The Ultimate Personal Branding Photoshoot Checklist for Photos You'll Love

A step-by-step personal branding photoshoot checklist that will help you stay on top of your brand shoot preparations.

Are you ready to get out there and book your branding photoshoot?

Whether you're launching for the first time, or are going through a rebrand, rebirth, or refresh, congrats - that's mega exciting!

But I also know it can be super overwhelming so have a read through these checklists to help you stay cool, calm, and organized from start to finish as you plan and prepare for your personal branding photoshoot.

Want to skip ahead?

Booking | Planning | Final Prep | Shoot Day | Post Shoot

BOOKING CHECKLIST

Step one is finding a photographer you trust - someone who will support you in your needs and whose style and personality you vibe with. Alignment is important when booking your photographer, but there are, however, a few other things to keep in mind with specialization, usage rights, and all that fun stuff!

Search "personal brand photographer near me"

▢ search instagram for [your city] brand photographers

▢ search "personal brand photographer near me" in google

▢ ask your entrepreneur friends if they know of any brand photographers they can refer you to

▢ reach out to accounts on IG who have photos you love and ask who they used

▢ if you love someone in a different part of the world, don't give up, see if they're open to travel for your shoot

▢ once you've found someone whose style and values you like, have a look through their portfolio, reviews, and blog to make sure you're picking up what they're putting down

▢ Read 5 TIps for Hiring your Brand Photographer

---

PLANNING CHECKLIST

You found someone! That's great. Each photographer will have their own client journey to guide you through but it will likely include some of the following - feel free to ask about the steps involved so you're working at the same pace.

Get inspired to start building your brand shoot plan!

▢ set up a [secret] Pinterest board to hone in on your shoot plan - call it "[Your Name] Brand Shoot"

▢ search both broad and specific search terms like, 'brand shoot,' or 'yoga instructor branding photoshoot' - you'll see loads of ideas and Pinterest will even suggest more similar ones

▢ pin the brand images that inspire your location, wardrobe, posing, styling, and prop vision - try to settle on 20-30 photos

▢ share your Pinterest board (and IG accounts that have aesthetics you love) with your personal brand photographer

▢ Compile a list of shots you want to make sure are captured on your branding shoot day:

▢ what routines do you want captured

▢ how do you want to show your BTS works

▢ what hobbies are you sharing

Do the work

▢ complete your questionnaire(s) and planning call with your photographer

▢ if you have any apprehensions or concerns, share so that your photographer can do everything in their power to help you get the most out of your day

▢ get to work on the actionable ideas you brainstormed together:

▢ check online for shoot rental locations that suit your needs and make sure they have:

▢ extra space

▢ lots of light

▢ minimal styling

▢ white walls and light floors

▢ get shopping - purchase the props and outfits that will complete your look

▢ allow extra time if you're purchasing anything custom (ie: branded apron, graphic T, etc.)

▢ book it - secure your hair, makeup, and nail appointments

▢ record any purchases you made for your brand shoot as business expenses!

---

FINAL PREP CHECKLIST

Your branding shoot is getting close! That's so exciting. These next few steps will take place in the final few days before your shoot and check in with your photographer - there may be a few other things they'll want you to add to the list!

Personal prep

▢ meditate, relax, and radiate in the week leading up to your shoot

▢ eliminate stressful situations and focus on positive self-talk

▢ smile and compliment yourself in the mirror

▢ recite your affirmations

▢ if you're feeling nervous or anxious, have a read through these tips to Calm Camera Anxiety

▢ nourish your body with energizing meals and drink lots of water (consider pausing the alcohol intake)

▢ exercise and stretch to feel good in your skin

▢ treat yourself to lots of beauty rest

▢ practice your posing in front of a mirror (throw on some music and have fun with it!)

▢ while you're at it, compile a playlist that makes you feel powerful (if your photographer doesn't do it for you)

Entrepreneurial prep

▢ set your out of office email for shoot day (and perhaps the day after as well)

▢ delegate tasks and chores to others in the lead up to your shoot to reduce stress

▢ take a day off following the shoot as you'll be absolutely exhausted - most people need a relaxed recovery day to restore their energy

▢ share on social media that you're taking a day to have your brand photos captured

Shoot day organization and confirmation

▢ double-check your shoot plan to make sure you're happy with everything you and your brand photographer discussed

▢ confirm hair/makeup/nails appointments

▢ iron or steam your clothing and pack your wardrobe so it doesn't wrinkle

▢ confirm rental details if applicable

▢ pack your props and outfits in a different tote for each location

▢ bring lots of water and high-energy snacks

---

BRAND SHOOT DAY CHECKLIST

It's shoot day! Yay! I know this can feel overwhelming but just take the day moment by moment, allowing yourself to breathe, laugh, and have a great time!

Remember to:

▢ finish hair & makeup with plenty of time to get to the first location (allowing for traffic)

▢ arrive authentically and with intention

▢ pop on your favorite tunes

▢ breathe and relax

▢ go with the flow

▢ empty pockets

▢ silence notifications

▢ refrain from checking emails

▢ take breaks to refresh your energy

▢ share your creative ideas

▢ surrender to the joy - have a great time, dance, laugh, take it all in and have FUN

▢ ask your photographer about the next steps

The space:

▢ tidy and stow away distractions

▢ style the space with on-brand props and soft furnishings

▢ lights off, shades up (generally)

▢ add flowers and greenery to bring in life and texture

---

POST SHOOT CHECKLIST

Congrats! You did it. Now you get to relax and wait for the photos to come through.

What happens next:

Photographers all have different processes but here's what I do with my clients:

▢ keep an eye out for an email from your photographer with your low-res, lightly edited proof gallery

▢ choose your favorites, making sure you've grabbed a variety of crops, layouts, outifts, etc.

▢ let me know once you've finished choosing

▢ sit tight and start planning captions and where you'll use your photos while I finish the final edits

Back them up!

▢ download your final gallery before it expires* - you'll likely have the option to download your gallery in 2 versions: high res and web sized - grab both of them and make sure you've named them for the sizing so you can dip into either folder depending on your project needs

▢ back them up to your hardrive, the cloud, your phone, put them in canva - make sure you have them in plenty of spaces should one of your drives fail

*most photographers have it in their contract that they're not responsible for saving your photos past a certain window and will likely charge for their time to re-upload them so keep that in mind.

Use your photos

▢ there are SO many places to use brand photos: 11 Places to use Your Brand Photos (besides Instagram)

▢ update your profile image on all of your platforms to be consistent - this will help with brand recognition

▢ when using on your website and blog:

▢ compress into web-sized images - I like to use the free online image compression and optimization tool with shortpixel for this

▢ name your images with relevant keywords

▢ use alt text to describe what's in the photos

▢ need some mockups to supplement your photos? Check out my brand photo intro kit!

▢ tag your photographer on social media so they can share and engage with your posts (you may actually be required to tag them depending on the terms of their contract so keep an eye out for that)

Spread the love!

▢ help your business pals find their dream brand photographer by sharing your experience and recommending who you used - your photographer may even have a referral program in place to earn a discount on your next shoot!

▢ make your photographer's day by taking a quick moment to leave them a google review - they'll be SOOOO grateful!

▢ keep your photographer in mind for any future shooting opportunities: speaking engagements, overseas retreats, workshops and events, and your next brand shoot!

---