How to Plan a Personal Branding Photoshoot

Scheduling a professional branded photoshoot is one of the best investments you can make for your personal brand and business. If you struggle with thinking about what to share on Instagram, what to pin on Pinterest, feel embarrassed about your website, or struggle with how to talk about a product or service you offer, then keep reading. 

Whether you’re a coach, content creator or entrepreneur, having branded photos helps you build a personal brand online and can help make marketing your business easier. 

Content creation feels a lot easier when you have a resource of professional photos to choose from. 

A branded photoshoot helps you showcase your business and unique talents. It can also help you build a stronger connection with your audience so you can talk about your purpose and what you offer. 

In this article, you’ll learn how you can better prepare for a successful branded photoshoot, you’ll understand how to plan a shoot with your photographer and you’ll identify the strategic ways to use your photos to build your online presence and help you better connect with your audience and grow your business. 

1. Identify the purpose of your photoshoot:

What do you want to accomplish with your new batch of photos? 

Perhaps you want to capture some of the behind-the-scenes of your business such as your office, employees or tools that you use. Identify whether you want to use these images for your website, or an opt-in landing page, for social media posts, or to feature your latest product or service.  

Identifying the purpose of the shoot and how you’ll use the images will help you and your photographer along the way.

2. Choose the right photographer to collaborate with:

Make sure your photographer has experience working with your type of business and can capture your aesthetic.

It will be important to have an “Are you the right fit?” call with your photographer where you share a little bit about your brand aesthetic, audience and shoot locations that you have in mind. 

During this call, you should discuss the length of the photoshoot, the number of locations, outfit changes, edits, including turnaround time for receiving the final photos and cost.

Discuss any insecurities or concerns with your photographer so that you can work through these together. You want to exude confidence on camera and your photographer can guide you through the photoshoot. 

Help your photographer understand your purpose and what aspects of your business and yourself that you’d like to capture.

3. Create a mood board:

Head to Pinterest or Instagram and collect photos to create a mood board for your photoshoot.  Your mood board can help convey your brand’s look and feel as well as your customer’s needs or dreams. 

You know your business and audience better than anyone, so it will be a helpful exercise as you’ll use your mood board to draw inspiration from and help carry out your vision for your photoshoot. 

You’ll use your mood board later to share with your photographer so that you can reference poses, photo angles and locations that help convey your brand.

4. Create a shot list (locations, scenes and outfits):

Once you have settled on a photographer, shooting logistics and pricing, you can begin to identify the shoot locations and details of the photo session. 

Create a shot list by identifying the location, the outfit you’ll wear and any activities you may be doing.

This is also the best time to identify any props or aesthetic elements that you will bring to the shoot to help you reinforce your connection to your customer (i.e. tools of the trade such a brushes, computer or other tech gadgets, books) and so on. 

Make sure your outfits fit with your overall brand aesthetic and make sure you choose a location that your audience can identify with.

5. Gather your outfits

Try not to overthink this one. The best thing you should do is dress like yourself.

If you don’t wear a blazer while working, then don’t wear one during the photoshoot. Dress like you normally do.

The colors you wear don’t have to exactly match your color palette, but just make sure they don’t clash. Remember that this photoshoot is meant to reflect you, your brand and your brand’s aesthetic.

6. Identify how and where your photos will be used:

Will your photos be used on your website? 

Do you need the image to be offset to one side for text? Will you be using these images for Pinterest or for your YouTube cover images? Do you anticipate using these photos for your About Me on your website or for your Instagram feed? 

All of these details are important because it will help your photographer identify the best angles and direct your camera movement.

7. Build confidence on camera:

Having someone take photos of you can make you feel a little self-conscious. Don’t worry, it’s totally normal. 

To help you get in your element, consider playing some music, grab some boba or coffee to get you pumped up for your photos. You should also consider starting your photoshoot someplace in your home so that you can ease into the photoshoot. 

Ask your photographer to give you feedback on where to look and where to stand during the shoot. A great photographer will guide you through the shoot and offer positive feedback. 

Have fun, relax and remember to smile!

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help it spread by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!