How to Create the Perfect Shot List for your Brand Photos | Boston Brand Photographer

It’s finally time to start planning the details of your personal brand shoot, so get excited! Creating a shot list is an individual experience, as no two brands are the same, especially in a city like Boston. The digital world is getting crazier by the day, so If you don’t know where to even begin when drawing inspiration for your branding photoshoot, let me offer some guidance…

1. Give your photographer as much insight as possible to your brand! In addition to having all my clients fill out a thorough questionnaire, I also schedule a phone call. Talking about your brand, your expectations, your ideal client, always gives me little golden nuggets of info to use when creating the perfect shot list.

2. Create an inspiration board. Pinterest is ideal, but any visual representation of your brand goals, the vibe you are going for, posing you love, etc, is essential in communicating what you want your brand photos to look like to your photographer

3. Know what you need ahead of time. If you’ve hired a pro photographer, you’re going to get great photos. But to get the BEST set of photos to launch your brand to the next level, you need to dig deep and figure out your photo priorities. Do you need a banner image for your website that shows your team hard at work? Do you need a series of verticals for an Instagram reel? A unique horizontal of each team member for a blurb about what they do?

Building the perfect shot list is as much about the vibes and the visual inspiration as it is about the nitty-gritty details. Having a clear vision for your brand ensures that we can capture exactly what you need from your shoot… and also allows us space to get creative on location and potentially create something we might have never dreamed up in planning. You give us your brand story, we translate it into next-level visuals that attract your ideal customers.

How to Attract Your Ideal Client from Your Brand Photos | Boston Brand Photographer

Being a Boston-based small business owner myself, if you’re a New England brand looking to take your business to the next level, you've landed in the right spot. As a branding photographer, I am super passionate about helping small businesses and female entrepreneurs create stunning visuals that can help you reach your audience and attract your ideal client with your brand photos.

The Importance of Strong Visuals

First things first, strong visuals are essential. In the world of social media and digital marketing, high-quality photos are a non-negotiable part of your professional brand strategy. It’s not just about them looking amazing, but also conveying your brand’s personality and values.

This is where brand photography and lifestyle shots come into play, your photos should reflect your unique style and story, and make your brand instantly recognizable. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and in the crowded online space we want to be remembered.

Knowing Your Audience

No one understands your audience better than you, and we want to create content that speaks to them. Who are they? What do they value? What problems are they looking to solve? This helps me as your photographer to tailor your photoshoot to reflect what you want to say. This is why we start with a call and questionnaire so that I can build the perfect shot list for our shoot.

Telling Your Brand Story

Your brand story is a powerful tool for connecting with your audience. Behind-the-scenes shots are a fantastic way to give potential clients a glimpse into what it’s like to work with you. This not only builds trust but also adds a personal touch to your professional brand strategy. 

I personally always love to showcase your workspace, process, and team, this makes your brand relatable and engaging. Storytelling through visuals is a trend that’s here to stay, so let’s connect with your clients by showing them the human side (the YOU) of your business.

Attracting your ideal client is really all about showing off who you are and what you do, and really what better way is there than with your brand photos. I’m here to help you navigate the journey and create content that truly speaks to your brand. Remember, great photos aren’t just about looking good—they’re about making a lasting impression. Let’s create something amazing!

Overcoming Camera Shyness: Why You Need to Be in Your Brand Photos | Boston Brand Photographer

Maybe you hate the way you look in photos. This is a common theme I hear from business owners, especially female business owners… which is an issue when you are the face of your business. People want to see you! They want to get to know YOU (spoiler, they don’t care if you have a double chin or wrinkles when you smile), but I get it. We all want to look our best in front of the camera.

1. Let’s make you actually look like yourself. Stop judging your appearance based on camera snapshots with terrible lighting and unflattering angles. We’ll set up the good light, with the good angles, and make you look like you

2. Wipe the fake smile off your face. It’s not your fault, but for some of us, a “smile for the camera” is nothing like our actual genuinely happy-to-see-you smile. We’ll help you get the real smiles and leave the “cheese” at the door.

3. Take a deep breath, channel your inner T Swift, and just get over it :) I know it’s easier said than done, but being overly critical of yourself in front of the camera is often a mental block we just need to knock down.

Have you seen our Ebook: 8 Tips to Look Your Best in Every Photo? This is the best resource I send my clients when we book a brand photoshoot.

Camera shyness plagues our everyday life now as it feels like everyones taking pictures all the time, but this is your moment to shine and let the professional photog take care of all the things that make you nervous. A personal brand session is all about letting your audience get a peek behind the business, and give them a reason to get invested in the person, not just the product.

Reintroduction: Get to Know Your Future Photographer | Boston Brand Photographer

I’m Emily, brand photographer, and creative director of your shoot. I help you plan and execute an amazing (and fun!) photoshoot that is customized to your brand. I’m based in Boston’s South End and especially love to work with the small businesses right in my own community.

