If your brand photos are out of date, if your target audience has shifted, or if your business has expanded into new directions or grown, it may be time to start planning for your next brand shoot. I’m sharing all the tips on how to get prepared to ensure you not only get fantastic looking photos, but online content that will work for you while you sleep!

How to begin

First and foremost, you need to determine what the photoshoot is for. Are you gathering images for blog posts? Updating your website? Are you capturing content to post on social media? Having a clear understanding of what you are creating for will help determine things like number of images (for websites, I suggest 15-25+), dimensions, and locations.

Setting Your Intentions

It’s so important to know where you want to go! When you can identify how you wish to embody that higher version of self, that’s when you can weave it into your photoshoot! This is a great time to get honest with yourself:

• Do you have fears about being visible?
• What new beliefs do you need to embody this best version of self?
• What is the why behind your brand?

 

Identity & Values

When planning out your imagery, it’s imperative you know who you are and what you offer. This goes beyond the services you offer! Ask yourself, “what are your brand values”?  You should have 3-5 in place to infuse throughout your brand.

Here are 3 examples:

• Joy
• Relationships
• Risk-taking

Having your values in line will help this! If one of your words is “empower”, for example, that should be the theme of a portion of your photos!

 

Vibe and Feeling

What emotions do you wish to convey to your audience through the photos? Ultimately, you need to think of who your audience is. Do you have an “ideal client” in mind? If you’re shooting social media content, the vibe may be more laid-back and casual compared to the photos used for pitches or publishing companies. Come up with some vibe words for how you want the images to feel and use them as a guide for making your decisions surrounding the shoot.  All of this will guide your wardrobe, your color palette, locations, etc.

Location

With your context and vibe in mind, think about the locations available to you. Will you be shooting in a studio? Will you be on location? Outdoors? Maybe all of the above? What sites are available to you in your surrounding communities? If you have access to a Branding Photographer, let them recommend locations, venues, and rentals others don’t have access to (or just don’t have time to find).

Outfits and Props

What do you need to bring? What can your Branding Photographer provide? I cannot stress enough how important it is to communicate with all those involved to determine who will be responsible for bringing what items to the shoot. If you aren’t working with a stylist, plan your wardrobe out in advance and make sure you try everything on, even if it’s from your own closet! *Pro tip: make sure you make the necessary hair and nail appointments with plenty of time.

Need help planning and executing your next Brand Photoshoot? Click here to set up a chat and see if we’d be a good fit working together