How to Prep for a Brand Photoshoot
Your brand should tell a story — your story. When the visual aspects of your brand like colors, logos, and most importantly, images, don’t reflect you and your business the way you’d like, it may be time for a brand photoshoot.
When done well, a brand photoshoot should produce photos that represent you and your biz authentically. It’s well worth the investment! To get the most out of your brand photoshoot, you’ll want to spend a little time preparing beforehand.
Think about your goals for the shoot
What’s your brand message? Do you know what story you want to tell through your brand photos?
If you’re drawing a blank thinking of answers for these questions, it’s time to sit down and reflect on your goals for this brand photoshoot. It’s important that you know your brand before you have photos taken to represent it.
Think about your answers to questions such as:
What do you want to communicate through your photos? Professionalism, friendliness, capability, wit, strength? How do you want to be seen by the people looking at your photos?
Where will these images be used? Are the photos for your website, social media, blog, etc.? Images for the web will be a different size and/or composition than images for social media.
What’s your brand personality? This will help you narrow down other stylistic choices like outfits, location, poses, and more. A quirky, cheerful beverage company will have very different brand photos from a nature-inspired, serious outdoor apparel company.
What is this brand photoshoot for? Is it to launch your brand new business? Are you rebranding your existing biz? Are you getting ready to unveil new products? How many photos do you need?
Got your goals in sight? Great! Now you can start envisioning your new brand photos
Gather visual inspiration
You don’t have to be an artist or graphic designer to gather visual inspiration for your brand photoshoot. You can easily create mood boards on Pinterest or save images that inspire you in a collection on Instagram.
(If you wanna go old school, look through magazines and cut out photos you like. Glue or tape them to a piece of cardboard. Voila! You’ve got a real life mood board.)
Never created a mood board before? Here’s what you might look for in your image search:
Outfits that represent your personal style for work
Color palettes for your brand
Poses that you might like to use in your brand photoshoot
Different facial expressions or emotions you want to convey
The “look and feel” of a photo; e.g., dreamy, energetic, fun, serious
Destinations or locations
Once you can start to visualize the types of photos you want, it’s time to plan your shot list.
Plan a shot list
Time is money when you’re working with a brand photographer. Get the most out of your brand photoshoot by preparing a detailed shot list ahead of time...so you’re not drawing a blank on what to wear, how to pose, or what to do next during the shoot.
A shot list can be as simple or detailed as you’d like it to be! Some key details to include in your shot list are:
Shot description, like “sitting in front of a laptop at the coffee shop”
Location or background
Type of shot, like wide shot, closeup, product or service photo, candid or posed
Pose or facial expression
Props and wardrobe needed
Any other notes to include
Pro tip: Mark or separate those “must have” shots you don’t want to forget during your shoot. You can organize the rest of the shots you want into different types, like wide shots, closeups, product or service photos, or detail shots.
Figure out what to bring
Your brand photoshoot is really coming together now! After you’ve outlined your shot list, you’ll notice items you’ll need to bring to the shoot. It’s a good idea to create a separate checklist of your stuff so you don’t have to search your shot list.
Your business stuff
If you sell products, don’t forget to bring them to your shoot! Choose the best version of your products so they’ll really shine in their photos.
If you run a service-based business, think about photos that will accurately represent what you do. Work from home? Have your favorite coffee mug and your cutest pet ready for the shoot. Ultimately, focus on you, since you are what you offer your clients and customers.
What you’ll wear
Look over your shot list again and start planning your outfits. Keep your brand color palette in mind when choosing pieces from your wardrobe. If you stick to a specific color scheme, all your brand photos will look cohesive and more polished.
Pro tip: Make appointments in advance for hair, makeup, or nails, if you’re not DIYing it.
Props and supplies
Review your shot list one more time. What props or supplies will you need to complete each brand photo? For example, if you’re an event photographer, don’t forget your camera!
If you’re stuck on ideas, here are some props you might find useful in your shoot:
Laptop or tablet
Coffee mug or water bottle
Notebook and pen
Headphones
Bag or briefcase
Sunglasses
Hat or scarf
Pro tip: Bring a hand mirror, hairbrush or comb, and tissues with you, along with any beauty or hair products in case you need touching up during the shoot.
Get an expert to bring your brand to life
You’re ready for your brand photoshoot! A day or two before the shoot, get your outfits, props, and supplies together so you’re not in a rush beforehand. Also, get plenty of rest and relax. You’ll want to look and feel your best in your photos, right?
A brand photographer who really gets you and your biz will know how to bring out your personality in your photos and get the shots you want. They may also have great suggestions for photos, poses, or locations you may not have thought of, so try to keep an open mind and trust their advice.
And if you need expert help on bringing your vision for your brand to life, reach out to us at Blades Creative! From beginning to end, we work with you to tell your brand’s story, from logos to social media images to business cards and more. We’ll help you design a brand that truly looks and feels the way you want it to.