Your brand and business deserve to be seen in the best light possible – literally! The goal of your branding photoshoot should be to effectively communicate your brand’s message and connect with your ideal client through your photos. So, how can you do that? By having clarity on exactly what type of photos you need to include as part of your session! 

As a brand photographer, I wanted to create a branding photoshoot checklist to help guide you through your session and ensure the best experience and photos. 

Let’s dive into your go-to branding photoshoot checklist… 

Ultimate Branding Photoshoot Checklist: What Every Business Owner Needs

Before you even have your branding session, make sure that you do both of these things first:

1. Have a solid idea of your brand vibe 

Your brand vibe helps your audience understand precisely who you are! Your vibe will be felt in every relationship you build with your customers and your audience. To help you hone in on your brand vibe, think about your audience and who makes up the majority of the people you are trying to connect with. 

For instance, your brand vibe can be playful, colorful, and fun. Or maybe it’s moody and dark or modern and sleek. Understanding your brand vibe will help you with the direction and inspiration for your session – everything from where you actually do it, to what you wear, the props you bring, and how you pose! 

2. Make your brand colors part of your session 

Your branding photos should match the rest of your brand, which means that you’ll want to use clothes and props that match your brand colors. However, this doesn’t mean everything has to be in your brand colors. 

You want to make sure that any colors you choose that aren’t your brand colors don’t clash, though. Also, ideally, you’ll want to choose a location (or locations) that aligns with your brand aesthetic. 

If we work together, I can help you choose the perfect outfits, props, and locations to match your branding! 

Your Ultimate Branding Photoshoot Checklist

First on your checklist, bookmark this page so you can easily refer back to it for your upcoming branding photoshoot! 

Done? Perfect! Here’s your branding photoshoot checklist: 

Get photos of yourself 

Start your branding photoshoot by getting photos of yourself! These are going to be superrr valuable as they will help you connect with your clients and customers and put a face to the name of your business. 

By the way, photos of yourself don’t just have to be traditional headshots; they can be fun, unique, and personable! With that in mind, make sure that you do have a few professional photos of yourself that you can use on your website, on social media, and for any additional marketing materials you may create, such as ads, brochures, etc.  

Get photos of your team (if you have one) 

If you do have a team that works with you, whether online or in person, getting photos of your entire team is another great way to connect easily with your audience! It also gives them the chance to have a peek behind the curtain into your business. 

If you have an in-person business, I suggest getting both team headshots and photos of everyone together. The photos of everyone together could show all of you doing part of your process or working in the business. 

They could even be event or retreat photos if you host a fun day or weekend for your team members to get together for team-building exercises. If your business is online, have each of your team members send over professional headshots that you can feature on your website and social media! 

The bottom line is that people want to buy from other people! If they can see exactly who they are investing their money into, you will build more trust and credibility with them. 

Get lifestyle/in-action photos 

Your branding photos don’t have to feel super posed or boring. To switch up from just general poses, try mixing in some lifestyle or action photos. This will keep your branding photos feeling fresh, unique, and exciting. 

Furthermore, your lifestyle or in-action photos also don’t always have to include exactly what you do in your business, such as a picture of you sitting at your desk typing on your laptop. 

Instead, they could be somewhere like a local cafe that matches your brand vibe, or you could grab some photos of you chatting with other people. These subtle changes will make your images stand out, and they definitely won’t feel like what everyone else in your industry is doing. 

Get photos of your products and spaces 

Do you sell physical products? If so, make sure you get high-quality photos of them. This means photos with good lighting and staging, and also a variety of angles. Want to learn more about why product photography is so important and the different types of product photography? Check out the blog I wrote all about it here! 

Additionally, if you have a physical space, be sure to highlight that in your brand photos. This may mean taking photos of the space itself or simply just using it as the backdrop for your session! 

Bonus tip: Get videos at your branding session 

Branding videography is a highly effective marketing tool that can help increase your brand awareness, establish your brand’s credibility, and attract new clients! With branding videos, you will create a more branded and cohesive experience and a compelling brand narrative. 

They aren’t an absolute must-have at your branding photoshoot (it is a photoshoot after all), but branding videos can really help you up your social media/website game because they give you a chance to feature unique things about your business in a different way.

Also, you can show more of your personality and what makes you YOU. Plus, branding videos will give your business an edge, especially if you want to make some noise and stand out from your competitors.

Now You’re Ready for Your Branding Photoshoot

I hope you found this checklist for your branding photoshoot helpful and that you’re ready (and excited) for your upcoming session!   

And…if you are ready to take your branding photos to the next level with binge-worthy, powerful visuals, I’d love to chat. You can click here to check out my brand photography services, or you can head over here to get in touch, and we can start talking about your plans for your session!

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What is Branding Videography?

Tips for Your Business Branding Photoshoot