Preparing for your first personal branding photography shoot can be daunting; follow my tips on how to prepare for your personal branding shoot and you’ll find it a breeze! Society Thirteen provide personal branding photography in Bournemouth & Southampton for female founders, entrepreneurs and small business owners.

1. Get a couple of dates in mind.

You may have a launch deadline to make so be sure you book your brand photoshoot well in advance.  Plan for bad weather or other ‘acts of God’ events that may mean you have to change your plans.

2. Create a mood board.  Look around on Pinterest, Instagram, and magazines for inspiration.

Put together a mood board for your shoot that captures the essence of your brand.  Think about styles, colours and locations that reflect your brand.

3. Think about your goals.

Tell me exactly what you have in mind and exactly why you want a brand shoot for and what you need to use the images for.

• Rebranding your online presence

• Product or course launch

• New business launch

• PR ready portraits

• Social media posts

Think about image orientation, for example, do you need landscape shots with space for text overlay for your website headers,  are you using mainly for Instagram and only use square cropped images.  You get the idea, list out possible types of shots you may need on your mood board.

4. Put together an image list!

You may have a clear idea of your ideal images, or just know the feel you want to put across, but it’s a good idea to really plan out any shots specific to your business or how you wish to get your story across to your clients.  

For example:

• Headshots: these are essential for your profile pic on social media and your website.  People love to see who they’re thinking about working with, I bet you checked out my ‘about page’ first to see what I look like!  Headshots are an essential tool for business, and really very easy to get a flattering shot that will build your confidence in showing up online.

• Action shots: You doing what you do best.  Creating, organising, making, or working with a client ono to one.  Up-close shots of whatever is happening in your photoshoot, this may be making something, writing notes or working on your laptop.

• Lifestyle shots: These are super fun to do and it’s pretty empowering too. Basically, this just means candid shots of you smiling, looking fabulous, laughing, walking down the street, playing on your phone, etc. These are perfect for using on social media, especially Instagram, and allow your clients to really connect with you as a person, not just a brand.

• Venue shots: If you have a brick and mortar business, studio or workspace that you want to showcase, or you may want to hire a venue to create a great backdrop.  Take a look at AirBnB or a nice hotel depending on what your business is selling.

• Product shots: If you sell products or use special products that will mean something to your customers. A great way to show off your creations and products is to have lifestyle and flat lay images that really show off your products in a way that your customers and clients get a tangible idea of how to use them, their size and quality.  You can use these photographs for your website, your Google business page and definitely your social media.  If you’re a creator then storytelling shots are essential for conveying that you’re an expert in your field and how much you love and care about your work. Also great for bloggers who do affiliate marketing, etc.

5. Choose a location that helps to reflect your brand’s personality and style.

Locations will obviously depend on what you do!  A good start is where the magic happens, your studio, shop, office, wherever you work from this is going to be the best reflection of what you do and set the scene nicely.  You may also want to choose a location that shows the things you love to do or reflects your personality in some way.  Think about the things you want to talk about to your clients and how this would come across best in a visual image.  For example, you may love working on your laptop in the local coffee shop, or your brand may be industrial and edgy and need a location backdrop that befits your vibe.   Use your mood board to help visualise the end images you will need to talk about your business.

6. Wardrobe & make-up, show up how you feel comfortable, just be you.

When you work with your photographer to plan your brand photoshoot, you’ll want to choose looks that make you feel like you!  That may sound obvious, but what I mean is don’t overdress or try a new hairstyle, because you may not feel your authentic self and end up not using the images.  Keep it simple and natural.

Outfit changes, to get the most out of a full brand shoot outfit changes are essential. Choose pieces that are easy to alternate, layer or change into, bring them in a small carry on suitcase preferably with wheels if we’re working on location so you don’t have too much to carry and remember to wear something under your clothes like work out shorts in case you need to get changed in a public place.

When it comes to make-up you don't have to have a professional makeover, but if you fancy treating yourself why the hell not!  I would suggest you find a make-up artist that specialises in natural looks and definitely have a pre-shoot practice run to ensure you’re happy with the new look.

The camera can wash you out a bit, so consider a little more rouge or a tinted moisturiser to give you a little glow and if you have fair eyebrows like me a little pencil work can help them to stand out.  Try a few looks and take a selfie to see what works best for you so you can be really confident come shoot day on your make-up.

But the best thing to do pre-shoot is to rest your eyes, switch off the blue screens that cause dark circles, and drink plenty of water. It's a good time to have a little home facial so you are super fresh.

7. Finding your target audience and brand identity.

Showing up online as your true self is key in finding the right audience for your brand, never try to be something you're clearly not, be authentic and your dream clients will know you are someone to trust.  Brand photography isn’t about making you look like a supermodel or about being perfect, brand photography is about letting your clients know, like and trust you by letting your gorgeous personality shine through.  A genuine smile is way more powerful, your clients will naturally warm to you and be eager to work with you.

8. Props!

Using props on a brand photoshoot can really help set the scene for your business, these can be quite simple things like holding your phone or writing in your diary to more unusual items that you use during your work process, for instance, an artist uses brushes and a birth doula, as I found, uses a model pelvis and a very large ball! Props are also a great way to keep your hands busy and actually help you to relax a bit more as you feel more in your element. It’s best to get your ideal props ready for the shoot so we have everything to hand.

Are you looking for a personal branding photographer to help you grow your business and build your confidence?

I’d love to work with you! Want to find out more about photoshoots and price packages just click on the button below…