5 things you should know before booking a brand shoot
Starting your own business is super exciting and there are lots of things to do when building your brand. Having branded photos is such an important part of this and I want to share with you 5 things you should know before booking a brand shoot.
Online Presence
From a photographers point of view, it’s really helpful if you already have a website and a social media presence in place before booking a brand shoot. It doesn’t have to be polished or finessed – done is better than perfect. It helps us understand what it is you do clearly and we can see the types of content you might need to update as well. Even if you’ve not launched yet and only have a draft, that’s better than nothing. Ideally, on the brand identity checklist, a brand shoot should be one of the last pieces of the brand identity puzzle. This is so the imagery matches up to the other collateral that’s been designed for you so that everything looks cohesive and ready to share with the world. Also, your images will age quicker than other parts of your identity so you want to leave them til last so they stay as fresh as.
Prepare a Shoot Brief
I love it when potential clients send me a shoot brief ahead of a clarity call so I can see clearly exactly what they need from a photoshoot. I have a whole blog post on how to create and send a brief to photographers so I’ll leave that here for you to read (it even comes with a template that you can use). A shoot brief essentially details the purpose of the photoshoot, what kinds of images you’re looking for and in what style, the vibe of the session and any thoughts around locations/props/outfits etc. It’s also really helpful to include image references of the types of images you’re looking to have created for you so that it’s communicated clearly what you want. Preparation is key and I’d much rather have more information upfront than trying to figure it out as we go along.
Research Photographers
It’s really important to do your homework and search for the right brand photographer for you. It can be hard to decide this purely based on what you see online, so make sure to schedule in as many chats with people as possible to get a feel for their personality and shooting style. Unless you’ve been following someone for a while whose work you love unconditionally and the price point is a match for you, take some time to research. Photography styles can be so different, from how the photographer will photograph you to their editing style so study up on what you like and reach out to a few different people. If you would like some more guidance on this, I have another post I’ve written about how to find the right brand photographer for you so I’ll leave it here.
Save your £££
Like all art, photography is subjective. It’s also an investment. If you’re going through a rebrand or launching your business for the first time, be sure to set aside part of your brand budget for photo’s and don’t scrimp on this part. It’s all well and good if you have a fancy designed website but if there’s no pictures of you on your website or social media then no-one’s going to know the face behind the brand or what it is that you’re selling. A picture tells a thousand words!
Get ready to collaborate
Not only is having a shoot for your business a financial investment but it’s also an investment of your time. When I work with clients, I always tell them that this is a collaborative project. I can and will take the lead on the creative direction front but ultimately, this is a shoot for you not for me. Have a look at your calendar and see when the best time to plan the shoot could be scheduled in. Preparation is key and if you give yourself enough time to prep for the session, you’ll knock it out of the park and get all the images you need.
The End
There you have it, my top 5 tips on what to know before booking a brand shoot. I hope this post has been helpful. As always, you can find more personal branding photography tips on my blog. Before you go, feel free to check out the gallery and if you’re keen to work with me, please get in touch.
To see more of my day-to-day, I’ll leave my IG handle here.
Ciao xo
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