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.

Personal Brand Sessions, What The Heck Are They?

What IS a Personal Brand session? Personal brand sessions start with a consultation to get to know your brand story. Sessions usually include headshots, lifestyle images to capture you in action, as well as details that cater to your specific business. Because the session is so customized to suit your brand, the types of images we create will vary from one business to another... which is totally the fun part!! We are telling YOUR unique story

Who is it for? Short answer - anyone who is representing their brand. Small business owners, solo and entrepreneurs, creative professionals, public figures, coaches, teachers, the list could go on and on...
 

Why do I need it? 🤔Strong images give your brand a personality, they show people who you are as a business and what it’s like to work with you. We live in a visual world, and if people can’t see you, they don’t know if they can trust you. I know it’s not easy being in front of the camera, but if you are the face of your brand, YOU need to be involved in the story!
 
What can I expect? You can expect a personalized, customized experience, that clearly communicates your brand story. We start with a questionnaire and consultation to get to know your brand, this is your chance to throw out any ideas, requests, must haves, or definitely-nots. I love the brainstorming process and once we know where we are going, we can start looking at location and wardrobe options. Hair and makeup is always recommended and helps you look and feel your best in front of the camera. It’s always my goal to make you feel comfortable throughout the shoot so we can capture your true personality and of course THIS WILL BE FUN!!

What can I do with my images? This list could be 10 pages long but let’s stick with the basics for now. 

1. Social media in all its glorious forms! Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In. