How to Prepare for a Personal Branding Photoshoot
Personal branding photography plays a big part in how people form first impressions of your business. Most of that happens online. On your website, your LinkedIn page and across your social channels.
Your images are often the first sense someone gets of who you are and whether you feel like the right fit. Not in a big marketing way, but in those small, human moments when someone is deciding if they trust you enough to get in touch.
If you’ve booked a personal brand shoot and you’re wondering how to get the most from it, here’s how to prepare so the experience feels relaxed and the images genuinely work for your business.
Before we shoot, I’ll always chat with you about who you are, what you do and who you want to connect with. From there, we decide the location and the feel together.
Want to know more – just read on for more details on this blog post, and if you are wanting to book just head over to my Personal Branding page and I can book you in for a Clarity Call.
Location
Your personal brand shoot doesn’t have to be in your home or office. What matters most is choosing a space that fits the feeling you want your brand to give off.
Think about who you’re trying to appeal to.
Are you speaking to corporate teams, creatives, small business owners, working parents?
The location quietly sets the tone.
If you work in a more corporate space, neutral environments with desks and clean lines tend to work well.
If your brand is more creative or people-led, we can look at relaxed spaces, coffee shops or locations that feel warm and approachable.
I’ll always help you choose somewhere that suits your brand and feels comfortable to work in. I also share location ideas from shoots I’ve done around Surrey.
What to Wear
What you wear should feel like you, just a slightly more considered version.
Choose outfits that fit your brand and work with your colour palette. That usually means colours that sit nicely alongside your website and overall branding.
A few simple tips:
- Wear things you actually feel comfortable in
- Bring a couple of options so we can vary the look
- Mix smart and relaxed if that reflects how you work
- Avoid anything too tight if you’ll be sitting down
- Try to keep patterns simple
You don’t need to look overly corporate to look professional. In fact, looking approachable often works better than a full suit and tie. I’ll send you a simple inspiration mood board before the shoot to help you get a feel for what will work well.
If you’d like more support, I can also recommend a brilliant personal stylist.
Hair and Make-up
A little extra effort here really does show in photographs.
I usually suggest:
- Hair styled or freshly cut
- A touch more makeup than you’d wear day to day
- Nails and brows tidied up
If you’d like, I can recommend brilliant hair and makeup artists who can come to you on the morning of the shoot.
In the week leading up, do the boring but helpful stuff. Drink water, ease up on the alcohol and try to get some sleep. It makes a difference.
Yes, this applies to men too. A trim helps. The gel manicure is optional!
Props
I’ll always guide you on the day, but it helps to have a rough sense of what you need your images for.
Before the shoot we can share a private Pinterest board so I can see the kind of feel you’re drawn to. It’s also useful to know:
- Do you need website banners
- Headshots
- Social media images
- A mix of everything
If you’re working with a web designer, ask them what image shapes and formats they need and pass that on to me. My job is to give you images that actually work in the places you need them.
Shot List
I’ll always guide you on the day, but it helps to have a rough sense of what you need your images for.
Before the shoot we can share a private Pinterest board so I can see the kind of feel you’re drawn to. It’s also useful to know:
- Do you need website banners
- Headshots
- Social media images
- A mix of everything
If you’re working with a web designer, ask them what image shapes and formats they need and pass that on to me. My job is to give you images that actually work in the places you need them.
Time
Give yourself time to prepare.
Don’t rush everything the night before. You’ve invested time and money into this shoot and a little preparation helps you get the most from it.
Post shoot
It’s really common to need extra images later for newsletters, blog posts or social media updates.
As a client, you get full complimentary access percent to my stock library, ‘JuddStock‘. It’s a collection of calm, on-brand stock images I’ve created to sit nicely alongside your brand photos. Handy for filling the gaps when you need something to support a post without it looking generic.
Ready to book or have questions?
If you’re thinking about a personal brand shoot and want to talk it through, you can find more details on my Personal Branding page.
Or feel free to email me and we can book in a clarity call to see if it’s the right fit for you.
