University of Hull Branding Photography | Portraits for Social Media

Commercial
Written by Daniel Pahlen

This University of Hull shoot was about creating photographs for the university’s new social media and branding. A shoot all about people, with the campus as the backdrop.

For this project, the photographs bring together group portraits, individual images and a mix of indoor and outdoor settings. Here’s a look at the shoot, and how a varied set of brand photographs can give an organisation more to work with.

Brand photography with people at the centre

When an organisation needs new branding photographs, the buildings are only part of the picture. The people give it a face. For this University of Hull shoot, that meant creating portraits that brought the people and their surroundings together.

The brief was for new social media and branding imagery. You can see that people-led approach throughout the gallery: small groups looking towards the camera, individual portraits and different arrangements that give each photograph its own feel.

Making the campus part of the photographs

One of the things I like about photographing on location is the choice of backdrops. The brick buildings, outdoor walkways, lecture theatre seating and brighter indoor spaces all bring something different to this set.

Some photographs keep the surroundings clear, so you get a sense of where we are. Others bring the people closer and let the background fall away a little. It gives the finished collection variety while keeping it connected to the university.

A mix of group and individual portraits

There are different ways to photograph the same small group. Changing who stands at the front, bringing people closer together or switching from standing to seated portraits can change the whole balance of an image.

Alongside the group photographs, the gallery includes individual portraits in the university’s indoor spaces. Those closer views add another option to the set. Not every photograph needs to do the same job.

Thinking about social media from the start

A photograph that works across a wide page won’t always fit a portrait social post in quite the same way. That’s why it helps to know where the images will go before a branding shoot.

This gallery includes both landscape and portrait compositions. For a similar project, we can talk about the channels you use, the crops you need and whether any photographs need space for wording. A little planning makes it easier to create a useful collection, rather than trying to make one image fit everything afterwards.

University of Hull branding shoot gallery

Here’s the full set from the uploaded gallery, with the people, campus settings and different compositions brought together.

Three people outside a brick campus building during the University of Hull branding shoot
Group portrait outside a University of Hull campus building
Portrait-format group photograph on the University of Hull campus
Three people beneath a covered walkway at the University of Hull
Portrait-format group photograph beneath a campus walkway
Group portrait with a man in a black sweatshirt at the front on campus
Three people standing among rows of seats in a university lecture theatre
Portrait-format group photograph inside a lecture theatre at the University of Hull
Group portrait with a woman at the front of a university lecture theatre
Three people photographed together among lecture theatre seating
Group portrait beside a colourful wall inside the University of Hull
Three people against a softly lit multicoloured wall for university branding
Portrait-format group photograph against a colourful university interior wall
Three people standing outside a brick building on campus
Portrait-format photograph of three people beside a campus walkway
Three people on an outdoor campus walkway with a woman in a pale jumper at the front
Group portrait in front of brick university buildings
Three people outside a campus building with a man in a black sweatshirt at the front
Individual portrait of a woman in a pale jumper inside a university gallery space
A woman photographed in a bright gallery space at the University of Hull
Individual portrait of a man in a light T-shirt inside a university building
Three people photographed beside tables in a university interior
Seated group portrait inside a university building
Three people photographed beside large windows inside the University of Hull
Group portrait in a university corridor with windows along one side
Three people standing beneath round ceiling lights in a university interior
Group portrait beside plants and seating in a bright university social space
Three people seated together beside windows in a university social space
Portrait-format group photograph among plants in a university social space
Three people arranged around seating beside large university windows
Group portrait with a seated man at the front in a university social space
Three people standing outside a brick university building beside greenery
Group portrait in a university interior with hanging lights
Three people photographed together in a curved university corridor
Group portrait beside a red counter inside the University of Hull
Three people standing together inside a university social space
Group portrait against a patterned wall outside a university building
Three people photographed under warm lighting inside a university social space
Three people standing beside large windows and a brick wall inside the university
Group portrait beneath hanging lights in a university social space
Three people in front of a colourful wall display at the University of Hull
Group portrait against a bright mural for the University of Hull branding shoot
Three people outside a red-brick University of Hull building
Group portrait with a woman in a dark green top at the front outside a university building
Three people standing together in front of red-brick university buildings
Portrait-format group photograph in a university corridor with red walls
Three people on a bright indoor walkway with red walls and metal railings
Three people seated together outside a University of Hull campus building
Group portrait outside a modern campus building at the University of Hull
Three people outdoors on campus in warm late-afternoon light
Group portrait on campus with low sunlight shining through the trees
Three people standing outside a modern university building
Outdoor group portrait beside metal cladding on the University of Hull campus
Three people photographed against blue and white walls inside a university building

Planning portraits and branding photographs for your organisation

If your website or social media needs photographs of the people behind your organisation, a branding shoot can bring those images together. We can plan individual portraits, group photographs and settings that make sense for your work.

I’m based in Hull and photograph businesses and organisations across East Yorkshire and further afield. You can find out more on my portrait and brand photography page, or explore the wider commercial photography portfolio.

Thanks to the University of Hull for having me along to create their new social and branding photographs.

A few useful questions

What was the University of Hull shoot for?

The brief was to create new photographs for the university’s social media and branding. The gallery includes group portraits, individual photographs and a range of campus settings.

Can branding photography include more than headshots?

Yes. Group photographs, environmental portraits and images of your workplace can sit alongside individual headshots. We can plan a mix that suits the people you want to show and the places you’ll use the photographs.

Can you plan photographs for different social media formats?

Yes. Tell me which channels and placements you need before the shoot. We can consider portrait and landscape compositions, crops and space for text while planning the photographs.

Do the people taking part need modelling experience?

No. I’ll give straightforward direction and time to settle into the photographs. It helps to share the brief beforehand so everyone knows what the shoot is for.

How do we arrange a branding shoot?

Send me a little about your organisation, who needs photographing and where the images will be used. From there, we can talk through locations, timings and a quote for your shoot.

New photographs for your organisation?

Tell me a little about your team, the photographs you need and where you’ll use them. We’ll make a plan that fits your business.

Daniel Pahlen https://www.dandrewphotography.co.uk
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