5 steps to a stress-free branding photoshoot
Have you booked your personal branding shoot and don’t know what to do next? The following 5 easy steps will help you figure out exactly what you want to achieve in your photography session and how to have a stress-free branding photoshoot.
Know your brand
The first and most important step in preparing for your brand shoot is to know your brand. Sounds simple, right?!
If you take some time to think about it, you may realise that despite knowing your brand intimately, you might find it harder to vocalise it. To get the best pictures, you need to explain your personal brand and how you want it presented. Use some of the below questions as a starting point to formulating what your brand is all about:
- Who is your ideal client or customer?
- How do you want your clients to feel when they see your photographs?
- What makes you unique?
- What is your brand’s personality? Think: is it formal, informal, approachable, warm, elegant, rustic, etc.
Create a Brand Vision board
Once you have taken some time to think it through, it’s time to create a visual inspiration board or vision board, which can be made either digitally or physically.
If you’re working with a branding agency to create a new brand for you, this is usually part of the process. You can share it with your photographer to help keep the look and feel that you’re going for for your brand in mind.
Alternatively, Pinterest is your friend! Create a shared board and pin loads of pictures you like, both from businesses and general aesthetics, such as colours, textures, shapes and details. This will help you, your photographer and your stylist, if you choose to have one, know what style you want to achieve for your personal branding.
With the help of your vision board, you’ll also be able to shape the look and feel of your session, by picking the right outfits, details, products to bring, and locations too.
Feeling Overwhelmed Already?
Preparation doesn’t have to feel complicated. When you book a session with me, we walk through all of this together, from refining your vision board to deciding where and how your images will be used.
If you’d like to see how the full process works (including planning support and what’s included), download the brochure for a clear overview.
Plan where and how you will use your photographs
Work out what and where you need photographs for.
If you need a lot of images for your website and headers, you will need a good mixture of landscape and portrait photographs.
Do you need a panoramic for a website banner? Do you need images that will work great on social media? Are you looking for professional headshots for LinkedIn? Would you like flatlays of your products, or lifestyle portraits of you interacting with your clients? Are you putting together a brochure, flyer or a prospectus?
The more information you can provide, the better you and your photographer will be prepared, and the smoother your day will run!
Location, location, location
You probably started thinking about a location when you created your brand board. Do you need a visually pleasing location? A small charming café? If so, will you need someone to sit with chatting over a coffee? Your workshop, office, or home? Would you like a combination of indoor and outdoor locations?
The possibilities are endless, but only some of these will be perfect for your personal brand. Here are my location picking tips to help you decide which would be best for your business.
Also, consider if you need specific props, or will the background do the talking?
Props & Outfits
Head over to my blog post on how to choose your outfit for your photoshoot to read it all in detail, but in short, your outfit, hair and makeup can make such a difference to how comfortable and happy with your look you are on the day of your brand photo session.
There’s nothing worse than turning up on the day and feeling uncomfortable in your skin. How many outfits do you need? There’s no set number, but they should work together with the other elements of your brand to tell your story, show your personality and convince your clients that they have to work with you.
The same goes for your props. Do you have branded items, tools of your trade, stationery or any other on-brand props that would be great to show in flatlays or lifestyle working images?
Bringing It All Together
Preparation is what transforms a branding shoot from something intimidating into something genuinely enjoyable.
When you know your message, your audience and how you’ll use your images, everything flows more naturally, and your photographs reflect that confidence.
If you’re considering booking and want to understand how the full planning process works, downloading the brochure is the best place to start.
If you’d prefer to talk through your ideas first, you can book a discovery call.
And if you’re still gathering inspiration, you’re welcome to join my newsletter for practical visibility and branding insights.