This is Mikayla, photo assistant, incredible content creator, and all-around extra set of hands on the day of the shoot.

Who do we work with? Brand photoshoots can scale from 1 individual to a large company. But we LOVE working with small teams. Teams of 1-5 people in any sort of creative field is kind of our sweet spot, as that’s usually where we get to let the inspiration and small team personality shine.

How can we help your business grow? This is where our genius comes in. (see our blog post about how to create amazing mood boards) A pro photog should be able to create great images, but a brand photographer should be able to create compelling images that attract your ideal client. When we work together, we try to gain as much insight into your brand as possible, so that every image we make is intentional, unique, and speaks to your brand. Our goal is to show your customers what is so awesome about working with you. (Oh, and we also like to make it fun, because if you’re not having fun, what’s the point)

Using my small business to uplift others is the ultimate win, and I love to see all the ways clients continue to use their images after the shoot. Let’s uplevel your branding together, we can’t wait to work with you! 

Creating Curiosity: How to Reach the Small Business Owner with Revby | Boston Brand Photographer

This month I get to spotlight a shoot where I had the pleasure of working with the team of awesome individuals at Revby. Revby is a small business technical assistance provider, and business, marketing, and market research consultancy based in Boston, Massachusetts, and makes it their mission to create a real, human connection with each and every client they work with. As a small business owner myself, I was excited to help them level up their content and give their personal branding the look they were striving for. 

They came to us during a rebrand, looking for original content to highlight their team and how they work together to create a personal experience from one small biz to another. Revby being a smaller team allowed us to focus on the size of their agency, and how amazing it is for clients to get a personalized experience that works for their unique business.

Going into the shoot I also knew one of their main goals to connect with their audience was not just curiosity, but also inspiration. They want the people they work with to have confidence and to be able to approach their small business with energy and motivation for success. We were able to showcase the fun but hard-working dynamic of their group, the images make you feel like you’re sitting right down in the office with them.

We wanted to focus on their team as a whole, and how they collaborate for each client, with their Back Bay, Boston office as a backdrop. I was so excited they wanted “personality” headshots, those are always a blast to do, especially with a team that has so much personality to show. (They had really fun inspiration photos) It’s images like these that really show off the people behind the brand, and the warm, friendly faces you’ll get to know by working with them

I love working with teams and capturing the unique dynamics amongst every group of people, and I can’t wait to work with them again in their branding journey.

Capturing the Magic: Top 5 Tips to Photograph Kids Products WITH Kids | Boston Brand Photographer

Kids are an important part of the process when it comes to branding for what kids like and want to see, so why wouldn’t they be a part of the process? This blog includes our tips and tricks for how we roll with the incredible chaos of a kid’s brand shoot, and how we photograph kids’ products that appeal to parents AND interest their kids.

Be flexible!

We may have a grand plan for (our model) the child, to sit on a stool, surrounded by flowers, with the perfect sunlight falling over them. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, sometimes, reality has different plans. If the kid decides that our plan is not the same as theirs, it's essential to roll with it. Flexibility is a superpower, we are always prepared to embrace the unexpected, pivot when needed, and sometimes, let them think it was all their brilliant idea. After all, magic often happens when we let go of rigid expectations and go with the flow; kids know what’s cool and fun to their own brains and they usually surprise us with what they come up with by just playing.

Connecting with Them

Years of working with kids has taught me that above all, connection is key. Every child is unique, with a distinct personality that dictates how they respond to the world around them. Some are all about silliness, others thrive on compliments, and then there are those who really just want a quiet, safe space. It is so important to pause and make time to understand and connect with each child individually. Building that relationship of trust and making them feel heard is going to open the door to genuine expressions and authentic moments that truly shine in the final photos.

Become an Observer

On a photoshoot, it can be easy to get caught up in the director's role, after all, we love having a good shot list! (IYKYK) But sometimes, the best moments unfold when we step back and just watch what they do naturally. Kids are genuinely curious and creative little geniuses. Given the space to explore on their own terms, we often find ourselves capturing pure, unscripted magic. My extreme type A personality can have a tendency to over-direct, but it's a delicate balance between guiding the shoot and allowing their playful spirits to take the lead.

So, there it is – a sneak peek into the world of kids' brand photography and how we approach it. Our guidelines are: Stay flexible, focus on connections, and step back and observe. The spontaneous shots that we end up with are often my long-time favorite photos.

How Working with an experienced Brand Strategist Can Elevate Your Photo Session (Part 2) | Boston Photographer

If you started on Part 1 of this post, let me pick up where I left off… Enter my dream client, interior design entrepreneur extraordinaire, Ms Rachel Reider of Reider and Co. She is doing a complete rebrand with Kris, and they need next level content to show off what this team is all about. Oh, have I mentioned her amazing, powerhouse (all female) team of 6?

