-catching and authentic ways. Best of all, our photography packages are affordable for companies of pretty much any size and scope. We're fully committed to ensuring the success of the companies that hire us. Each one of our photographers has the expertise, gear, and track record to guide you through every step of the photography process.
​
Our friendly, talented lifestyle photographers care deeply about the cannabis industry and supporting the success of our clients.
