3 Ways to Elevate your Photoshoot
One of the most surefire practices to guarantee your images look and feel authentic is to plan ahead. When it comes to preparing for your brand photoshoot, trust me, a little goes a long way.
It may sound simple, but spending just 10 minutes preparing before your session will help guarantee your brand shoot and final images feel authentically you. It can mean the difference between results that feel like 'just another photo' of you and images that capture the heart and soul of your business. After over 15 years behind the camera, I've learned through experience the things that take a brand session from lackluster to breathtaking.
My top 3 ways to uplevel your brand session and infuse it with your own authentic magick: props, clothing, and accessories.
They might feel obvious, but these are the 3 quickest ways to make any space and brand session feel uniquely you. And because I'm a woman who is all about the details, let's get into it.
Props
For today's brand sessions, the two most important and impactful types of props are the tools of your trade and modern entrepreneur essentials.
The tools of your trade are unique to each industry and individual, but this is what you consider the everyday essentials required for you and your business to do the work that you do. For me, this would be my camera, lenses, memory cards, etc. A yoga teacher might bring a yoga mat, blocks, a meditation cushion. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to think of everything you use on a day-to-day basis for your business. Think on a more macro level and consider items that tell a clear story about who you are, what you do, and the work you offer.
Modern entrepreneur essentials are largely universal throughout each industry and brand because so much of how we live and what we do happens online. No matter what your business is, chances are you do at least some portion of your work from a laptop (or maybe an iPad). I'm also gonna bet you have social media accounts that you run from your cell phone. Laptops, cell phones, iPads, microphones, especially if you're a musician or podcaster. These are the tools of the modern-day business owner and they are great pieces to have on hand for your brand session. Extra points if these items are personalized, whether it's a custom cell phone case or stickers on your laptop, those details are not-so-subtle ways for your personality to come through in your images.
Clothing
The most important thing: make sure whatever you're wearing feels like you. Outside of that, simple is always better. Simplicity helps keep your images timeless and evergreen and ensures that you are the star of the session.
You want your clothing to accentuate all the unique things about you and your personality but, unless your brand is clothing, you don't want your wardrobe to take all the attention away from you and your brand.
Your clothing has the most impact when you aim for an elevated version of your day-to-day style. If you're a jeans and t-shirt kinda person, bringing only flowy, elegant gowns won't feel authentic. But maybe instead of grabbing your favorite well-loved t-shirt, you bring a crisp, clean white t-shirt with some very you jewelry to accentuate the look.
Layers are another easy way to add personality and variety to your clothing without the need to bring your entire closet. Well-considered pieces that can be layered give us freedom to create multiple outfits, moods, and looks from a handful of items.
Accessories
Jewelry and accessories like sunglasses, headbands, and personal trinkets help infuse your personal essence and expression into every one of your images without any added effort. You don’t need an arm full of bracelets to make an impact - one or two unique pieces will elevate your look and bring even more of you into the session.
This is a powerful opportunity to explore ways to silently communicate a part of yourself with your potential clients and audience. You would be surprised at how many ways you can convey your values, passions, and personality through a few accessories.
Even if you only bring a few outfits, jewelry and accessories can give us a wide variety of options to showcase all parts of your personality throughout the session.
Suggesting specific pieces of clothing isn't always applicable and doesn't guarantee that it will feel like the real you.
If you want concrete suggestions: don't worry, I got you.
Use the suggestions below as a starting point. Try to envision the vibe and energy of each of these ‘looks’ from head-to-toe.
Here's a list of specific outfits and vibes you can go for during your branding session:
A casual day on the job (your day-to-day clothing or work uniform, elevated)
CEO energy (what you wear on the job when you're in your power)
Fun/playful outfit (pieces with movement, texture, or clothing that brings out your inner child)
A just-being-me outfit (something that feels like the real you)
At the end of the day, remember: your photoshoot is all about showcasing you and your brand's magick.
Don't overthink it or make it so complex that it becomes overwhelming. You don't need to reinvent the wheel for your brand photos.
The goal is to capture you and your business as authentically as possible. You are getting images to match your magick, and that magick is already there, my friend. You don't need to fake it.
It is all about being yourself, and you cannot fuck that up.
To take some of the pressure off, I created a free brand photoshoot checklist for you. Use this checklist the day before your session to guarantee you have everything you need to rock your shoot and let your authentic magick shine.
Bonus!
These items aren't required, and you can absolutely have the most incredible, successful brand shoot without them.
But, if you want to take your branding session up a notch and make it truly reflective of who you are, here are a few more ways to prepare for your brand photoshoot:
Personal touches - Not necessarily work tools, these are items that are undeniably you. Things like decorative signs, branded items, a certain something you always have on your desk when you’re working, or maybe it's a symbol or animal that your friends and clients easily associate with you
Natural elements - The options are endless, but flowers, fruits, and vegetables are all fantastic places to start. These go a long way, especially in a studio setting where they help personalize the space and invite nature into the session. Get creative and choose items that relate directly or symbolically to your brand or trade. This is also a fun place to infuse a deeper, more metaphorical meaning into your session (if you're into that kind of thing)
Music - Music is such a beautiful representation of your unique personality and taste. Curate a playlist that is fully your vibe, and choose songs that cover a range of energies and emotions as you flow through your session. Pick a few songs that make you feel like a full-on CEO badass, a few that make you feel really sexy and powerful, a few songs that feel playful and fun, and then throw in a few deep cuts that you just absolutely love. You know, the ones that always get you dancing or singing at the top of your lungs. If you need some inspiration, you’re gonna wanna check out my Spotify playlists.
Phew! Did you get all that, friend?! We covered so much to help get you ready to rock your brand session. I know it may feel like we covered a lot, but there is so much more I could share about ways to prepare for and uplevel your session. This is why you receive a super detailed session prep guide as soon as you book your session with me. I poured over 15 years of knowledge and experience into my prep guides to answer all of your questions and give you all the details to make your session experience as magickal as possible.
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Ready for magickal imagery that authentically captures your brand?
