Personal Branding Photography:
7 Tips for Your Photoshoot

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

**This content was updated in October 2019

I absolutely adore brand photography.

If I was to credit two key pieces to my growth on social media, it would be:

Quality Content
Personal, Authentic Brand Photos

Having a personal brand photoshoot is so important to have a cohesive representation of your business across all platforms. It's all about consistency when you create an online brand and your photos are an excellent way to make that happen, but that’s just the start.

On a deeper level, brand photos allow you to capture the attention of your audience through the emotions you evoke in your photos. More on emotional branding here.

To make sure you feel prepared for your brand photoshoot, I’ve included my top seven tips to have a successful personal branding photoshoot and start standing out on social media.

1. Have a completed brand board

You don't want to go into your photoshoot without having a clear picture of your brand, otherwise, you will just be paying more money for another shoot in a few months.

I ALWAYS have my clients create an inspiration board for their brand. I highly recommend you start with Pinterest or Google to collect photos that mirror your branding and pull from those to create a finalized inspiration board.

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2. Be clear on your top descriptive words for your brand

For me, my top three emotional words for my brand are adventure, freedom and warmth.

Think of your top three words, which should be evident in your inspiration board. You want those top three words to come through in everything you do during your shoot.

Pick outfits that exude your three words, select a location that matches your three words, outfits that match your three words, a photographer that…well you get the idea.

Here are a few photos from my shoots, over the years, so you can see for yourself how my three words come to life in my personal brand photoshoot.

3. Pull inspiration from other brands and photoshoots

You will tell by the end of this blog that I absolutely love Pinterest, it is such a great resource for business owners. I recommend you turn to Pinterest again for inspiration for your personal branding photography.

Use the search bar to find photos that match your brand and style - choose photos that resonate with you personally and you think will trigger an emotion in your audience.

Some of my favorite search words are family photos, branded photoshoots, lifestyle session or free people (this is clearly very specific to my brand).

Below is a copy of the board I used before my shoot. You will send this to your photographer before the shoot so they can get an idea of exactly what you are looking for and can come prepared.

4. Research your personal branding photographer

It is so important to find a photographer that matches your style. I was so lucky to find Jacob Loafman years ago, I also adore Ariel Dilworth and truly admire their work.

When choosing a photographer, look at their past work and make sure their style of photography, lighting and editing matches your brand.

Be sure to ask for reviews and perhaps a consultation, if you've never worked with them before. Remember this is an investment so do your homework and make sure you feel they will be able to capture and bring your vision to life.

GRAB YOUR FREE PHOTOSHOOT CHECKLIST

5. Pick a location that speaks to you and your client

Your inspiration for this will come from your brand board, but be sure to choose a location that is totally in line with your style.

For me, this was a no-brainer, as I'm constantly drawn to the woods and nothing says adventure and freedom, like very large trees!

Research different locations near you, or perhaps you make a small trip to a city nearby - your photographer should also be able to suggest some locations.

A few of my favorites include a coffee shop, home office, garden, high rise building, Airbnb rental, park, woods, the beach or your favorite store (if I was a food blogger I would 100% be in Trader Joes and Whole Foods).

6. Get in the zone - exude confidence

Mentally prepare yourself for the photoshoot. You need to be as relaxed as possible, and taking some time leading up to the shoot is so essential.

Have your wardrobe, makeup and hair details flushed out at least a week before the shoot is scheduled to take place.

Now spend the next week focusing on your inner beauty and brand coming out. You want to seem natural, approachable, confident and on top of your sh*t with your photos, so spend some time getting into that mindset, so your photos showcase your most authentic self.

7. Candid photos are the way to go

Yes, I encourage you to go into your shoot with poses in mind, but the true masterpieces come from the candid moments. This is why all of the above is so important.

Having all of your pieces in place before the shoot, allows you to JUST HAVE FUN with it.

I highly recommend bringing a spouse, your kids or friends to make you laugh and chat with you during the shoot. The results from these moments are priceless.

Don’t forget to register for my upcoming masterclass where you’ll learn The Build a Better Brand Method.

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