Most people prepare for a branding shoot by worrying about it, which is understandable and not especially useful. The prep that actually changes your photos takes about an hour, and most of it happens before you ever think about outfits. Here’s how I walk clients through it, whether you’re a founder booking a solo session or a company planning a shoot for the whole team.
Start with where the photos will live
Before outfits, locations or poses, make a list of every place these images will end up, your website homepage, your About page, LinkedIn, speaker bios, proposals, press features and social posts. Each one needs a slightly different image, a homepage banner needs open space for text, LinkedIn needs a tight crop, and a speaker page needs something that reads as confident from across the room. When I know where the images are going, I can build a shot list that covers all of it in one session, instead of you realizing three months later that you have forty portraits and nothing horizontal.
Decide how you want people to feel
Pick two or three words for how you want a potential client to feel when they land on your website, approachable and expert, calm and premium, energetic and trustworthy. Those words shape the lighting, the location, the wardrobe and the expressions we go for, and they keep the shoot from turning into a set of nice pictures that don't say much about your business.
Plan outfits by color, not by trend
Bring two to four outfits depending on your session. Solid colors photograph best, mid-tones and jewel tones work on almost everyone, and small busy patterns tend to look like they're vibrating on camera. Layers are your friend, a blazer over a knit top gives you a polished look and a relaxed look in under a minute. Steam everything the night before, because wrinkles show up more on camera than they do in the mirror. If your brand has signature colors, pull one into an outfit or accessory, it ties your photos to your website without looking like a costume.
Choose a location that looks like your business on a good day
Your office, studio, practice or shop is often the best backdrop you have, because it's real and nobody else can use it. Clear the desks, hide the cables and tuck away the personal clutter, and let me know ahead of time where the windows are. If your space isn't camera ready, a studio works well, and plenty of sessions use both.
Gather the details that tell your story
Your laptop, your product, the notebook you actually write in, the coffee from the spot down the street. Details like these become supporting images for blog posts, website sections and social, so your site isn't one headshot repeated on every page.
Take care of the small stuff
Get a haircut about a week before, not the day before, so it has time to settle. Hands show up in more photos than people expect, so a clean manicure is worth it. Sleep, drink water and eat something before the shoot, and if you're booking hair and makeup, schedule it for right before we start.
What if you feel awkward on camera?
Almost everyone does, and it has nothing to do with how your photos will turn out. I direct the whole session, where to stand, what to do with your hands, when to look away and when to look at the lens, and you'll see your images on screen as we go so you know it's working. When someone tells me they hate having their photo taken, my answer is that they just haven't been photographed by me yet.
Your branding shoot checklist
A list of every place your photos will be used
Two or three words for how you want clients to feel
Two to four outfits in solid colors, steamed the night before
A tidy location, or a studio booked
A few props and details that show your work
A haircut a week out and a clean manicure
Hair and makeup scheduled right before the shoot, if you're using it
Planning a branding shoot in New Jersey or NYC?
Every Nev Photography session starts with a strategy consult where we work through all of this together, including a shot list built around where your images will actually live. I'm based in North Plainfield and photograph founders, leaders and teams across New Jersey and NYC. Send me a note through the contact page and tell me what you're working on.
