How to make your brand photos feel authentic, not staged

I get it. You want to be showing up online with professional photos that actually feel like you. And not some pretend version of you that feels inauthentic, forced, and icky.

The good news is, it is possible to have high-quality shot content that shows off your brilliance, highlights you in the best possible light and feels fun, not fake.

Here’s how to make your brand photos feel authentic and not staged.

Show up as the real you, but elevated

When you hire a photographer, you’re making an investment. Into you, your brand, and your visual identity. It’s really important that you feel like yourself during your photoshoot but remembering that this isn’t your average daily experience.

This is the opportunity to showcase yourself as the best version of you.

That means wearing your favourite clothes – items that bring you joy, sprucing yourself up and making an effort with your hair & make-up, and giving yourself that time to really pamper your mind, body and soul. Whether that’s with exercise, a massage, drinking plenty of water, eating nutritious foods, going for long walks, reading, journalling, breath-work, mindfulness exercises. Whatever makes you feel nourished and fills your cup, you should do these things in the lead up to your session so you’re not stressed and can show up as your elevated self. It’s also worth noting that you choose a date for your shoot that works with your cycle. From experience – there are days where I feel completely different about myself and this can be the difference between showing up with confidence or having to put on a brave face.

Pick a photographer you get on with and whose work you love

Choosing to work with a photographer is such a personal thing. Ultimately the big, differentiating factors between us are: our personalities, approach, style, skillset and vibe. It all starts with us. It can’t be taught or replicated – you’re choosing a person, not just how the photos will look at the end of your shoot. It’s so important to choose someone you get on with, someone who has the right energy and can execute your vision as well as adding in their own flair.

Take some time to do some research and discover what style of photography you like best and how different photographers edit their work too.

There has to be a synergy between the work produced and the personality of the photographer to really make that decision the easiest “I wanna work with them” there’s ever been.

Find a location you feel at home in and matches the vibe

Ultimately, the main thing I want my clients to feel on a shoot day, is comfortable. So what better space for us to shoot in than your home/office/studio? You will feel more relaxed and less nervous if I step into where you do your magic, then a space that feels a bit alien to you. With that being said – we don’t have to shoot at your place of work to make you feel comfortable. Especially, if it doesn’t quite match where you’re at with your business right now.

Take me for example. I live in a lovely little one-bed flat – new build, so has a beautifully designed kitchen. But we’re renting. So, I can’t really make the flat the bold, colourful oasis I want it to be, because I’m restricted to what I can put on the walls and the natural light isn’t great. So I wouldn’t choose to have my shoot at home. If I was having a brand shoot, I’d be looking at hiring a location house or studio that aligns with me and is a space that I find aspirational.

You don’t have to have it all figured out right now.

If you’re home is currently a building site or not the most aesthetic, there are other options. It doesn’t mean we’re cheating – we’re utilising spaces that have been thoughtfully curated for the purposes of shoots so that we can get the best content we can, without breaking our bank balances or stressing ourselves out.

Get in the zone of your everyday

Ask your photographer to capture you doing certain actions that you would normally do day in, day out. Ideally, your brand shoot shot list will consist of action shots, behind the scenes images, and lifestyle photos to capture a gallery full of variety, for your personal brand. Within these categories, you should jot down any prompts/actions you’d like to be doing in the photos. This way, you’ll feel more natural in front of the camera by doing the stuff you do day-in, day-out and the photos will evoke this too. If you can incorporate movement into your images this will also have you feeling relaxed, shake out any tension in your body and provide natural, authentic looking images.

Ready to show up as the best version of yourself?

I know you’re ready to have brand photos that feel authentic so Let’s have a chat. I’m on a mission to help as many business owners as I can, confidently promote themselves online with fresh, vibrant photos that truly feel like them. If you’re interested in seeing how I can help you, please reach out. To see more of my work, check out my personal branding gallery and services. To stay in touch with daily ramblings and behind the scenes content, follow me on Instagram.