Before your Branding Photoshoot

There are probably more than 8 important things to consider before your Branding Photoshoot but for today I’m sticking with the biggest ones.

Listen to any advice your photographer gives you.

Whether it is about locations or outfits, they honestly just want your shoot to go as well as possible.

I recently had a shoot that didn’t work out quite as we expected.

The whole day went really well, but the branding photoshoot didn’t quite turn out as expected because the 3 things we had discussed were completely forgotten. Location, outfits and props.

Location choice for you Branding photoshoot

The location matters more than you can imagine. If you’re wanting photos that look a certain way. For instance, a high-end style, or a light and airy image – then don’t choose a dark pub in Leeds.

And if you’re wanting photos in a home setting, consider whether your house gives you the high-end look that you need, or whether it might be better to join me on a Branding Day?

To match or not to match?

What you wear will also set the tone. If it’s a team photo and just one person decides to turn up in jeans and the rest of you are smart – it’s not going to work.

Unless you have a uniform at work, it’s often easiest to just ask everyone to where variations of a theme. Like this photo – Grey, blue & white/cream.

Highlighter is not your friend

I love highlighter. I still have my favourite Benefit face highlighter from 1997 (I’ve convinced myself it doesn’t have a use-by date 😂) and I love how it highlights random places on my face when I remember to use it.

But the trend at the moment for dewy skin and highlighted everything just looks terrible in photos. It makes people look shiny and dare I say…. sweaty???

Matt is still best when we’re doing your branding photoshoot – save the highlighter for your next night out 😘.

Can you sit down in that?

Your choice of outfit will obviously depend on what you do and how you want to be perceived. But have you thought about the logistics of the outfit.

Can you sit down comfortably in that fitted black dress or will it wrinkle round your tummy and expose more of your thighs than is probably necessary?

If you don’t consider this, then think about the resultant photos… are you going to be happy with how it looks?

Can you fit more than one person in your kitchen?

We’re not miracle workers, and if we can’t physically fit into the space to take the photo, it doesn’t matter how nice the location is. We’re going to have to use a wide-angle lens…and let’s just say you don’t need that look in your life.

If your office is the smallest room in the house, and faces out of the window, it’s unlikely we;re going to get a good photo of you working at your desk. Unless I can discover how to levitate outside the window…

So, maybe consider moving it to somewhere with more space or just accept that we’ll have to get a photo of you with your back to the screen.

Is linen a good look for anyone?

I love linen clothing. It’s just so comfortable. And nothing beats a freshly ironed linen shirt… until I’ve worn it for more than 5 minutes and realised, I look like I’ve just got out of bed.

Then comes the photoshopping to get the creases out. And yes, it can be done. But the shirt no longer looks like linen. And I could have saved a lot of hassle with a shirt that doesn’t crease so much.

This also applies to silk and certain types of satin.

Light

I bore myself with how often I go on about the light…but it needs mentioning again. The majority of the photos I take are natural light images – which means I rely on my skill to find the best light.

If the location is dark, or we’re shooting in mid-winter late in the day, the photos will probably not be as pleasant.

Glasses & tinted lenses

Glasses are a nightmare at times. Especially if they don’t have a non-reflective coating. But that’s not to say there aren’t things we can do to minimise reflections. Though if you’re about to get new lenses definitely consider the non-reflective coating…especially if you do videos of yourself.

My new worst nightmare though, is tinted lenses. I’m considering a petition to ban them. I have just finished a huge shoot – where the person decided it would be a good idea to wear bright yellow tinted lenses. FFS. Do you know how long it takes to change every single image to skin colour whilst recolouring someone’s eyes???

147 billion hours. that’s what.

I think if you plan your Branding photoshoot with your photographer you won’t go far wrong!

And when you’re ready, here are three ways that I can help you:

1) Visit my blog for tips on VISIBILITY.

Every week I discuss strategies to improve your visibility, get over your fear of visibility and my latest shoots.  Read here

2) Plan a bespoke photoshoot.

We can plan a shoot based on what you actually need (read more) or you could join me at a Branding Day.

3) Join ‘Visibility School

Visibility school is a membership group where you get 12 months of photoshoots, a fab little Facebook group. Read more