YOUR DREAMY BRANDING PHOTOSHOOT

BY ISABELL KINGSBURY - FOUNDER OF HIGHLIGHT MARKETING

You’ve decided to finally get the branding photoshoot you’ve been dreaming of!

WHERE DO YOU START?

Creative Direction

The most important part is getting your foundation right. This means defining your brand and how your brand can be visually represented. If you don’t know where to start, I’d advise using a Pinterest board. Pin images that are filled with your brand colors and the style that best encompasses your business’ values. From there you can see your creative direction; whether that’s edgy and bold, airy and light, or whatever is unique to you. 

Tip: make sure to also pin images of different poses and angles you’d like your photographer to take as well!

Every investment in your business should have an objective, and this one is no different! Knowing what you’re going to use these images for will help make sure you get all of the pictures you need. If you’re not sure for what, check out HERE to see all of the ways you can use them for content. 

Location

Now that you’ve nailed your creative direction, it’s time to pick a scene! If you’re in the corporate world and want to represent power and authority, then maybe a background with the city skyline behind you or a luxurious office might be more suited to your needs. If you want to come across as welcoming and friendly then somewhere more relaxed would work best. 

Think about who you are, who you want to attract and what impression you want to give off. It can be in your own office, at a park, in a building, an airbnb, your photographer’s studio. The options are endless but it’ll define the overall mood of your shoot so make sure it matches the look you’re going for. Your photographer might have a couple of different setups for their studio as well, so check in with them if they have a style that would work for you. 

Clothing

Next up, clothes! What are you going to wear? If you’re investing in your business by getting a photoshoot done, go all the way and make sure you have the clothes you need for it too. Ask your photographer how many outfit changes you’re allowed in a session to get as much out of it as you can. 

Now I would highly suggest sticking to your brand colors as much as possible. Does that mean you can’t wear jeans if your brand color doesn’t have blue in it? No, but remember that branding is all about the key word: consistency. It’s about building trust with your audience. Knowing ahead of time that these pictures will be used all throughout your online presence, it’s important that you feel that it fully represents your brand. 

Besides the colors, the style of your clothes should also be taken into consideration! Just like a person, your business’ personality should be able to be expressed in a number of ways, while still sticking to the core values. Have each outfit change represent a different side of your business. Your professional side can be one of them but what other kinds of impressions do you want to give people at first glance? 

It might be different if you have to adhere to corporate standards, but if you have your own business, use this as an opportunity to let your audience learn more about you. Are you goofy? Nerdy? Adventurous? Social? Have any hobbies you love? Show it!

We want to know! Don’t be afraid to express it because that’s what’s going to set you apart from the rest. Regardless of where these images are going, the purpose of them is to help you connect with your audience, so don’t be afraid to be… well, YOU!

Props 

Last but not least, props! You didn’t think you could just pick your nice outfits and head over to your shoot without props did you? I mean, for personal shoots that’s more than fine, but branding shoots, we want to be EXTRA prepared! The more content we have, the better. 

Your photographer should have some props already if you get your session done at their studio. Either way though, you should bring some items that make this shoot unique to you and your business. Some ideas may be books, accessories, magazines, your favorite coffee mug, flowers, a camera, your laptop, etc. You can even use your phone as a prop! Extra items allow you to have more variety in your content and show more of your personality. Have your tagline written on a book cover or your favorite sports team hat on. Get creative! It’s these little details that go a long way. 

All in all, if you do the planning for your photoshoot ahead of time, you get to just show up and be the rockstar that you are! Listen to some hyped up music on the drive, pump yourself up and shine on camera because you made the effort to invest in yourself and that in itself is something big to celebrate about!!

Isabelle Kingsbury is the founder of Highlight Marketing, a web design and branding agency geared towards helping passionate entrepreneurs grow in the online space. She helps give businesses that “wow” factor they’ve been missing, by creating a brand for them that truly encompasses their story. She also hosts her own podcast, Highlight Your Business, on her Instagram Live at @highlightmktg. Where she brings guests from different fields to teach business owners how to elevate their social media, client process, and everything else they need to succeed.