Planning your Brand Photoshoot
Brand photography - do you need them?
The short answer, yes.
When I first launched my very first website June of 2020, the first thing I did was a branding photoshoot with the amazing Emilie Bers so that I had content that fit my vision on my website. The success Blush Sands Creative (pre-rebrand) has had in the past year is due to the way photography brought my personality to life with the vision I had back then. Initially my credibility increased significantly, but my confidence was boosted and I was able to demonstrate trust with my community. Why? Because I I believed in myself and my vision as much as my new clients did.
More than 3 years later, I am launching a brand new website, new studio name, but the same amazing photographer. The route I took to planning this shoot was far and inbetween from where I had started.
I had to dig deep in asking a few questions, that initially felt intimidating, but when I simmered on it - I was ultimately led to the perfect shoot with the perfect blend for my brand.
Who is my ideal target audience? Who do I want to attract into my space?
What emotion do I want to provoke when people come to my socials and to my website?
What aspects of my style and aesthetic align with who I am with my business and in real life?
Brand photography will immediately boost your confidence, provide a face behind the brand, and level up your social media AND website!
If you’re a product based business, product photography showcases your products and provides an extra layer of trust with your community.
Checkout these photos below - the evolution of 2020 brand photos, 2021 brand photos, and 2023 brand photos!
Let's dive into the exciting world of brand photoshoot planning. We've already discussed the importance of reflection before getting started, but what comes next?
Imagine you've found a photographer who perfectly captures your dream aesthetic and can bring your vision to life. Well, my biggest tip for you is to focus on telling a captivating story through your outfits and creating a seamless flow throughout the space.
1. Gather Inspiration:
To kickstart your planning process, I recommend using Pinterest. Create a sub-board under your brand board and start pinning vibes, aesthetics, and colors that you'd like your photographer to capture.
Pro tip: Organize your pins into sub-categories like poses, emotions, and outfits to keep everything organized.
2. Save Favorite Poses:
Browse through magazines, Pinterest, or anywhere on the internet to find poses that resonate with you. Create a separate sub-board to compile all your favorite poses. Later, you can use this as a shot guide for your photographer.
3. Plan Your Outfits:
Based on the vibe and aesthetic you've planned, pre-select your outfits. Remember to keep it simple and avoid overthinking or overdoing it. Trust me, this will save you a lot of headaches on the day of the shoot!
4. Collect Your Prompts:
Add personal and professional elements that represent your brand. These can be small identifiers that add a unique touch to your photos. For example, you could include newspapers, cheese boards, your laptop, tulips, books, or even bring along your adorable puppy!
5. Create a Shot List for Your Photographer:
A shot list is a game-changer and the best way to make the most out of your photoshoot. It's a list of poses that guide your photographer through the space, showcasing different outfits or stories you want to present. I like to split mine into different stories, each representing a specific outfit and how it works within the space.
Planning a brand shoot doesn't have to be overwhelming! However, if you're in need of some guidance, I offer personalized 1:1 shoot planning. Reach out to me, and together, let's create some magic!
