She walked into the room in a dress that made her look and feel like the queen of the world. Better yet, a boss. Hair done, outfit on, and favorite album playing and we were ready. Ready to capture photos that didn’t just give her confidence in her business, but photos that would show her customers what it’s like to work with her. Her personality fully coming out and shown off to the world. Your brand photoshoot isn’t just about looking your best (although that’s important) it’s about showing off the authenticity of your brand. Your brand photos are a look inside your brand.
There is a lot of anxiety when booking your photoshoot. Fears of how you’ll look, fears of being in front of the camera, not knowing what to do with your hands (Those dreadful things) and every negative thing that anyone has ever said to you (including Jimmy from the 3rd grade) comes rushing back into your head and you think, “I don’t actually need these photos. I’ll save so much if I just don’t do this shoot.”
STOP! Right there. Just stop. First of all, your brand needs these photos. The business you pour yourself into needs high quality photos to connect with your customers. But you need these photos. You need to see yourself as the amazing business woman that you are. You need confidence in the website you send potential customers to and you need to prove Jimmy from the 3rd grade wrong.
Lets ease some of that anxiety and talk about what goes into a photoshoot to help set you up.
Scheduling a Brand Photoshoot
You found your photographer (maybe it’s me!) and booked a call to talk more about this shoot. You’ll want to ask questions like:
- What comes in a photoshoot?
- How long does the shoot last?
- What do I need to do for the shoot?
- When are you available?
- How many photos come with your package?
- When will we get the photos?
- Is there licensing on these photos?
- What other brands have you worked with?
- What happens if we need to reschedule due to the weather? (This is a Colorado type question)
That’s a good basis for getting to know them and figuring out if this is the right fit. Part of this call is to see how well you communicate with each other and if you like their vibe. Here’s an important rule, if you don’t have fun on that phone call. If you don’t feel safe or have some anxiety relieved then that is not the photographer for you. You want someone that you will feel comfortable in front of the camera with. Someone who can make you laugh and put you at ease. If you don’t get that vibe on the phone, don’t commit are ask to meet in person to talk more about the shoot. Your photos depend on this relationship. (Side note: If you personally won’t be in the photos and it’s just your products, then this isn’t as important. Instead, make sure their style of photography matches your brand)
Once you decide on a photographer it’s time to book that shoot and start working on the planning process.
Choosing Your Photoshoot Location
Locations are a big deal when it comes to your photography. This is where the scene is set to tell your story. If Mary Poppins was set in a dump and not the streets of London that would be a much different movie. So think about what environments tell the story of your brand. It might be in your brick and mortar shop. But if you don’t have a shop it could be in your office (yes, even home office). It might even be with your family and in your home. You can have photos doing the things you love to do the most like hiking or bike riding. The idea behind brand photos is to show your audience into the behind the scenes of your world. Let them know what you’re like on a personal level. Find different ways to connect.
Here are some of my favorite places to capture brands along with what types of brands were captured there:
- Mountains – Outdoor clothing + accessories, Personal brand that loves the Colorado lifestyle, Yoga studio highlighting their connection to nature
- At Home – Real estate agent, coaches, personal brands
- Coffee Shop – Personal brand, coffee shops, Graphic designers
- Around the city – Personal brands, boutiques/clothing brands, accessories, restaurants
- With their family – Personal brands, Owner/CEO of a company
- Church – Spiritual based brands, yoga studio wanting to highlight spirituality of the brand with or without the religion
- Garden – Sustainable brand, Wellness brands, All Natural products
- Farm – Organic products, Handmade, Products that feel like our grandparents made them
Of course, there are a million more places you could go for your shoot but these are just a few. Think about who your audience is and what your product is. Where would your product be used? How do people think about your product? Where does your audience use them? Now think about who you are as a brand. What represents the feeling of your brand the most? How do you want to make your audience feel? What locations will give your audience an inside look into who you are as the owner or who your brand is as a whole?
Inspiration for Your Brand Photoshoot
You’ve got the date and the location. Now it’s time to get clear on the types of images you want to get from this shoot. I will always have a conversation with my clients about what the look and feel of their photos should be. I’ll also look at their website or social beforehand to see what themes I notice about their brand and make sure the photos stick to those.
Not only do you want to find photos of poses or scenes you might want to reenact but you’ll also want to get clear on how you would describe your photos. (This comes back to those brand guidelines you create). Are your photos cool in white balance (meaning whites look a touch blue) or warm (white look a touch yellow)? Are your photos light and airy or dark and moody? Do they have lots of color or a lot of white? All these questions will help the photographer get clear in what kinds of photos they need to create for you so that they’ll work with your brand. We want you to be able to put these photos to use, not just have cute photos.
Feel free to put together a Pinterest board with images that connect with you and feel like your brand. This will help your photographer have ideas of where to start with your shoot. Of course, they’ll have ideas for your too so that you get a wide variety of images to use.
Confidence on Photoshoot Day
Give yourself at least 1 hour to get ready for your shoot. Having time and space to do your hair, make-up, get dressed and maybe even have some extra space to do some breathing or listen to your favorite playlist will help you feel at ease when you meet with your photographer. Rushing around will always make you feel worst.
Here is the most important thing to remember about your photoshoot. It is not your job to make you look good, it’s the photographers job. My job as a photographer is to make you relax, to instruct you on how to pose in ways that are flattering to your body. I’m hear to make you laugh, to not think about your hands, and to have fun.
Your only job on a shoot, is too feel fabulous and have fun!
Your Brand Photoshoot
A brand photoshoot will provide you with enough photos to make updates to your website. Photos to use on social for at least a month if not more. But most of all, your brand photos should give you more confidence in your brand and make you excited to send potential customers to your website to learn more about you. You are just buying photos to market yourself, your buying confidence in yourself and your brand. That really is priceless.
Ready to schedule your next brand photoshoot? Find your package and book your shoot so you can have more confidence in your brand!
