5 Things You Should Know Before Booking A Personal Branding Photoshoot

Are you ready to book a personal branding photoshoot for your business?

Personal Branding Photoshoots have become a very popular way for entrepreneurs & business owners to create a compelling visual representation of their brand online. Booking your first Branding photoshoot is a really exciting milestone to reach as you work to grow your business - photoshoots present an opportunity for you to get creative, to be more visible in your industry, & to finally launch those marketing campaigns to promote your product or service!

As a Personal Branding Photographer, I work with people who are in all different stages of brand development - some are just starting their businesses, some have a super established brand identity, & some are shifting their vision & re-branding an existing business completely. Regardless of where you’re at in your branding journey, you want to make sure that you have some specific goals in mind before you invest your precious time & resources into a photoshoot for your business.

Here are five key things that I recommend you work on before scheduling a personal branding photoshoot:

#1. Clarify Your Brand Identity

Having a Branding Photoshoot is a great way to create content that visually represents your brand's personality, values, & unique selling points. Before booking your shoot, take the time to define your brand identity & brand elements clearly. If you haven’t already, begin to research & understand your target audience, clarify your brand's tone & style, & think about the emotions you want your visuals to evoke. The more clarity you have on these aspects, the better your photoshoot will capture the essence of your brand, resulting in images that truly resonate with your audience.

Ask yourself questions like: How do you want to be Photographed? What mood/energy do you want to portray? Professional, Quirky, Relaxed? What is your brand’s aesthetic? Do you have brand colors? Your branding elements, such as logos, colors, & products, should be thoughtfully integrated into your photoshoot. Balancing the prominence of your branding elements is essential; you want them to be noticeable, but not overpowering. Remember, the ultimate goal is to create visually compelling images that communicate your brand's story & values to your clients & customers.

#2. Decide on Your Budget

It’s important to decide approximately how much money you are prepared to invest in a Personal Branding Photoshoot before you commit to booking one. Different photographers have different pricing structures, & you must always make sure that you completely understand your photographer’s prices before you commit to booking a photoshoot. Branding shoots for a small business can range anywhere from $500 - $5000+ depending on the photographer you choose & the amount of content you’re looking to create. The more experienced your photographer, the higher their package prices will tend to be - it is important to note that a cheaper photographer is not always necessarily better! You can definitely start out with a smaller photoshoot if you’re not prepared to invest a substantial amount just yet, but do make sure that the photographer you choose will be able to deliver the exact content you’re looking for.

#3. Know Where & How You Want To Use Your Photos

Ask yourself: What are your image needs - what, specifically, do you want to use these images for? How many images do you need? Where will they be used? Are there specific images you have in mind for your website, upcoming press releases, new products or programs, etc? What do you want your new images to do for you? Do you have any new product or service launches planned? This is where it’s really important to think ahead a few months about your upcoming goals, launches, & projects - you can even make a shot list that details out all of the different places you would like to use your photos. If you’re just starting out & don’t have a website up yet, that’s totally ok - however, it is really helpful to at least be aware of how you’d like your new website to be laid out & to decide what basic photos you’ll need before you book your photoshoot. A great Personal Branding photographer will be able to give you some recommendations & can help you to create your shot list!

#4. Choose A Style of Photography That You Like

Every photographer is a little bit different - it’s extremely important to do your research when you are choosing a photographer to work with. Make sure that you like the photographer’s overall style - check out their website, social media profiles, galleries of past work, etc. to make sure that you get a comprehensive look at their portfolio. Try to pick a photographer whose images appeal to you overall, & be sure to communicate to them exactly what you like about their work. Visual styles can be hard to describe with words, so try to spend some time gathering inspiration as well - screenshot images you see online that you like, create a Pinterest board, etc. Show this to your photographer so that they can get an accurate sense of the style of images you’re looking for.

#5. Be Aware Of Your Deadlines

If you are on a schedule, it’s important to book your photoshoot sooner rather than later! Trying to set up a photoshoot last-minute can be really stressful for both you & for your photographer, so be sure to plan your photoshoot as far in advance as you can. If you have an upcoming book launch, a website release date, or some other type of event date to stick to, be sure to communicate this to your photographer before booking your photoshoot so that you can be sure you are operating on a workable timeline. Every photographer has different turnaround times for editing, & many popular photographers can be booked out several months in advance.

For example: I like to book my clients a minimum of 4-6 weeks out - this gives my client plenty of time to prepare (schedule salon appointments, order outfits, etc.) & gives me time to plan the details for your shoot, book studio space, lock down a hair & makeup artist, etc. After my client has had their shoot, the turnaround time for receiving final edits is about 2-3 weeks depending on the size of the project. From the time of booking to final edits, this ends up being approximately a 6 - 8 week process once all is said & done. Try to over-estimate the amount of time you need to make your branding photos happen - you’ll thank yourself for this later!

If you’re feeling ready to present the best version of yourself, your products, & your services to the world, it’s time to look into a branding photoshoot that is designed to provide you with the exact images you need to help you get out there, grow your business, & achieve your goals!

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