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.

Boston Portrait Photographer | Fashion Inspired Senior Session with Jackie

Jackie contacted me for her senior portraits because she saw her friend Hayley's photos, and wanted a similar experience. She wanted the fashion inspired model shoot that I had recently started offering to high school seniors. What 17 year old girl doesn’t want to be a model for a day? She didn’t necessarily want these photos for the yearbook (I think the deadline had already passed), she wanted this experience to have it and keep it forever, she wanted to feel beautiful.

She brought in really great outfits for her consultation, she loves fashion and shoes, so she did a wonderful putting together a complete outfit for each look. She brought bright colors, pink, and turquoise, mixed with simple whites and blacks. She brought mini skirts and oversized sweaters with leggings. She also loved the idea of shooting in the old mill buildings (am I sensing a signature location style since opening in Lawrence or what?)

We were expecting a snowstorm the day of the shoot, which is no big surprise looking back at the winter we've had, but it was the first snowfall of the season. We changed our timing a bit, but I said “maybe we could get some snowy portraits, if you’re up for it!” She loved that and mom was a good sport... especially when we were actually in the trenches and we were getting hit with the heavy, wet, miserable snow.

I couldn't wait to show Jackie and her mom the photos at our Viewing appointment. Dad was joining us as well and I can't lie, I always get a little more nervous when dad comes too (I think it's often harder for them to see their little girl as an almost-grown, beautiful woman), but he loved them and encouraged Jackie throughout the ordering process. They went with a 10x10 album, which was perfect for Jackie's session, since we were able to incorporate so many different looks.

I love Jackie's look so much, I had to order a big print of her for the studio sample wall as well.

Read more about these fashion editorial inspired senior sessions here

Update: Jackie just graduated from Brooks School in North Andover and will be entering the Miss Teen USA pageant this year. I am thrilled to be one of her sponsors!

Jackie's program ad for the Miss Teen pageant

Boston Portrait Photography | Why Should I Style My Portrait Session?

"What do you mean by 'style our photo shoot'?" To style a photoshoot means to plan out and design your session. Styling could include clothing, accessories, props, anything used to create a look.

"Why do I care?" Styling sets the tone. The items we choose to style your session with each contribute to the look and feel of your portraits. Styling brings everything together, and gives the expression and posing context. It can add drama, or keep things light and fun. The important thing is to be creative, and have fun with it.

We wanted to create an "end of summer" feel here. The sun is setting behind her, she has a cozy blanket wrapped around her shoulders, but she still has her yellow summer hat on.

We chose a pale pink, desaturated color scheme to enhance the ballerina theme we chose for this precious newborn baby girl

This girl was crazy over tutus, so we chose to put her in a floor length pink tutu, and place her amidst the hydrangea bushes. The framing of the branches  creates a feel that the viewer is catching a genuine moment while this girl is in her own world, dancing among the flower maze.

"How far should I go with the styling?" It can be as simple as choosing a neutral color palette and stopping there, or as elaborate as renting the perfect headband and fringe to fit your Gatsby theme. Keep it simple and genuine, or bring a detailed creative vision to life.

If this is your family portrait session, and you are trying to stay true to your personal style, then the styling should reflect your personality. If you are all about bright, bold colors, then we may start with a colorful location. If you like a muted, desaturated palette, then we may start with understated colors on a monochromatic background.

Style tip for your session: Think coordinating, not matching. Instead of looking to match each other in similar outfits, think of dressing yourself from head to toe, and spread that theme throughout the family outfits. What other accessories and colors can you throw in to go with the theme?

The small pops of red in her high heels and red lipstick were just enough to pull this photo together. We were trying to create a story with elegance, simplicity, relationship, and emotion.

This autumn newborn was perfect for the apple picking theme we chose. We found the apple basket first, then stuck with the fall color scheme, and added real apples for detail impact

For this high school senior, we wanted to keep the look simple, but still cute and girlie, to focus on her gesture and expression.

For more information about how to plan for a session click HERE

To contact me to book a session click HERE

For extensive wardrobe advice, consult Susan Kanoff