How to prepare for a personal branding session
Personal branding sessions are very important in today’s world. With all things digital and visual, your brand needs to have strong imagery to help you tell your story. Hiring a photographer to capture you and your business can be a little nerve-racking. There are no cute kids to hide behind (haha!!), it’s just you…or maybe if you are lucky you have some associates to share the spotlight with. Either way, some planning and thought need to go into your session and I am here to guide you through some steps to get you wonderful images to showcase your work.
First, make a plan. What is important for you to capture? Are their marketing materials you need shot? Are you looking for environmental portraits of you in your space instead of a boring headshot? Do you have products you need photographed? What are these images going to be used for? If strictly for your website, you can stick with a cohesive look and pick a color palette that matches your branding colors and stick with that throughout the day. If the images will be used for social media, you might want to consider having several outfit changes so you can get many different looks during your session.
Now, decide on what kind of feel you need for your brand. Do you need your images to portray energy and happiness, or does your brand instill a sense of calm and peace? Knowing what mood you are going for will help you be consistent with your branding. You can browse Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration on the types of shots you would like to have captured. Maybe even make a mood board of your own and share with your photographer.
Next, it’s session planning time! What you choose to wear depends on what your brand evokes. Maybe you need to be a little more buttoned up. If so, choose clothes that are tailored to perfection and make sure they are IRONED! If you can be a little more loose in your wardrobe, make sure you choose nothing too tight or short, and always, always pick flattering. Solid colors do well in personal branding shots, but make sure there is texture somewhere. You may want to consider getting your make-up and/or hair done since these might be images that stick around for a couple years if they are being used on websites or marketing materials. Decide if you need props, like company catalogues, laptops or even phones. Do you need a pretty coffee cup or a cool water bottle? Make sure everything you pack everything up the night before so you don’t have to think about it day of.
Talk to your photographer about your timeline, both for the day of your session and for when you need the images by. I have found that lots of my personal branding clients need their images stat, so be up front with your photographer if that is the case. The day of the shoot, be sure to stick to the schedule and keep things moving along. It is so easy to get distracted by your emails coming in or the phone ringing, but this too is important. Get it done in a timely fashion, then head to a delicious lunch to celebrate. You just made your brand that much stronger!! And you should be so proud at what you have created.
