My favorite art director always started a project with a detailed description of our target audience. We never talked about lighting, backgrounds, models, or even budgets until it was very clear to the entire creative team who we were aiming to reach.
Although I'm presently pulling images from my existing files for submission here, I still have built an image of who I think is going to buy my photos. I'm not under the impression these shots will be the cornerstones of major ad campaigns, or that they will grace the pages of slick annual reports or corporate capabilities brochures.
Instead I imagine someone wanting to make a get-well card for a relative, someone looking for a new desktop image from a place they've never been, someone making a new design for their church bulletin, a student wanting a background shot for a school report... You get the idea; if they were my neighbor I would just give them a print or JPEG. This way they get a good shot for a great price, and I get a little something to make it worth my while.
I've found that even in this venue, it helps when I'm editing to ask myself if a shot "fits" with my customer. Hopefully it will help you when you shoot and edit your next project.
