4 Simple Tips for a successful Personal branding photo shoot.
Let's talk about personal branding today.
As a business owner, you are the face of your brand and your branding photo should be a representation of that. Remember, you’re not just selling a product or a service, you’re selling yourself and the experience people have when working with you. It is very important to know how you can elevate your brand If you want to attract your ideal clients. Spoiler alert! Personal branding photography is a must nowadays.
As a photographer and a business owner, I want to share a couple of things here that might help you prepare for a Personal Branding session. Some tips on what you should know before having one.
So here we go!
1. HAVE A VISION OF YOUR BRAND.
It might sound very easy, but it is not as simple as you think it is.
- Think about who are you?
- Why do you care about the work you do?
- Why does it matter?
- What value do you provide for people you work with?
- What do you want them to feel in your presence?
Make sure you have a clear vision of what your brand is and be able to use specific words to describe it. Are you a realtor, an interior designer, a personal trainer? Are you tough, strong, sophisticated, elegant, or calm? The more descriptive you are, the easier it’ll be for me to capture the essence of you and what stands behind your brand.
2. THINK OF GOALS FOR THE PHOTO SHOOT.
Take your time before meeting with your photographer (aka Me) and think, why do you want to make these photos in the first place. Where are you planning to use them?
- Do you want to create a couple of shots for your social media accounts?
- Are there any specific themes, special events, promotions, and seasonal themes that you would like to highlight?
It's important to share this with the photographer, so both of you are on the same page.
3. THINK OF A SHOT LIST.
If you need a photo for your new website or you are planning on upgrading the excising one, I recommend making a list of all the pages on your website that needs a photo. In my experience, you'll need images for:
banners on your sales pages
home page
about page and contact page
Think about what will work better for each page: a landscape or portrait?
Usually, Personal Branding Photo Session includes but is not limited to headshots, lifestyle shots, how you work, shots on different locations showing different personalities of you.
4. PROPS, WARDROBE, AND HMUA
For props, find things you use in your daily work environment. If you’re a fitness trainer, It would probably be a good idea to bring some equipment like weights, rope, a bottle of water, etc.
Outfits play a huge part in the success of your branding shoot. Make sure you’re choosing the outfits and accessories that make you feel confident. You probably want to look timeless and welcoming.
It is always a great idea in a branding photoshoot to incorporate your logo if you have one.
As I've mentioned before, confidence is key! Book a professional for your makeup and possibly hair as well. It’s worth the extra expense. Professionals know what type of make-up and hairstyles should be used to bring out a person’s best features, and they will also use specific strategies that work best for a professional photo shoot, such as highlighting techniques.
So, as you can see it is no rocket science to prepare for the Personal Branding photo session. The key to success here is to be who you are, be true to your aesthetics, trust your photographer and enjoy the process all along!
P.S. Meeting and shooting this branding session for Nana of Keller Williams Realty, Inc. was such a pleasure. There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing incredible women doing what they do best and being completely unapologetic about it!
