How to Create Variety in Your Brand Photoshoot

In this week’s post, we’re talking all about how to get the most variety out of your brand photoshoot that you can! Whether you’re a personal brand, a product based-brand, or something in between, understanding how to plan for diverse and captivating brand visuals is essential for effectively communicating your brand’s story and engaging your audience. The examples below were all taken in my 400-square-foot studio, during a 2-hour personal brand photoshoot for a real estate agent. Keep scrolling to learn the 5 areas where you can plan for variety like this and more at your next brand photoshoot.

1. Shot List

   First things first, plan out a detailed shot list for your brand photoshoot ahead of time. This will help you plan for variety. To do this, start by making a list of places you plan on using your brand images like your website, email list, and social media accounts, etc. Then make a list of topics you talk about often in your content marketing that you’ll need photos to go with. These two lists should help you get a pretty good idea of the concepts you need to have photos of for your brand. Keep brainstorming it out until you’ve got a well-rounded, detailed list of images you would like to have created for your brand.

2. Location

   Pick a location that either has a lot of variety or is a blank canvas. For instance, look for Airbnb locations with good light in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, office, and a nice outdoor space. Now you’ve got 5 locations in one. Or find a studio on Peer Space that’s got lots of different seamless backdrop options you can put up and plenty of blank space to create your own sets. If you go the blank canvas route, be aware that you may have to do a lot of prop packing and setup to make the space look different for different scenes and shots. More on props in a minute.

3. Outfits

   The more outfits you can switch out, the more variety your photos will have, even if they are all taken in one small location. I usually advise my clients to pick enough outfits to only have about 5 photos taken in each one before switching something up. Even just switching out a blazer or a sweater can give your outfits an entirely different look in seconds and offer more variety in your shoot.

4. Props

   Bring lots of props that will help you tell your brand story, especially if you’re shooting in a blank studio space! Things like throw pillows for the couch, notebooks and office accessories for a desk setup, tools of the trade, and even things that represent your hobbies are helpful to bringing more variety and life into your brand photoshoot. Yes, it can be a lot of work lugging it all into a studio, but trust me, it’s worth it!

5. Diversity

   This one is for product-based brands: Find a variety of diverse models to model the use of your product for your product photoshoot. Variety can be easily found in gender, age, skin color, and body type. Your models can also change their outfits several times to create even more variety for your shoot (see above).

I hope this post helps you think through the areas where you can plan for diversity and variety in your next brand photoshoot. If you’re looking for more tips like this, feel free to continue browsing the blog or sign up for my email list. If you’re ready to schedule your next brand photoshoot click the button below!