4 Ways to Prepare for your Branding Photoshoot


Branding collage
5 WAYS TO PREPARE

Ok! You have the basics. You have your business whether that be an online service, ecommerce, blog account whichever the case,  you have a business. To take your business to the next step, a branding shoot is a great idea. This will allow you to create a professional visual representation of you. This is used to connect and share clearly, with your customers, about who you are and what you offer. 

 I'll be sharing with you 4 ways to prepare as for your shoot.  I was once unsure where to begin. Trust me, it can be overwhelming, your own thoughts having a zillion ideas. Just hold your breathe and start jotting down those ideas with these tips in mind.
1.  Hire a Professional Photographer
 
This is so important! Professionals are professionals for a reason. You will need someone who knows lighting, angles, poses (especially if you are a little camera shy like me) and who understands the concepts of branding shoots as a whole. Talking with a professional photographer before you start can clear your mind for the next step and can help you imagine the images you wish to gain. 
It might help to search other local businesses content on social media to find something that captures your eye. This way you can reach out to specific photographers and be confident in your decision. 

Side note: If you are local to the lower mainland, my amazingly talented photographer would be happy to hear from you. Henedine Bartels Photography and YES she captured many of my branding photographs. 

 

2.  Make a List of Goals

I'm talking about goals on what points you want to get across, to your audience, with this branding photoshoot.

Are you revamping and introducing a new image. Are you just starting out and need those headshots, a behind-the-scenes, or what about the products themselves. Do you want to be showing your audience how you apply a certain product or you simply want to show how your business is bringing friends together with a bunch of ladies laughing with wine glasses, good food and it was your service of event planning, that created this joyful moment. Think about the bigger picture, props you will need, models, location and make goals for each thing. What helped me was sticking with 5 images I really wanted to capture and work with those in my mind. 

Now that you are thinking of what you want to capture it's time for step 3.

 

3. Plan Out Where your Images Will Go

Where you want to use your images is very important! Will you be using these images on your website, blog posts, social media and so on? Why this matters is because of formatting. For banners on a website you will need images that are landscape. If all images are captured in portrait mode then you may run into some editing difficulties. If you are wanting to create a theme on social media then plan out accordingly; the style and how they can combine and flow. 

4. What will you wear?

 This again can simply be a matter of how you want the vibe of your shoot to be. Laid-back and chill or professional and clean-cut. If you are planning a theme, such as seasonal, wear clothing appropriate for what you are capturing. Having the clothing and accessories picked out ahead of time can help you focus on what you are selling. Also, depending on location you will want clothes that don't complicate the pictures or blend into the background unless that is your purpose? All in all have fun with it and style your shoot with your business in mind.