Why you should invest in a brand photoshoot
What’s the difference between a memorable business and one that never comes to mind again? The way a brand FEELS. To cultivate and convey certain emotions that draw your audience in, investing in brand strategy, brand identity, and messaging is key. But guess what? So is investing in a brand photoshoot. Having your own branded photos creates a strong visual identity for your business, in addition to your kick-ass logo suite and website. Brand photoshoots help showcase your products or services in a way that NO OTHER BUSINESS can – because the images are completely authentic to your brand.
Plus, high-quality photos make your website, social media profiles, and marketing materials look more professional and visually appealing. Sure, stock photos are free and can look decent, but they’re so overused these days that instead of standing out, you simply fit in. By investing in brand photography, you’re investing in the long-term success of your business. It’s a no-brainer!
planning your brand photoshoot
Planning a brand photoshoot can be exciting – you get to dream up how to show off your business innovatively and creatively. But while that all sounds fun, it can also be a daunting process. This blog shares just a few tips and tricks for how I planned a successful photoshoot for Saltd Studio’s recent rebrand. But, if you want to take the headache out of coordinating everything, scroll to the bottom to take advantage of my photoshoot planner guide and video tutorial (it’s only $19!).
Brainstorm Goals for Your Photoshoot
Before you start planning your brand photoshoot, it is essential to brainstorm goals that you want to achieve with your photos. That may include showcasing your products, giving a peek into the behind-the-scenes process of your services, creating buzz around your brand, or highlighting your unique selling points. Understanding your goals will help you plan the shoot’s theme, location, and outfits.
Compile a List of Props and Accessories
Props and accessories play a crucial role in making your brand photos really stand out. Creating a list of props and accessories related to your business and brand strategy is a great way to make your brand feel more like an immersive experience for your audience instead of something they’re watching from the outside. For instance, if you own a bakery, you can use baking tools, cakes, and cupcakes. You could even color-coordinate the props with your brand colors to elevate the photos even more. If you have a theme for your brand, consider props that will help convey your story or message. For example, my friend Kaitlyn is a copywriter with a wine-themed brand. She created her own wine labels and printed them for her shoot, which elevated her marketing content!
Coordinate Outfits
Let me put this plainly: your outfits could make or break your entire collection of brand photos. If your outfit has busy patterns, putting text over the photo for social media or your website will be challenging. If the clothing colors are completely different from your brand color palette, it could confuse your audience, making your brand less recognizable.
Your outfits help to convey the tone of your brand messaging and offerings. I recommend coordinating outfits that align with the themes of your shoot and brand strategy. The best outfits will either match your brand colors or will be neutral so as not to distract away from you and your props too much.
Create a Set of Shot and Location Ideas
Creating a set of shot ideas is crucial to ensure you actually capture the content you’re after. Pinterest is your best friend here! Look for a whole bunch of ideas that support your business. If you have a theme for your brand, consider locations and images that will help convey your story or message. Based on the location and outfit, create a set of shot ideas to share with your photographer. This will help them understand your vision and capture the shots that you want.
For example, my client Valerie created a health and wellness weight loss app, but her creative direction is centered around nature and fresh food. For her brand photoshoot, she used a notepad with a Sharpie to write messages (a theme used throughout her marketing content) as a prop and wore teal or neutral clothes, which aligns with her branding. She coordinated with her photographer to do her photoshoot outside, bringing the nature-based storyline from her app through to her website and social media.
Use a brand photoshoot planner
While working on the Saltd Studio rebrand, I searched high and low to find a brand photoshoot planner or guide to help make sure I got the exact photos I was hoping for. And guess what? I couldn’t find any sort of workbook or template. I couldn’t believe it! So, I made my own. And when I sent it to my photographer to ensure she was on board, she said it was the most helpful document to help her prep for the shoot. The result? Well, take a peek around our website and social media – I have completely authentic photography and videography to use on all of my marketing initiatives, and I get endless compliments from clients and friends. The planner template was so helpful that I decided to share it with the rest of the biz owner world.
Here’s what a client said after using the planner to prep for her brand shoot:
“It clarified things so much. You hit the nail on the head — confidence. I feel great about the photo shoot now and can get my head where it needs to be.”
Kick insincere stock images to the curb for good with your own branded photos. This is a great way to transform your brand into an immersive client experience. Organize every detail with a 10-page editable template + video tutorial (it’s only $19!).
