Why “we’ll use these everywhere” breaks photography planning
It sounds efficient.
It feels flexible.
It almost always creates problems.
“We’ll use these everywhere” often shows up early in shoot conversations. Most of the time, it’s a sign that key decisions haven’t been made yet.
Here’s why that mindset breaks planning instead of simplifying it.
It hides real asset requirements
Different placements need different images.
A website hero, a PDP crop, a paid ad, and a press image do not ask the same thing from a photograph. They need different framing, negative space, orientation, and visual weight.
When everything is expected to work everywhere, teams often under-plan the number of images they actually need. The result is a small set of assets stretched too far.
That’s when you see:
Awkward crops
Text covering critical details
Images that feel off-balance in certain layouts
Planning specific assets upfront creates images that travel well instead of barely fitting.
It blurs creative direction
“Everywhere” is not a creative brief.
Editorial storytelling, ecommerce clarity, and performance marketing often pull in different visual directions. Trying to satisfy all three with a single setup usually leads to images that feel neutral rather than intentional.
Clear planning allows you to decide:
Which images are meant to be expressive
Which images are meant to be functional
Where consistency matters more than novelty
Without those distinctions, the concept gets watered down.
It makes scope and budget unpredictable
If usage isn’t defined, neither is scope.
A quote based on “a few images for everywhere” often becomes a moving target. New formats, crops, and placements appear after the shoot, which turns into additional retouching, reformatting, and licensing conversations.
That’s where friction shows up.
Clear usage planning protects both the brand and the photographer by keeping expectations aligned.
It limits long-term value
Ironically, trying to make images work everywhere often makes them less reusable.
When assets are designed with specific placements in mind, they tend to adapt better later. They have breathing room, compositional flexibility, and visual hierarchy.
Planning for systems creates longevity. Planning for everything creates compromise.
A better way to frame it
Instead of “we’ll use these everywhere,” try:
“We need a small system of images that covers these specific placements.”
That one shift changes how shoots are planned, styled, lit, and delivered.
The takeaway
Good photography planning isn’t about making fewer decisions. It’s about making the right ones earlier.
Next steps
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