How to get the most out of a professional brand photoshoot for your business.
Investing in professional, custom branded photos for your business (or for yourself) is a big step! Maybe you’ve been utilizing stock images up to this point, or perhaps you have a small handful of decent iPhone photos that have helped your website or social accounts to feel more personal. Whatever the case, investing in professional photos can make a huge impact on your brands professionalism and brand clarity. I’m here to make sure that your hard earned pennies make the biggest impact possible for your brand and here are my top 5 tips to get the most out of your professional photography investment.
Research photographers, and ensure the person you end up choosing is the absolute best fit for your brand. There are many things that go into choosing the right photographer. Budget, photography style, easy communication and expertise are just a few examples of things to consider when researching and “interviewing” photographers. The best thing you can do is set up a consultation with a few photographers, and let them know what your vision and goals are for a shoot. Ideally, your photographer should be able to clearly communicate back to you your own vision (solidifying their understanding of your business or personal goals - such as building a following, finding a job in a new industry, or promoting a new offering), and the right photographer should also provide you with additional ideas and inspiration, building on your original concept. They are the expert in their field and should have specific advice to share with you based on your brand and business goals!
Storyboard your concept with your photographer before the day of the shoot! The easiest way to think about your upcoming branding or professional portrait shoot is to think of it as a story, that you are ready to share with the world. What are you going to communicate with your audience through these new images, that they don’t already know? Think about your audience seeing your new photos with no captions - what would need to be in the picture to allow someone to clearly understand who you are, what you do, and what you are all about? This brings me to my next tip.
Choose your wardrobe and props wisely. In line with the above tip about communicating your message as clearly as possible, you should choose your clothing options and props carefully, and ensure that every aspect of your images authentically represents your brand. From brand colours, to what type of stationary or devices you bring (laptop, phone, tablet), to props like drinks or plants or even a pair of glasses, you want to be as intentional as possible with your props to ensure that your high end consultant brand (for example) isn’t jeopardized by a frumpy sweater or distracting neon green notebook, when your brand colours are actually all rich neutrals. This is something that my pre-shoot branding questionnaire helps my clients to think about to make this step as easy as possible.
Gather all your things and supporting team before the shoot. Try to get all your props organized and outfits laid out at least an hour before your shoot. Your energy and demeanour is important to how your photos turn out, and rushing to gather important details right before your shoot will not have you in the right mindset to enjoy yourself during the shoot (or look and feel relaxed)! If possible, get your outfits and props organized and set aside days - or even weeks - ahead of time, so on shoot day, all you have to do is get ready yourself, and head out the door! If friends or models are going to be a part of your shoot, communicate to them how important it is that they show up on time (or early, if possible) so that you can all get comfortable with the photographer and feel ready before the shoot actually begins.
On shoot day: relax, trust your photographer, have fun and don’t be afraid to be a visible part of your brand! This comes from someone who has avoided being a visible component of my own brand for years! I can confidently share that the biggest game changer for my business has been simply showing my face. We all do the exact same thing when we check out a new website or social profile (whether a personal or business profile): we instantly scroll and tap on the images with the person’s face. It’s human nature to connect with faces better than pretty flat lays or landscapes. Those other components are nice compliments to build your brand’s story, but photos of you, iI your environment are crucial, if you want to truly build an authentic connection with your audience. The good news is, showing up in your feed and on your website feels a lot less scary if you have a content library full of professional images that you are proud of, and truly feel like you/your brand, ready to share!
