Recently I got to do a business branding photoshoot for Taylor Seales, the owner of Hay&Co Design in Seattle (and also one of my weightlifting buddies!).
We had so much fun and it was such a success that I wanted to share five tips that helped us achieve our goals during this photoshoot.
1. Discuss your goals for your brand shoot in advance. During our consultation call, Taylor and I discussed the appropriate location for her photoshoot, and we ended up renting North City Studio in Shoreline, which was an amazing and beautiful space! We talked about the types of photos that she would need so that we had a shot list in mind and could design a flow for the photoshoot.
2. Prepare lots of different outfits, and hire a stylist if you can! Taylor worked with Shannon Bennett, a Seattle-based stylist, who helped her create attractive and comfortable outfit options based on items in her closet, as well as helped her find a few new pieces. These outfits showcased her personality and also complemented her brand colors and business vibes.
3. Bring props! As a designer, Taylor has lots of fun, pretty, and colorful props in her home office, and she basically brought the whole thing to her photoshoot, including stacks of books, markers, plants, and more. At the very least, having a laptop, phone, coffee mug (or beverage vessel of choice), and something related to your work is a great place to start. These add elements of interest to your photos and give you something to hold, look at, etc.
4. Plan for your upcoming content needs. Branding photoshoots are more than just fun – they are strategic marketing investments! Whether there are certain holidays that you want to celebrate, courses or products that you are planning on launching soon, or a business anniversary or milestone that needs to be recognized, knowing what your content needs are for the next few months will allow you to capture photos that you can use throughout an entire quarter, if not beyond. Taylor was celebrating five years in business and so she brought some cute cupcakes and we made a GIF out of her blowing out the candle. (Unfortunately the GIF doesn’t work on my blog, but it’s awesome, trust me.) 😉
5. Get your hair and makeup done! You can hire a professional artist, which I absolutely recommend, and you can even have them stay with you during your photoshoot so that they can help with hair and makeup touchups or new styles. Taylor ended up doing her own hair and makeup, which is a fine option, and she took time to change lip colors and tweak her hairstyles/wear a hat so that she had a variety of looks in her photos. Between her awesome, curated outfits and her polished hair and makeup, Taylor looked and felt so confident throughout her shoot. These details matter, because how you feel shows up in images!
There are definitely plenty more ways to ensure that you have a fun and successful business or personal branding photoshoot, but these are a few of the heavy hitters that will set you off on the right path!
I had such a wonderful time photographing Taylor, because supporting women in business (and small business owners in general) is really important to me, and I am so excited that she has content that she can use on her website, social media, and more to promote her work and show her audience and clients what she is all about.
It is so important that your dream clients or customers see more than just your work/products, but get to know you and your personality as well. As small business owners, that is often the key ingredient that differentiates us from others who do the same thing!
I’m so excited to work with more small business owners because this is one of the biggest ways that I can support you and help you win. I’m here to cheer you on and help you look good in front of the camera.
You ready? Contact me to get the conversation started!
