How to Plan for Your Upcoming Brand Shoot
Congratulations on booking your brand shoot! Investing in professional brand photography is one of the best things you can do for your business but I know firsthand how easy it is to put it on the back burner. After all, client work always comes first, right? But now that you have your session booked, now comes the fun part: prepping for your brand shoot! If you’re not sure where to start, we’re going to cover exactly how to plan for your upcoming brand shoot so you’re prepared and love your new brand images.
How to Plan for Your Upcoming Brand Shoot
Define Your Brand and Create a Moodboard
Before your brand session, you’re going to want to nail down your brand strategy and create a mood board for your shoot. You might have information regarding your brand strategy from your brand/website designer, but if not, you can totally do this yourself! Here’s exactly what you need to know about your brand.
Your mission and vision for your brand
Who your ideal client is
Your brand’s aesthetic
Your brand’s colors
Once you have this information, you can start creating a mood board for your brand photography session. I recommend doing this in Pinterest so you can easily share it with your photographer prior to your brand session.
Your mood board should visualize the exact style you want your brand to reflect and the types of images you want during your session. This should include inspiration for not only the look and feel of your images, but also poses that you’d like to capture.
Plan Your Outfits
While you’re putting together your mood board, go ahead and pin some outfit inspiration and ideas for your session. Don’t forget to keep your brand’s aesthetic and colors in mind while you’re doing this! From here, you can start shopping (or putting together) for brand photo looks. I always recommend doing 2-3 looks to get a variety of images and to really showcase your personality.
Always, always, always try on your outfits (even wear them around your house for a few hours!) prior to your session so you feel comfortable in what you’re going to be wearing. I promise you, you’ll be able to notice a big difference in how comfortable you feel in your photos!
Not sure what to wear for your brand session? Here are some ideas!
Put Together a Shot List
Prior to your shoot, sit down and compile a list of where you’ll be using your images (website, social media, email marketing, etc.) and then create a shot list specific to the images you want. This is something I always help clients with prior to their shoot, but here are a few ideas to get you started on your shot list.
Working on laptop
Writing in notebook/planner
Drinking coffee
Professional headshot
Stock imagery
Once you take care of the basics, you can get more creative with different poses and props.
Compile Your Props
One of my number one tips for our clients is to bring props with you to your shoot! They will not only add visual interest to your photos and highlight your process, but they’re also great for capturing stock-style images. For props, I always recommend bringing items you use every day or items that allow you to do your job but you can also add some fun ones into the mix. Here’s a list to get you started!
Laptop, phone, and headphones
Notebook and planner
Pens, markers, highlighters
Any food/beverages you enjoy throughout your day (coffee/tea, wine, lunch)
Plan a Location
When it comes to your brand shoot, the location can have a big impact on the story you’re telling in your images. I always recommend opting for a studio location that has a variety of spaces within it to show the different aspects of your business. A studio space also provides more consistency with your images. If you’re on a budget, cute coffee shops are also a great option!
Are you ready to stop putting off investing in brand photography and want to get your session scheduled? Contact us today to learn more about our packages!