Example of a client shot list

Again, I can’t stress enough how beneficial it was to have Kris on the brand strategy/art direction side of this. After diving deep into the Reider and Co brand and the direction they were going, Kris and I came up with a shot list together. Here is an example of a shot list I would create for every brand photoshoot. It includes inspiration photos, locations, and specific shots we know are a priority.

For this particular shoot, we wanted a heavy focus on the team dynamic. Day 1 included two versatile locations - one in a Back Bay, Boston condo, and the other in a suburban Wellesley home. Our main focus was really powerful team photos, headshots, as well as a peek into all of the many things that happen behind the scenes as they are working with their clients. This was one of my favorites, shot “tableau style” to highlight the all inclusive experience the team provides from start to finish.

Day 2 was on location at Rachel’s studio in the South End of Boston (two blocks away from my condo, perfect!) Our main focus was to show the day-to-day, behind-the-scenes team in action: the start of the process, the sample selection, the team meetings. All of the things we don’t think about when we see the finished product.

All in all, it was a successful brand shoot, and I am THRILLED to see these images on Rachel’s gorgeous new website. Kris did an amazing job. This is what happens when women are in charge.

Check out the Reider and Co brand new website here

Check out the very talented Kris Kennedy of Loudhouse Branding website here

Of course what would a great photoshoot be without gorgeous hair and makeup, by Paula Roderick-Voisembert

7 Tips for What to wear to your Brand Photoshoot

When scheduling a Personal Brand Session, clients always ask, “What should I wear?” I’d like to share my top 7 tips for what to wear to your brand photoshoot! Before we get to the details, my best advice is to work with a wardrobe stylist, especially if you are doing an Essential or All Inclusive Personal Brand Session.

A good stylist will take into consideration what will be most flattering on you and relevant to the overall vibe we are going for in our session. If you love styling yourself and you know you got this, GO FOR IT! You know yourself and your brand best! Whether or not you decide to work with a stylist, here are some items to consider when choosing outfits for your Brand Photoshoot.

1. What do you Want to Convey?

Is your brand upscale luxury? Or, down to earth and casual? Your wardrobe should 100% reflect the messaging you want to put out there.

2. Variety

We all need some variety in our lives, and our photos are no different! You don’t want to have 20 photos of you in the same outfit scattered across your social media. Instead, consider all the different hats you wear.

You dress one way when you’re working at home (although maybe we can go a step up from the sweats and unwashed hair here). I'm going to bet you dress another way when you’re meeting with clients, doing a speaking engagement, or shipping out products. Your looks can be multi-dimensional and still cohesive.

3. Survey your Wardrobe

Go through your wardrobe with a fresh set of eyes before our shoot in order to determine what you already have and what you need.

• What are your absolute favorite go-to pieces?

• What do you love about them?

• Do any of them fit into your brand?

If yes, great! Use these items as a starting point. Now, think about what you need to complete each outfit - a statement necklace or earrings, a floral skirt for twirling, a ripped pair of jeans, or a cute hat, there are a million ways to refresh a wardrobe staple for our shoot.

4. Give Yourself Time

Choose your outfits and accessories ahead of time. You want to give yourself PLENTY of time to order, try on, and return if necessary.

5. Choose Colors Wisely

Keep your brand aesthetic at the forefront of your mind. Now, I’m not saying that if your brand colors are navy and gold, you should come to your brand session dressed head-to-toe in navy and gold. (please don't do that!) But the colors you choose should complement your brand aesthetic. You can accomplish this in a variety of ways like throwing on some gold bangles to complete your look, or draping a navy blazer on the back of your desk chair.

Bottom line:

If your website and insta feed are all neutral, soft tones, we should not be focusing on a rainbow palette for your wardrobe. That being said, don’t be afraid to strategically throw in a pop of color to grab attention when appropriate.

6. Ask for Feedback

Try outfits on, take photos, & send them to your photographer. This is a collaboration, so if you’re on the fence about what is appropriate for your brand photos, ask for feedback!

I LOVE helping clients curate their wardrobe for a brand photo shoot.

7. Fit + Comfort is Priority

Above all, we want you in well-fitting clothes. If something is uncomfortable, too big, or too tight, it will likely translate in the photos. When you feel and look your best, you radiate confidence!

I’ll say this one last time for those in the back:

Try it on BEFORE your shoot

Bonus Tip

While I highly recommend working with professional hair and makeup for your session, keep in mind that whichever option you choose, it is most important to remember that we are almost always going for an everyday look. If you’re done up with smokey eyes everyday when meeting with clients, then girl, Rock it! But we want your clients to see YOU in your photos, not a done-up, unrecognizable version of you. You’ll be at your best in front of the camera when you look and feel like yourself.

I hope you found these 7 Tips for What to Wear to Your Brand Photoshoot helpful! If you are interested in learning more about Emily O’Brien Personal Brand Photography, or want to schedule your Personal Brand session, contact me here. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Emily O’Brien Photography is a Boston based Photography Studio specializing in Personal Brand and Family Photography.