Your brand is more than your logo, your color scheme, or your website. It’s an experience, a feeling, a connection with your audience, and imagery is the tool we use to bring your brand to light!

So you booked your branding photo session, now what?

Let’s break it down so you’re fully prepared for your session, and the photographer can full capture your vision of your brand.

The Photographer and your team can always assist with your vision, but you need to make sure your homework is done so that how you set out to tell your businesses is message through imagery it is properly captured. A Photographer can take the photo but they can not create your story without your inpuut. 

How do you prepare to tell your brand story? By creating a shot list (basically the who what where and why of the session!) 

Read on to see the elements to consider when preparing for your session and download our FREE planning worksheet and checklist!

Start with Wardrobe

Wardrobe helps direct your vision on how in this look you want to be perceived. A Great Rule of Thumb to give you a direction (this is optional but helps get it flowing) is to prepare four different outfits/looks:

1. Professional/Dressy – what your clients or customers most commonly see you in. Is this what you wear to your consultations?
2. One Casual Look – a little more relaxed: jeans, top, glasses and your favorite coffee mug style! What you would wear to brunch! This gives a little more insight into your personality. 
3. Work/Uniform. Think about including specific colors that go with your brand, logo shirt, or scrubs
4. Athleisure/Hobby– Who you are away from work. What connects you on your personal side? Are you an athlete? Do you run, bike, workout? Or love to bake? What’s your favorite team? Share what makes you unique! Adding touches of what you are passionate about will keep minds captivated and interested! After all, showing clients you are committed to your health speaks highly of you.

Accessories/Tools/Props

It’s better to bring too many than not enough! Grab any special item that best represents you, or something from your business that can be used as product placement! For the initial session, the goal is to highlight you and build a connection first, but strategically placing your products and props in the chosen location is great for combining YOU and your brand! 

Prop Ideas: 

• Your favorite books
• Glasses
• Drinks
• Pillows/throw blanket
• Items and tools you use on a daily basis in your busines: a camera, laptop, or your favorite notebook. 
• You  name it! Whatever reprsents YOU. This is your brand we are creating and producing!

Accessories:

Think about how you’ll accessorize your outfit, how you’ll style your hair and do your makeup. Even the small details, such as your nail polish and phone case have the opportunity to tell your story.

With each outfit, add an accessory for a more complete look, more natural shots, and visual interest, such as:

• Bags
• Drinks
• Props

Products/Services

What are you trying to achieve with the photoshoot?

Ask yourself what the intention or desired outcome is for your images.

Are you rebranding, and these photos are meant to attract your ideal client?

Launching a new product you want to illustrate and promote?

Once you know what you want your photos to do, you can plan the shots you need to achieve your outcome.

When we create your brand story, it revolves around the core of your business: your offering! Here are some shots to consider:

• Your product
• A special promotion/launch/sale
• Items you use to perform your service
• Your product/service in action! 

If you sell a specific product, let’s incorporate it into a lifestyle shot showing how it’s used. If you offer a service, let’s show you in action interacting with a client. 

Location

 Location Location Location

Returning to the previous point: What are your intentions for this shoot? Light and bright or dark and edgy? 

With each of the outfits you selected, pick a location that goes with it, for example:

• Business meetings at your office, dressed in business attire.
• Your favorite hotel or restaurant, dressed up!
• Stepping out of your front door in your favorite business attire

Be sure to “match” the outfit to the location– you wouldn’t wear an evening gown at the Farmer’s Market, but you would in a gorgeous hotel lobby! 

Share with your photographer what types of locations represent you and the image you want to portray. We can assist you in selecting locations, brainstorming ideas and doing research, but know your vision and share so we can help portray it in your imagery.

Plan a location that highlights your company, service and personality. Think about:

• Where each wardrobe piece is worn
• Where you provide your service
• Behind the scenes: a peek inside your office, favorite place, or where you find inspiration

Free Download: Planning Your Session

We’re here to help make it easy for you! To help you plan and pack, we’ve created a simplified planning worksheet and packing checklist for you to download and print to make sure you’re prepared and ready for your big day!

Click HERE to download your Branding Session PLANNING & PACKING LIST