A bad brand photo shoot isn’t just a waste of money. It’s six months to a year of brand content that doesn’t represent you, and every time you go to post, you’ll either use the photos anyway and cringe a little, or you won’t use them at all and wonder why you even spent the money.

Neither outcome is great.

The difference between a brand photoshoot that vies you a year’s worth of content and one that vies you ten awkward headshots is almost entirely in the prep and the strategy. Here’s everything you need to do before, during and after you shoot, so every shot can count.

Before the shoot: the work that makes everything else easier

Know your goals

Before you think about outfits or locations, you gotta know what you’re actually shooting for. Are you building a content library for social media? Updating your website and hero image? Launching a new offer or highlighting a specific service and you need photos to support that? Your goals determine your shot list, your location, and how your photographer frames the session.

Tell your photographer everything. A good photographer isn’t just pointing a camera, they’re thinking about crop, composition, and how the image will be used. ‘I need a horizontal image with space on the right for text overlay’ is useful info. Not just ‘I want to feel cute and have a nice photo’.

Build your shot list

A shot list is exactly what it sounds like: a literal list of photos you need to walk away with. Think about the different contexts your photos will need to be used for: website home page, insta feed, story highlights, vertical, horizontal, Pinterest…each of these will need different crops and compositions. If you can get it done right at the forefront, it’s less work for you after delivery and at the end.

Your must-have list should include some of the following, just as a starting point/suggestion: a clean headshot (updated, current, not 10 years old and 3 hairstyles ago), a working shot (what you do at some capacity), a lifestyle shot (something that shows your personality for connection), and at least two-three brand prop shots – anything that visually reps your brand.

Incorporate your brand colors

This is the part people skip the most and tend to regret. Your outfits, props, and surroundings should connect to your brand. It doesnt’ have to be an exact color match, but if you have blue – use blue. If your brand is warm and earthy, show up in warm neutrals. If it’s playful and bold, bring that signature color.

Brand photos that feel cohesive aren’t an accident, they’re a choice.

Prep yourself

Get your hair done, nails done, bring the outfits you feel most like yourself – connect with your photographer before hand to pick what might work best. A polished, confident version of your everyday self will photography WAY better than one where you feel like you’re in a costume.

During the shoot: trust the process

You hired a pro – let them do their job. The most common mistakes I’ve seen is clients micromanaging the session cause they’re nervous. You’ve done the prep, communicated your goals, now your job is to show up with the energy and trust the person you hired knows how to capture it.

Bring the energy you wanna see in the photos. If you want warmth and approachability, be warm and approachable. If you want confidence and authority, carry yourself that way. The camera picks up on what you put down.

Don’t worry about posts – a good photographer will direct you. Focus on being present, yourself, having a conversation, laughing genuinely, thinking about something that makes you feel proud of your business. Real moments photograph better than performed ones.

After the shoot: make the most of what you have

When your photos arrived, don’t just drag them into a folder and forget about them. Do a solid intake:

• Sort them into categories: website, social, personal, behind-the-scenes
• Identity your top 10 hero images – the ones you’ll use the most, your fav!
• Note which ones need light edting (crop, color grade) vs which are ready to use
• Build a simple content schedule that pulls from these photos over the next 3-6 months

A well planned photoshoot should give you 3-6 months of visual content. If you’re using your best photo in the first week and running out by month two, we need to re-evaluate some strategy for your library.

The creative direction piece

Here’s something a lot of brand photographers and guides won’t tell you: having great photos isn’t enough if the creative direction isn’t there. Creative direction is what ties the photos, the brand, and the message together into something cohesive.

That’s why I offer creative direction as a service – I help clients build the shot list, identify the vibe, scout locations, find the photographer, and make sure every photo servies a purpose within their brand and their goals. It’s the difference between a photoshoot that looks nice, and one that works.

The Brand Builder Magazine has a full article on preparing for your personal brand shoot, plus 30 pages of real brand inspo. Download it for free here.

And if you want more insight on creative direction – head on over here.

Ready to love your brand photos this time?

If you’ve had one too many shoots that didn’t deliver, let’s fix that! Whether you need creative direction for an upcoming shoot or a full brand package that includes photography and strategy, I’d love to help.

Book a call today, or download the Brand Builder Magazine for the full photoshoot prep guide plus tons and tons of brand inspo.