Thank you for taking the time to fill out your questionnaire! Whilst I go over your answers and look at your Pinterest board, here are some things to consider as we plan your shoot:
Ideas to help you plan and prepare
Here are 4 ideas to incorporate into your personal branding shoot:
FLAT LAYS / DECONSTRUCTED MOOD BOARDThese are a visual way to map out the ideas you have for your brand story. Using objects and physical items that you find inspirational and want to add to the mood of your brand are a great way to add something different to your personal brand shoot. Finding things like textures, materials, fabric, photographs, various objects like flowers or twine are great to incorporate in the shoot. And spending some time to really think about these items is really worth while. Having a 'physical' mood board helps to really refine what you want to say, rather than just pinning a huge a mount of images on Pinterest and then never using them.
Once you're happy with the items you feel represent your brand, we can create some beautiful flat lays that add personality to your brand and can be used throughout social media.
FOOD AND DRINKWhilst searching for inspiration, you'll no doubt come across the typical 'coffee shot' within a personal branding shoot. I have nothing against this type of image, as food and drink is something that really does connect you to your audience. Using these types of images in your content marketing are a great way to make connections to those who follow you.
There are ways to make these shots a little more interesting though, so I advise to add in other personal props and make these a little more lifestyle focussed, showing the experience your brand provides.
TOOLS OF YOUR CRAFTThink of the objects, tools and items you use in your every day work-life as a creative entrepreneur. Basic ideas could be:
E.g. Laptop, phone, tablet, computer
Paintbrush, calligraphy pens, scissors
Magazines, paint swatches, books
THE PROCESSCapturing photos of what a business does behind the scenes highlights what you specialise in (your niche), and also connects you to your audience. It can be anything from working at your computer, packaging an order or designing the product.
Here’s some important things to consider for your product shoot:
Planning the shootYou need to be very clear on what you want to communicate and what elements of the product you want to highlight. We will work together to curate an image that speaks directly to your target audience. Your job is to figure out the product’s ideal customer; who they are, what they’re like and where the images are going to be used.
Theme for the shootChoose a theme to highlight features and uses of the product/s. For example, if you’re selling cosmetics, you might want to think about a bathroom setting. If you’re selling homewares like mugs or vases, you may want to create a scene that gives the impression of a home setting.
Colour Palette and BackgroundColours have powerful connections to emotions and feelings. Having a colour palette for your brand is crucial for consistency across all areas of your business. If this is something you haven’t done yet, spend some time working on your brand colours - as it plays a huge roll in helping your business communicate in the way you’d like it to. I recommend reading How To Style Your Brand by Fiona Humberstone if you need further help with this.
Do you know your brand’s seasonal personality? For example: Spring images will be fun, colourful, light and bright. Along with softness and warmth. Summer images will be cooler, calmer and relaxed. Autumn photography will be rich, intense and very often natural in feel, stirring energy and motivation. Winter photography is crisp, clean, bright, intense and clear. They provoke a strong emotional reaction.
The background is extremely important so we will work together to choose this carefully to reflect your brand. Think about the product and the values of your brand. For example, a marble background will convey a feeling of luxury; a natural wood background will evoke a rustic, natural, or maybe organic environment; a white background is a great fit for a minimalist brand. Decide on the option that will best fit your brand and if this is something I don’t already have, we can work on sourcing the materials we need.
Choosing PropsThe props should fit the theme and act as supporting elements to your overall story.
Quality: You want your products to come across as high quality, so your props need to be too. Read: No fake flowers. Choose props that have been well-made, or are natural, so they speak to the quality of your product.
Choose props that suit your brand and will appeal to your ideal customers. Here’s the part where knowing your brand and who you’re selling to fits in. For example, if your brand is about being eco-friendly and your ideal customer values that, you’ll want to avoid using props that are harmful to the environment.
The function of props is to assist in creating emotion and desire in your customers. Associating your product with the right props will grab the attention of your ideal customers and make them want to buy.
Props are your product’s supporting characters. They shouldn’t overwhelm, distract, or take away from your hero product.
final prep
ENVIRONMENTChoosing the right environment for the shoot is so important. It reflects what you do, where you work and represents your brand. Search for a place that leans into the vibe of your brand and supports your overall style.
VISIONAfter you've gone through this questionnaire, it's time to set up a Pinterest board. This should give us both a clear vision of what you're hoping for from the shoot. Pin between 30-50 images on here and be really specific. These images should reflect the style, colour, surroundings and overall feel/tone of the final images you want to get from the shoot. Underneath each image, write a short description explaining what it is you're most drawn to.
FINAL IMAGE FORMATThis stage may take some time - but it's really important to help you get the most from the shoot. Make a list of your website pages and how many photos you want to update across your site (should they be landscape or portrait?). Do they need to have negative space within the frame to allow for text or your logo? Do you need any images specifically for marketing or print? If you work with a designer, it would be good to find out their requirements for image formats.
CONSIDER YOUR CONTENT PLANIf you don't already plan out your social media content, now is a good time to start. This is a really great way to help your social media look consistent and cohesive. Once you have a plan in place, we can shoot really strategically so you have all the visual content to support it.
SHOOT FOR YOUR BRAND AESTHETICWhen choosing what to wear or what props to include, think about your brand's colour palette - choosing items to match in colour and style. Use 3-5 colours to add a consistent and cohesive look throughout you website, print materials and photography.
OUTFITS- Have several outfits planned that reflect your brand's personality.
- Consider different hairstyle options that are easy to achieve throughout the shoot.
- It isn't essential, but having hair and makeup done by a professional is something that not only takes the stress away from you, but can also give you that added boost of confidence. When you feel amazing, it really does reflect in the images, so it's worth considering.