How a personal branding shoot runs at the Colourful Brand
Are you considering booking a personal branding photoshoot or a documentary shoot for your larger business but are unsure what happens at one? Rest easy. As a professional photographer with years of experience in personal branding shoots, I’m here to share how mine run.
Before the shoot
If we haven’t worked together or you haven’t had branding images taken before, it makes sense to have a quick intro call before you even book to see if I’m the perfect fit for your brand. This is the time to tell me if this will be your first shoot, any worries you might have or things you are unsure about, as well as initial ideas, what kind of photos you are looking for, and what you would like to use the images for, as I can go through in more detail what you’ll need and can expect on the day and its run-up.
Once you have booked the right session for you (you can explore full session details in the brochure), we will arrange a planning call. This is YOUR time to ask any questions you may have and let me know what you need in detail. If you’re working with a branding agency or a web designer, get all the information from them on what is required, i.e. sizes, orientation, etc. If you have a visual band board from your branding agency, this will be really useful. If you don’t, we’ll discuss the visual mood board you have put together before our call.
Pinterest is the perfect tool for this, and will help us chat through your outfit/location requirements. I won’t tell you what to wear, but I can certainly offer advice on what not to wear! In fact, I have an entire blog post to help you pick the perfect outfits.
After our call, it’s time to refine your mood board, add a flatlay section or whole other board if it applies to your business, choose your shoot location, and prepare for our photo session.
The Shoot day
The day of your shoot has arrived, YAY! Depending on which package you’ve chosen, your shoot day will run slightly differently, but generally I will photograph things in the following order:
1. Flat Lays
This is a fantastic way to start the shoot, making sure we get some great detailed shots of your products, tools of the trade, branded or on-brand stationery, books, or even your business cards. Have a list prepared beforehand to know what props and products you want to bring. Your flatlay inspiration board should help you decide.
It’s also a great way to ease into the shoot and take care of your photoshoot jitters. We’ll spend the time chatting, arranging your flatlays, and getting to know each other if it’s our first photoshoot.
2. Models
If your product requires model shots, such as a jewellery, clothes, or hat line, I suggest doing this after the detailed product shots. Incorporating people using or wearing your products will give you lots of options for your website and social channels.
Wondering If This Feels Like The Right Fit?
Every session is thoughtfully planned around you, your business, your energy and the way you naturally work.
If you’d like to see how sessions are structured in more detail (including what’s included and investment options), the brochure gives a clear overview.
3. Working Lifestyle
This is what I call those action shots of you carrying out your work. Whether that’s in a workshop physically creating the product, at your laptop, phone in hand, chatting with your client, or showing them their finished product! Let’s create images that show what makes you unique and how you do what you do.
4. Portraits
Portraits are the perfect way to finish your photoshoot day. Not only will we be comfortable with each other by this point, but you’ll be buzzing with the energy from the day, which will show in your photographs.
This is also when we move to a couple of different locations to give your photos a different look and feel, both with the use of different outfits and accessories and the different locations themselves.
Your Pinterest inspiration board as well as our planning call will help us figure out the best locations for your shoot, but as a rule of thumb, we want to include at least two locations within quick walking distance of each other. Then it’s time to kick off those boots and review the day together over a hot cuppa or a glass of wine.
My Top Tips
Outfits
The number of outfit changes depends on the length and structure of your session, which we’ll plan together during your prep call.
Lighting
My personal photography style is natural and authentic, including your lighting. I only bring basic lighting equipment and prefer to use available light.
This is readily available for your outside portraits, but keep it in mind when you choose your indoor spaces. Even if it is on brand, if your office is dark, your photos will reflect it. Have a read of my post about how else you can prepare for your branding photoshoot.
Turnaround
Post-shoot, I will pick out the best photographs and edit them. My typical turnaround time is around 2 weeks, depending on the session type and season. Although there is no set number of photos that I aim to deliver, my packages include a rough estimate of what you can expect. Saying that, I deliver the very best images from your photoshoot for your use.
Bringing It All Together
A personal branding shoot shouldn’t feel intimidating or unclear. With thoughtful planning and a clear structure, it becomes an enjoyable, collaborative experience that leaves you with a versatile image library you can use for months (or years) to come.
If you’re considering booking and want to see exactly how sessions are structured, 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 information, you’re welcome to join my newsletter for practical insights on visibility and brand storytelling.
