So you booked a brand session. Now what? Here are my 5 tips to successfully prepare for your shoot!
If it’s your first time booking a branding session, it can feel a little intimidating. After all, this isn’t why you started your business. But you don’t have to worry! You hired me for a reason, and I’m here to make sure that you have the BEST brand photoshoot!
5 tips to prepare for your branding photoshoot!
1. Get really familiar with your brand
Knowing what your brand stands for and its key traits are essential for stepping off with the right foot for your branding session. Is your brand playful and energetic? Maybe it’s timeless and elegant?
Ask yourself this: how do you want people to feel when they look at your brand photos? Another part of this is knowing your brand colors. Staying within the same color family will help to maintain consistency throughout your images.
2. List your goals for your brand photos
It’s time to dig down deep and pinpoint the exact purpose your brand photos are going to have in your current marketing plan.
Your photos aren’t just a pretty little element of your branding. They’re sales-driven marketing tools, and should be aligned with your current marketing plan. Ask yourself: what do I need these photos to do for my business in order to reach my goals?
3. Know your immediate photo needs
Your full day brand session is meant to leave you with enough photos to support your business for about 6 months. But what are your immediate needs for your images?
Maybe you’re needing an updated headshot for your contact page or launching a new skincare line? Maybe you’re needing photos to promote a new service or to showcase your service in a different way. Whatever your immediate needs are should be at the forefront of our shot list!
4. Create a mood board
Mood boards are the perfect tool to help both you and I visualize the direction you want to take your branding photoshoot.
A good mood board can show what you want your brand photos to feel like, as well as some examples of the direction you want your photos to go visually. Something that it’s not is a shot list. It’s important to remember that replication is not what we’re going for, but inspiration.
So, what makes a good mood board? Check out my post with my best mood board making tips for your branding session!
5. List a few photo ideas you have
This doesn’t have to be anything formal. It can literally be a fleeting though you had at the bar written on the back of a napkin. Just make sure that if you have creative ideas, that we get them added to your shot list!
Don’t really know what you want or don’t have any specific ideas? No problem at all! After all, that’s why I’m here! To take your goals and turn them into the photos that help you achieve them!
6. Sit back and relax. You’re ready for our discovery call!
If you’re prepping for a session with me, this is really it! From here we’ll jump on our discovery call where we’ll dive into all of your ideas, your goals, and your brand and translate all of that into a shot list for your session! This will also get the ball rolling on location scouting and what you’ll want to wear and bring to your session.
5 tips to prepping for your branding session (in summary!)
- Know your brand inside and out
- List all of your goals for the next 6 months
- Know what photos you need ASAP
- Make a mood board
- Jot down some photo ideas that pop into your head
- Sit back and relax while I create your custom plan and shotlist for the day!
