Branding Session Prep Guide
Make sure a branding session is right for you
Chances are, if you’ve received this prep guide, you are already on board. But it’s always good to ask yourself a few key questions. Do you need marketing content that can last a few months? Images that you can use on your website, social media, marketing collateral and LinkedIn? Or do you simply need a singular, traditional headshot without much variety? If you want a deeper dive into this initial question, I wrote a blog all about this, which you can find here.
develop a working shot list
This is something we’ll go over in detail during your branding prep zoom, but it’s always a good idea to start thinking of a shot list for your session, starting with the basics. These could include…
Headshots
Your workspace (laptop, phone, planner, notepad) + you working with these materials
Location specific shots, of your office, or a main street in the town you serve, a staged home if you’re a realtor, designer, etc.
Group shots of team (if applicable)
Your branding/brand identity - any items with your logo, brand colors (i.e. water bottles, coffee cups, pens, notepads)
Vignettes of your workday that can act as branded stock imagery (see image to the right for a perfect example!)
I encourage you to think of the things that you work with and utilize every day and consider bringing those along! For example, is your dog always underfoot? Let’s have that pooch at the session! Are you, like me, powered by Starbucks and never without a fresh one within arm’s reach? Then, let’s order you one ahead of time! Do you have a Yeti that’s filled to the brim with flavored water? A special planner that keeps you on task each day? Do you have a handful of candy every afternoon to beat that mid-afternoon slump? We want to incorporate as much as these things as possible, because these are what make you tick. And that’s precisely the kind of thing we want to show in your branding images.
choose your location(s)
With so many of us now working from home, this could be your home office. You may have a physical office we can utilize as well. Perhaps we choose to shoot on Main Street or the town center where you work, or the people you serve live. If you’re a realtor or interior designer, perhaps it’s at the gorgeous home of a client or friend. I also utilize a beautiful natural light studio in Newtown, which is amazing for a professional, well lit aesthetic that can be customized to suit your taste with whatever items we bring in.
I have a list of great spots at the ready, and we’ll work together to determine options and suitability.
Curate your look
While I never want anyone to do anything that makes them feel like less of themselves, I do think putting your best foot forward helps you bring confidence and a bit of swagger to the session, which translates beautifully in your photos. Consider getting your hair blown out with your favorite stylist or, if you’re local to Ridgefield, Pelo by Edgardo is an amazing spot for blowouts and style. Similarly, if getting your makeup professionally applied is on your mind, I have fabulous makeup artists that I couldn’t recommend more highly. For clothes, one of the great things about a branding session is that we have the time for you to change your look from more casual to more formal - or a mix of both. If coming up with more than one look is overwhelming, we can change things up by adding (or taking away) a blazer, or pulling hair up and changing accessories for a few of the shots – these adjustments are small and easy to accomplish wherever we are shooting, but provide you with a nice variety of looks in your final images and I highly recommend it.
Make a plan for your photos
Make a plan for your photos, so that you have written content to accompany your new library of visual content, and you make the most out of your investment. If you need help with this, please ask! I know social media specialists who can help you, and I, too, have years of experience developing communications campaigns for clients, thanks to my background in PR. I also have a creative arm of my business, where I offer copywriting for creatives and entrepreneurs, specializing in email content and blog development. I’m happy to help beyond your branding shoot!
know i won’t bite
Okay, I know you know this already. But, I include this to say that I will do everything in my power to help make you comfortable and at ease. I understand how awkward it can be to be the sole subject of a photograph - let alone a whole photo shoot - but I’ve never photographed anyone I didn’t think was beautiful, fun and glowing, and YOU are no exception. It’s a privilege to be chosen to photograph you and I don’t take it for granted. We are going to have a blast.