**This content was updated in June 2024

I absolutely adore brand photography.

If I were to credit two key pieces to my business growth, it would be:

Quality Content
Personal, Authentic Brand Photos

In today's market, building a strong personal brand is more important than ever. As an entrepreneur, having a professional image can make a huge impact on how your brand is perceived in the world. You've heard it before, but the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" holds true when it comes to personal branding. The images you use to market your brand are key in your non-verbal communication strategy. That's why a professional photo shoot can be a game-changer in elevating your brand.

By investing in a professional photo shoot, you not only get high-quality images but also the opportunity to convey your personality and unique selling points in an effective non-verbal way.

Remember, your photos will be the authentic representation of your brand and are just so fun to have on hand when creating your social media posts, updating your website, running ads, creating YouTube thumbnails and so much more.

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 online:

Your Brand Board
Clear on Your Top Descriptive Words
Inspiration Ready
Choosing Your Photographer
Choosing Your Location
Exude Confidence
Candid, Baby!

Importance of Personal Branding

In the market today, personal branding is what sets you apart from the competition. There are a lot of people doing and offering something similar to what you do, so how does someone know you're the brand to work with? Your personal brand.

It allows you to establish your unique identity, build trust with your audience, lead with authenticity, and create a lasting impression. Personal branding goes beyond your products or services; it is about showcasing who you are as a person and what you stand for. Your personal brand defines your values, expertise, and overall image in the eyes of your target audience.

A well-crafted personal brand can help you attract the right opportunities, build a loyal following, and position yourself as an authority in your industry. It allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level and build meaningful relationships that can lead to long-term success. Want to go deeper into building your personal brand and revenue-generating business? Watch my free, on-demand class here.

7 Tips to Prepare for Your Personal Brand Photo Shoot

Prefer to watch your content?

Check out this recent YouTube video I made talking about my recent professional photo shoot and my top tips.

Alright, sticking around? On to the steps.

1. Have a Completed Brand Board Before Your Photo Shoot

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. This isn’t just about your brand colors and fonts, it’s a representation of your overall brand feel. A photographer is going to love to have this on hand when choosing locations, outfits, poses, and more.

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 photo shoot.

3. Pull Inspiration Online for Your Photo Shoot

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 that you think will trigger an emotion in your audience.

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

Below is a copy of the board I used before my first 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. Trust me they will love you!

4. Research Your Professional Personal Brand Photographer

It is so important to find a photographer that matches your style. This is why I recommend you find your photographer AFTER becoming clear on the pieces above.

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.

I like to look for documentary photographers because their style matches my vibe, however, you might choose to search for brand photographers, or family photographers in your area.

GRAB YOUR FREE PHOTOSHOOT CHECKLIST

5. Pick a Location That Resonates With You and Your Clients

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, my first location was a no-brainer, as I'm constantly drawn to the woods and nothing says adventure and freedom, like very large trees! Over the years, as my brand has evolved, I’ve chosen various locations, but have always had an outdoor element because it’s a big part of my brand.

I want my photos to match my lifestyle photos on social media, so think about where you enjoy spending your time and where your personal photos might be from. For me, this is outside so it just makes sense.

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 Joe’s and Whole Foods).

6. Get In the Zone - Exude Brand Confidence in Photos

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.

One thing I always do is include my family in the experience. We always make it a fun event, kicking it off with music to get in the vibe. My most recent shoot, which took place in our new home, started with coffee, music, and conversations. There’s something really magical about letting your guard down and just being your most authentic self.

7. Brand Photo Shoot Tip: Candid Photos Are the Way to Go

Yes, I encourage you to go into your shoot with poses in mind, but true masterpieces come from 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. My husband always makes me laugh and some of my favorite photos have been a result of those moments.

CONCLUSION

All in all, you want your brand photo shoot to be an authentic representation of you. All the groundwork you will complete prior to the shoot will allow you to show up and have fun.

After your photo shoot is complete, I recommend updating your photos on your website, adding your photos to Canva so you can easily incorporate them into your weekly graphics, updating promotional materials, and more.

If you want to learn some additional tricks and tips on executing your brand photo shoot, check out this video here.

P.S. In the process of launching or refreshing your brand? My 45-minute on-demand class will take the mystery out of the entire process by giving you my signature Build a Better Brand Method. This class has helped thousands of entrepreneurs gain brand clarity and confidence and you can sign up to watch it here.