Your branding session is more than just a series of new headshot images and profile picture. Think of your photoshoot as a day in the life with your brand. Your time in front of the camera is the perfect way to interact with your product or show yourself in service, in any form that takes for your business. This is a photoshoot for your brand not just for you as the business owner. Think outside of the box. Include images of customer interactions, restocking shelves, arranging beautiful table displays, or even sitting at a coffee shop answering emails.

I’m so excited to share a few of my favorite tips to content planning for your branding session. Check out a few of my favorite images from my recent brand photoshoot with Sarah Olivia Marketing below!

Here are a few quick tips to start:⠀

1. PLANNING: Think ahead about every aspect of your brand, are there any fun personal elements you can infuse into the shots, your family dog, favorite drink, or a bouquet of fresh flowers. Always declutter your office and plan any indoor portrait time for when you have the most natural light shining into your workspace. ⁠⠀
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2. CONSISTENCY: Choose your outfits/ personal elements based on your brand aesthetic. Look through your social media grid to decide on a common color pallet… for example even if you LOVE to wear black in your personal life, if you own a colorful children boutique, its best to pick outfits with your vibrant/youthful aesthetic in mind! ⠀
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3. UPDATE SEASONALLY: For most businesses I recommend investing in a branded photoshoot at least once every season, this way you can incorporate new products, outfits, and fresh content for your social media and website. ⁠⠀
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So how do you turn all of these elements into 3 months of content? Let’s just start with the basics, 3 months is 13 weeks. If you think about creating 1-3 blogs or social media posts per week. With the right strategy during your band session, that goal is very attainable!

Plan a Strategy call with your photographer:

I recommend booking a strategy call with your photographer ahead of time to map out you main objectives. Talk through your specific usage for content. Do you need a few long horizontal images with plenty of white space for text and website headers?  Or would vertical email and Pinterest friendly images work best for your needs? It’s always helpful to look through image inspiration for posing variety and perspective shifts!  Also remember to remain consistent by choosing a photographer with similar lighting/editing styles to your typical posts! ⁠

A successful branding shoot should run similar to any well timed event. Plan out your timeline in 15 minute or half hour increments, with a specific shotlist to utilize all of your outfits, locations, and posing variety.

Add Outfit & Style Variety:

I always recommend bringing a variety of outfits for your branding shoot. Typical 1.5-3hr photoshoots are great for accommodating 3 outfits and a few extras. Definitely stick with images that fit into your brand colors with a variety of dressy and more casual looks. Add in a jean jacket or cardigan to quickly add variety without a full outfit change! Swapping your hairstyle for a half up or top knot at the end is another great way to change up your image. Make sure that at least one of your outfits is pattern free. These neutral looks blend in nicely with your social media feed without appearing obviously repetitive.

Location Planning:

Not all business owners have a light filled office space perfect for photography. If you are going to invest in brand photography why not create your dream office atmosphere that will translate at every angle. One great way to do this is utilizing an office rental. There are tons of affordable options for cowering spaces such as Gather or Common House in Richmond Virginia. I also love renting out an Air Bnb where you can utilize multiple rooms, and treat yourself to a staycation work retreat. I recommend swapping locations along with outfits and prop set up, every 15-30 minutes.

Map out your content:

Think through what the next quarter of business will look like. Beyond just the typical headshot images think through ways you can incorporate props  and locations to add variety to your photoshoot. I always recommend infusing a bit of your personality. Are you an avid coffee or Chai tea drinker like me? Or if you can’t live without your fuzzy socks or signature notebook, be sure to bring them along for a few shots. Make sure to look ahead for any holidays, milestones, or launches that call for Champaign, balloons or confetti!

One of my favorite “props” for branding sessions is to recruit a few “model” friends. If you are a solo-preneur like me, it’s wonderful to show off your services or collaborative spirit through images. These can be simple closeups of your hands fanning through products, or use your friend as a “faux client”

Sample Props List:

• Outfits 1,2 & 3
• Shoes & accessories or each outfit
• Makeup, bobby-pins, hair ties
• Laptop, cellphone, or other electronics
• Notebook, Planner, Prop books
• Loose papers, or color swatches
• Glasses, hats, props specific to you
• Personalized favorite snacks, or drinks!
• Mugs, candles, or filler elements
• Fresh flowers (if it suits your brand)
• Items featuring your brand colors

I hope these ideas give you confidence going into your next brand session! Just remember you only need 30-50 images to plan out MONTHS of content!

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