Personal branding shoots work best when there’s a bit of thought beforehand. Not overthinking, just some basic preparation that means you show up knowing roughly what you’re after and feeling ready rather than stressed.
I’ve photographed enough brand sessions now to spot the things that trip people up. Not because they’ve done anything wrong, just because they didn’t know. So here’s what to avoid.
Don’t skip the planning conversation
The shoots that go smoothest are the ones where we’ve talked first. Not just logistics, where and when, but why. What you’re actually trying to communicate with these images. Who you’re speaking to. How you’ll use them.
Without that conversation, we’re both guessing. You’re hoping I’ll capture something useful, I’m hoping I’m shooting what you need. It’s much better when we’re both clear from the start.
We don’t need a 50-page creative brief. Just a chat about your business, your brand, what matters to you. It makes the actual shoot more focused and means you end up with images you’ll actually use rather than ones that just look nice.
Wear things that feel like you
This sounds obvious, but people panic about outfits. They buy something new that they think looks “professional” but feels wrong. Or they wear something that doesn’t reflect their brand at all because they’re worried about other things.
What you wear matters because it’s part of how you present yourself. But it needs to be you. If you never wear blazers, don’t wear one for your brand shoot. If you live in jeans and jumpers, lean into that. Your photos should look like the person your clients will actually meet.
Think about your brand colours, yes. Avoid really busy patterns that distract from your face, yes. But mostly just wear things that make you feel confident and comfortable. You can tell in photos when someone feels good in what they’re wearing.
Choose locations that make sense
Shrewsbury’s got some beautiful spots, the historic streets, the parks, the river. But beautiful doesn’t always mean right for your brand.
If you’re a corporate consultant, shooting in a wildflower meadow probably doesn’t make sense. If you’re a yoga teacher, a boardroom setting feels off. The location should support what you do, not work against it.
Sometimes that’s your actual workspace. Sometimes it’s somewhere that represents the feeling of your brand rather than being literal. We can talk through options, but it helps if you’ve thought about what kind of environment feels aligned with how you want to be seen.
Don’t expect to be a natural in front of the camera
Most people aren’t. That’s normal. But turning up having never thought about how you might pose or move makes it harder on yourself.
I’ll direct you through the whole thing, you’re not expected to know what to do. But if you’ve at least looked in a mirror and figured out which angles you like, which way you prefer to stand, what feels natural versus what feels forced, you’ll feel more comfortable when we start shooting.
Also, just knowing that it’s okay to feel a bit awkward at first helps. Everyone does. It takes a few minutes to settle in. That’s factored into the session time.
Be yourself, not who you think you should be
This is the big one. People sometimes try to present a version of themselves that they think looks more professional or more successful or more whatever. And it always reads as false.
Your brand is you. Your personality, your approach, your quirks. The things that make you different from everyone else doing similar work. That’s what people connect with. That’s what we should be capturing.
If you’re naturally quite serious, we work with that. If you’re expressive and animated, we work with that instead. There’s no one right way to look in brand photos. There’s just your way.
The shoots that work best are the ones where people relax into being themselves rather than performing some idea of what a business owner should look like.
What actually matters
Preparation, yes. But not stress. Just some thought beforehand about what you want and how you want to be seen. Then trusting the process on the day.
If you’re thinking about booking a brand shoot and you’re not sure where to start with planning it, that’s what the initial conversation is for. We can work through all of this together and make sure you turn up feeling prepared rather than anxious.
Shrewsbury Personal Brand Photographer | Business Photography
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