How to Successfully Prep for a Brand Photoshoot

Are you ready to invest in your first brand photoshoot? Maybe the selfies aren’t cutting it, or you’re sick of scouring the internet for relevant stock photos. Whatever the reason, brand photography can be a game changer when it comes to marketing your business. To help you get the most out of it, I’m sharing some of my best tips and ideas on how to plan and prep for a successful first shoot.

Gather inspiration.

Whether it’s a pinterest board or one you mock up yourself, pull some inspiration of what you want to get out of your brand photoshoot. Think: outfit ideas, poses, locations, props, hairstyle, overall aestethic, etc. Creating an inspiration board will not only help give you an idea of what to look for in a photographer, but you’ll also have examples you can share with them so that you’re both aligned.

Choose a photographer that reflects your brand style.

Once you’ve got a moodboard laid out, research photographers in your area and look for one that reflects your brand style. If your brand/business is lighthearted and upbeat, you don’t want photos that are dark and moody. If you want your brand to appear more professional and polished, you might not want a photographer who’s style is funky or casual.

TIP: I use instagram to browse local photographers near me by searching hashtags such as #michiganlifestylephotographer or by using the location feature. That way I can easily browse through photos and find a photographer whose style I like, rather than trying to search through Google.

Plan out your outfits.

Pick out your outfits ahead of time so that you’re not panicking last minute trying to find something to wear. Try and choose outfits that best reflect your brand style and compliment your color palette. For example, if you’re going to be using the photos for your website and your brand palette contains blues and pinks, pick outfits that will compliment those colors well and not clash with them.

Make a list of photos you want to take.

Before your brand photoshoot, create a list of all the different shots you need. Do you have specific shots you want for your website, like a close-up head shot for your about page? Do you need a photo of you working on the computer so that you can use it to reference your services? Maybe you’re launching a new product or service and want a picture of you popping champagne or throwing confetti! Whatever shots you’re looking to get out of the shoot, write them down and try and be specific.

You might even want to share your list with your photographer beforehand, that way they can provide you with any tips or recommendations and you’ll both feel more prepared heading into the shoot.

Bring props.

Based on the list of shots you want, think about if there’s any props you’ll need to bring to use in your photos. For example, let’s say you want to use your photos to promote a new weekly meal plan freebie…you’ll want to print it out so that you can take some shots of you using it, and maybe even bring some fresh produce or food that you can use for flatlay shots!

Camera shy? Practice posing.

This might sound kind of silly, but it’s something I wish I’d done before my first brand photoshoot. Most photos I had taken of me in the past always had other people in the photo, so I had very little experience posing on my own and it felt awkward. Practicing a few poses in the mirror beforehand can help you feel a little more confident when in front of the camera. Your photographer is always there to help you too 🙂