How To Plan Your Brand Photoshoot for Your Website
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
THIS is the ultimate guide to preparing for your Brand Photoshoot: All the photos you need to capture throughout your website, explained–
In the video below I’m going over the 5 most important things you need to do to plan and prepare before taking professional headshots, and the 3 things you MUST do in order to ensure your final gallery actually helps you market and grow your business.
Click on the video below to watch the YouTube video, or scroll the page to read the full article
YOUR VIEWERS WANT TO SEE ~YOU*
How many photos of YOU (your face, your hands, your workspace) do you currently have up throughout your website? If you did a mental tally and could only think of fewer than 3, or even worse, only ONE (you know, that one smiling headshot) then your website is stuck back in the good-old days when a cute Portrait introduction was all you needed...
The secret to impactful websites in 2023, however? Personalization.
Social media has already taught us that we need to be the face of our business and sell ourselves. And this year, it’s time to inject that same level of know-like-trust that we learned from all the Instagram Gurus, and apply it over in our own section of the Internet.
Let’s get you to stand out in your Industry, connect to the Leads who are finding you for the first time, and get potential clients who are excited to work with you!
IF WE HAVEN’T ALREADY MET, I’M CLARISA CATALINA
AND I HAVE DONE OVER A DOZEN BRAND PHOTOSHOOT SESSIONS (like this one here), AND TODAY I’M GOING OVER EXACTLY WHAT I’VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS TO ENSURE YOURS GOES SMOOTHLY
How To Plan Your Brand Photoshoot
AND WHERE TO USE THOSE IMAGES THROUGHOUT YOUR WEBSITE
ENSURE YOUR PHOTOSHOOT GOES SMOOTHLY
PSA: NEVER wing it
At this point I feel experienced in doing photoshoots. I’ve worked with different photographers in all sorts of locations like inside my home studio and outdoors.
Through these shoots, I’ve achieved some great photos, but damn. Even when it hasn’t been my first rodeo, I’ve fallen into the trap of thinking that I could show up and everything would magically come together.
And those galleries were.. pretty. You’re working with a professional photographer, they’re going to work with you to make you look amazing.
But when it comes to what I was going to do with those photos after I got them?.... that was a flop.
A Brand Photoshoot will NOT help your business unless you know exactly:
- WHAT PHOTO YOU’RE CAPTURING
- WHERE YOU’RE GOING TO USE IT
- AND HOW USING THEM WITHIN YOUR MARKETING WILL GENERATE SALES
Because everything you do to invest in your business, should give you a Return On Investment.
Here’s what you need to do first:
NUMBER ONE
PLAN YOUR USAGE
Look at the places throughout your website where you can add in photos of you, beyond your Headshot.
YES, this image is 100% important– it’s typically the one where you say Hello, include your name, and give a little bio on one of the top sections of your Homepage.
This is a non-negotiable. If you don’t have this, you need to add it, ASAP.
The rest of your photos can feel tricky, because they’re much more behind the scenes based.
Whatever it is that you’re doing in your creative business, show me how you do it.
You’ve heard the saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it”? This sort of applies here. If you want your reader and prospective client to feel confident in your ability to do the thing it is you say you do, then let them see it.
These are known as “Behind the Scenes” or “Working Images”, but essentially, it’s just a snapshot of you with “your hands in the clay”.
Photos like these are perfect for your Services Page and can be used throughout all your social media platforms, especially incorporated into blogs or as a Pinterest Cover Image background.
These photos are not going to be single use. The more you maximize how you use them, the more you’ll realize what an asset they can be for your business.
So take out a piece of paper, and write down some photos you think you need to capture. Then next to them, add in 3 bullet points on where else you can use them to reach more people.
NUMBER TWO
PLAN YOUR LOCATION
Brand Photoshoots can be anywhere, but consider your business and ensure the background you’re choosing makes sense for your business and connects to your services.
A couple of things you should know beforehand:
First, some public locations do not allow Professional Photography Sessions without prior payment. I know this because there is a beautiful and trendy coffee house nearby where I live but the fee for booking them as a venue for the shoot is outrageously priced and very limited. So call up the location and inquire with them at least a week beforehand to ensure you have permission before showing up.
Second, your home office does not have to be THE home office. So, if you’ve been holding off until you can completely remodel your home, there’s good news. For example, if you’re a Baker and you don’t want images captured inside your tiny apartment kitchen, you can actually rent out homes that are beautifully styled and decorated.
Many locations on AirBnB have become Instagrammable ‘destinations’ so you can find a place styled to match your specific Brand.
NUMBER THREE
PLAN YOUR POSE
As much as I wish I could magically turn into America’s Next Top Model when I get on set, I promise you, having a Pose list will make all the difference when it comes to how to stand for your Brand Photos.
If you’re working with a wonderful professional photographer, they will do an amazing job coaching you and giving you pointers. On all the details like where you place your hands, however, having your posing planned out beforehand is going to give you confidence, practice, and allow for smooth sailing throughout the shoot, so you don’t end up running out of time or forgetting to capture a particular image you had in mind.
The way I plan all my posing inspiration is by breaking up my shoot into categories:
Such as What am I photographing: Ex. My Client Welcome Gift Boxes and What images am I taking for that specific category: Ex. Holding multiple boxes, Open the box, Assembling closeups
Click HERE to Download Your FREE Brand Photoshoot Planning Guide
NUMBER FOUR
PLAN YOUR PROPS
Not having the prop means not getting the shot, so preparation is key here.
Go down your list you’ve created for posing, and see what items you will be interacting with (like holding your laptop) and what props will be in the background, like bringing extra couch pillows that match your Business’s Brand Palette.
Your Props are there to help you tell a story and help the reader understand your business and what you do.
So write down every single little thing you might want to have with you, and place them in a box ready to go the night before your scheduled session.
NUMBER FIVE
PLAN YOUR OUTFITS
What you wear is a representation of you. Make yourself an extension of your Brand by dressing in a way that matches your business aesthetic.
A great way to do this is to incorporate your Brand Colors into your clothes.
I always recommend that you bring at least 3 full changes of clothes for your shoot.
Having 10 images throughout your website or social channels is going to get redundant so quickly, so get the most out of your money and make it look like those photos were taken over separate days.
Bonus points if you change your hair style and Accessories to match your outfits! A quick and easy way to do this is to add on a new lipstick shade and throw your hair up. You’ll look like a whole new you in less than 5 minutes!
And just to recap the 5 Steps to Planning A Successful Brand Photoshoot:
1 : PLAN YOUR USAGE - Where/how will you use each image?
2 : PLAN YOUR LOCATION - Where are you taking your photos?
3 : PLAN YOUR POSING - Want to look less awkward in front of the camera? This will help.
4 : PLAN YOUR PROPS - Things in the background MATTER!
5 : PLAN YOUR OUTFITS - Get ready to change quickly!