Brand Photography/Headshots

At this point, hopefully you agree with me about how important brand photography is, but what happens now?

1. Understand the Story You Want to Tell

Before you even think about taking any photos, you need to know who you are, what your brand is about, what your audience is into and what you want them to think, feel and do when they see these photos or any elements of your visual identity. Are you a cute, whimsical children’s party entertainer appealing to moms with a big party budget and wanting them to feel excited, inspired and entertained by your service, or maybe you’re a hyper-masculine, high-end menswear brand hoping to capture the attention and dollars of high-rolling bachelors? Whoever you are and whatever story you’re trying to tell, it should be unique and clear to you before you get your photos taken so that you don’t waste your time, effort or money on something that doesn’t fit

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2. Create a Basic List of Key Shots you Want to Have

You probably don’t need to know a full list of the images you will take as your photographer will likely help you with that, and some might just happen naturally throughout your photo session. That being said, it’s good to come with a basic outline or plan for what types of photos you’ll need before you start taking them. This might include head shots of you and your team, photos of your desk and surrounding workspace, snapshots of the office dogs, flat lays of your opt-ins, individual shots of each of your products or other general ideas. If you know exactly what team members need to be involved, or the specific products you need photos of, note these too so you can make a plan and ensure nothing important is missed.

3. How We Will Show Your Best

Now it’s time to make it happen! The most important thing, especially if you are going to be getting photos of you and your team, is to work with someone who makes you feel comfortable and you can have fun with, because this will show in your photos.

I hope that now you’re excited about getting your brand photography and seeing the fantastic results!

I get that maybe you’re wondering where you could possibly use all of these photos. Additionally, you’ll totally want to get your money's worth if you’re investing in a photographer, so here are a few ideas for how you can use these images once you have them:

• As your social media profile photos, especially if you’re a team of one or your brand is really personal (e.g., a life coach or blogger)
• For Instagram photos
• In your Instagram stories
• To show who you are on your About page
• In blog posts
• As the graphics for your paid ads
• To show your process
• As the sign-off of your email newsletter alongside your name
• On one side of your business card
• To introduce yourself in a webinar
• On the team page of your website
• Throughout a PDF opt-in
• For a client thank you note
• As part of your PR/media/press package so others can write and share about you and your business
• In your email signature
• As podcast artwork
• In your online course content

As you can see, the options are endless!

When you are planning headshots, it can be helpful to make a full list of people you need and the order you need them in, i.e., much like group photos during a wedding. This will speed things up dramatically, and lets your team know exactly when they’ll be needed.

Tip #1: Wear solid colors and freshly ironed clothing.

There are a million common expressions about the importance of clothing toward both looking good and feeling good. Similar to the effect exercise has on the brain, you know from experience that you feel more energetic and happy when you’ve taken the time to dress your best.

There are at least two good reasons to focus on clothing before your session. For one, if you look good, you’ll feel better about yourself; and, that feeling will translate to more authentic and confident photos. Additionally, for better or worse, people will massively judge you based on their first impression! Given that your clothes cover the majority of your body, the right clothing is important for creating an impression of someone polished and professional.

In general, solid colors tend to be less distracting. Loud patterns draw the viewer’s eyes away from your headshot and toward your clothing. In the photo editing process, it is also easier to smooth wrinkles on solid clothing, which can add extra polish to your overall look.

Tip #2: Recycle your expression in between photos.

Have you ever had a group photo taken at a family barbecue or reunion, and had to hold a smile for a long time as a bunch of relatives took different photos on their individual phones? It’s this type of situation that makes you keep the same smile on your face for a long time. And the longer you hold a smile, the faker it gets! So, in between images, make sure to reset your expression to neutral.

Also, don’t feel like you need to smile for all of your photos. In fact, we recommend that you alternate between a full smile, a grin, and no smile during your shoot. This will ensure a maximum variety of photos—and that you don’t get stuck with pictures of a cheesy/fake smile!

Tip #3: Use oil blotch pads to reduce unwanted shine.

Here’s a headshot photographer insider tip:  optimize your headshots for the potential studio flash images. For most people, shine will naturally appear on their nose, forehead and chin during a session. In regards to flash, this can have the tendency to accentuate shine. Because of this, you may want to consider using oil blotch pads to absorb excess oil. It makes a massive impact on getting awesome professional headshots, particularly for people with darker complexions, i.e., where shine may be more obvious.

Tip #4: Lean into the camera.

By far one of the most impactful tips is to lean your weight on one foot toward the camera. When you hold your weight evenly on your body, your nose and neck tend to be the closest body parts to the camera lens. By leaning toward the camera, you’ll stretch out your neck, create a stronger jawline, and bring your eyes into focus.

Tip #5: Know thyself.

Do you have a specific angle that you think works best for you? Make sure to share that info with your headshot photographer!  Additionally, by showing us a couple of photos of yourself from the past that you’ve especially liked, you are providing some important information about your preferences. By giving us your personal feedback, you’re much more likely to get photos that you will love!

What is the turnaround time for receiving my images?

Turnaround time for branding photography sessions is twelve business days. Our turnaround time is pretty quick compared to other photography providers out there. This is so that you can start using the images as soon as possible!

What can I use the images for?

Even though the branding photography service is geared toward social media and your website, you can use the images for any kind of marketing that you see fit, e.g., email campaigns, ads, blog posts, social media, websites, etc. Your branding session includes a commercial license to use the photos for your marketing needs. (If you want the copyright or would like to have your images in any publications, this is not included in the package and must be purchased separately.)

How will branding photography help my business get more clients?

Branding photography will provide you with an array of consistent and professional images. The more consistently that you post on social media, the more people see you and start to recognize your brand. This will attract more traffic to your page and, eventually, attract your ideal clients.

I have a product-based business. Can I still sign up for a branding photography collection?

Of course! Your business would benefit just as much as a service-based business from branding photography. In fact, i can offer you a subscription plan that may be better for you if you are constantly rolling out new products and always needing fresh images to market them.

Do you write content for each of the images as well?

We do not currently write content along with the images. The reason for this is that it would raise the branding photography prices due to the higher amount of effort and time on our end. Our goal with the branding photography service is to keep the prices at a more affordable rate so that it makes sense for business owners to sign up for it now.

Are you ready to up-level your business without the stress, and have more fun?!

Let's have a conversation even if you are uncertain if you are ready yet. Provide us with your name, email, and what your business is, and we will get in touch with you to discuss how brand photography could enhance your business as well as answer any additional questions you may have.