How to Plan Your Brand Photoshoot
Planning your brand photoshoot may seem daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be! A few months ago I wrote about why you should look for a photographer that specializes in brand photography and one of the reasons is that from an organizational standpoint they will be more familiar with how to plan a brand photoshoot. That being said, there are still some things you probably want to know about planning your brand photoshoot to make the whole process go a little bit more smooth. I put together this list of things I think about and questions I ask for each brand that I shoot. I hope you find it helpful as you plan your photoshoot!
The first thing to think about is how you will use the images. Are they for your website? Mostly to keep your social media up to date? For a publication, flyer, business card, poster? You get the idea. There are a couple of reasons you need to know this going into your photoshoot, but one of the big reasons is so that your photographer knows what orientation and dimension to shoot the photos in.
Another thing you need to think about in conjunction with how you will use your images, is which products or services you need to showcase. This is a pretty obvious one, but I think it is worth mentioning since it is so foundational to your shoot.
Next, think about what season these photos will be used for and how long you need them to last. This is particularly applicable to social media photoshoots because the photos should look super current. If you are shooting for your website or wanting to make the photos last for a longer time, consider using more neutral colors, and outfits with light layers to stretch them through any season.
Another very important concept to think about as you organize your brand photoshoot is what mood or emotion you want to evoke with your brand. This is closely tied to who you are marketing to and how you want to make them feel, but can be partially seasonal too (for instance, you are more likely to show a cozy scene in the winter than in the summer).
Of course after you nail down these things you’ll need to pick a location for your photoshoot and then get into the nitty gritty of gathering props and planning a shot list. (P.S. if you’re using me as your brand photographer I will help out with ALL of this!)