If your brand thrives on curiosity, freedom, and doing things differently, you might just be an Explorer brand! This archetype is all about chasing the unknown, breaking the rules, and creating experiences, not just selling services to others.
As brand designers for photographers, we use brand archetypes in our signature offer, The Rebrand Edit, to help give personality to the brands of our clients. We’ve seen how by giving our clients an archetype, we can then give traits and a unique identity to their brand that they might not have been able to picture otherwise!
Keep reading for more on the explorer brand archetype and check out some examples of explorer brands for photographers for inspo!
Explorer Brand Archetype Examples in Photography
The Explorer brand archetype doesn’t necessarily mean you have to climb mountains every day for fun or that you love epic and wild adventures (but if you do enjoy either of those, even better!!).
This archetype is all about freedom, curiosity, and movement. It can also be about emotional depth, inner journeys, or breaking norms. The explorer brand values connection with nature, travel, and unconventional life paths.
You’ll see messaging that typically includes words like “authentic,” “intentional,” “wander,” “freedom,” “escape,” etc, and design-wise, exploder brands tend to lean into a minimal but earthy vibe and use raw, textured, and natural elements. These brands also usually feature outdoor imagery, movement, candid moments, and emotional storytelling.
Some photography niches where it’s common to see the explorer style are:
- Elopement photographers who prioritize experience > tradition
- Adventure wedding photographers who travel often or encourage nontraditional locations
- Lifestyle photographers who want shoots to feel more like hangouts than posed sessions
- Documentary family photographers who embrace the chaos and realness
How to Build Your Own Explorer Brand as a Photographer
Here are our expert tips on how to build your own explorer brand:
Start with your values
We always recommend that our clients start by creating their unique brand values. Brand values aren’t just fluff for your About page, they’re how you show the why behind what you do. When your values are clear, you attract aligned clients, make better decisions, and create a brand people actually trust.
To help you pick your brand values, you can start by asking yourself these essential questions:
- What do you believe in that’s different from the norm?
- What do you want to guide people away from?
Create your visual identity
A visual identity that aligns with the explorer archetype feels free and grounded with a focus on texture, nature, movement, and mood. For this archetype, we recommend avoiding overly polished or overly trendy looks as they’ll clash with the “authentic” feel of this brand archetype.
Also, avoid falling into copycat explorer aesthetics… just slapping a mountain icon on your site doesn’t make you an explorer brand. The explorer brand is more about energy and intention than location!
Don’t neglect the importance of your copy
Use messaging that invites curiosity and connection with phrases like “come as you are,” “real over perfect,” etc. As you craft your messaging, don’t forget to talk about why and how you do things differently. When in doubt, always work with a copywriter!
Create a process that aligns with the explorer brand archetype
Your process should reflect the archetype! Maybe you have flexible timelines, lots of travel availability, and personalized experiences, and your clients should definitely feel like they’re co-creating something unique with you.
Examples of Explorer Brands for Photographers
All explorer brands can look different! Sometimes the explorer archetype will show up more in the actual brand design, and other times it may be more in the messaging.
Below are all Explorer Brands that we’ve created for our clients. Notice how each Explorer Brand still feels different and unique to the client!
Andrea Cakmar Photo + Film
Based in Arizona, Andi works with adventurous couples who value authenticity and connection, often combining her love for the outdoors with her art. With a focus on genuine storytelling and creativity, she offers a photography experience that is as meaningful and personal as the memories she captures.
Discover more here.
Love & Latitudes
Love and Latitudes is an elopement photography business in the southwest USA. With a focus on showcasing love stories of all kinds, Diana was ready to level up both her brand and her website.
When Diana came to us, she already had a primary logo she loved, so we assisted with building out the rest of her brand suite. We created alternate logos, a color palette, type suite, patterns, and then developed and brought her website to life on Squarespace.
Discover more here.
Morgan Alanna Photography
Morgan is a photographer based in Sacramento who primarily captures weddings and portraits in Southern California. She had felt that her brand was not at the level that she knew it could be, so we worked together to create a brand that felt incredibly HER, from colors to logos and everything in between.
Discover more here.
Is the Explorer Brand Archetype for You?
If you’re the kind of photographer who leads with freedom, depth, and a sense of adventure, chances are you may be an explorer archetype! Your brand should reflect that, from the way it looks to the way it feels to work with you – but building a brand this bold isn’t always easy to do alone!
The Rebrand Edit is our signature rebrand experience for photographers who want to build something that actually reflects who they are and draws in the clients who crave it. Let’s build a brand that moves like you do! You can get in contact with us here or learn more about the Rebrand Edit here.
Read these next:
Brand Values Examples (That Don’t Sound Like Everyone Else)
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KP’s design journey began in book publishing, but she fell in love with the truly limitless possibilities that web design presents. Since then, she’s been helping photographers and creatives become the no-brainer option for their dream clients before they even get on a call.
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9/04/25
Published On:
Krystianna Pietrzak
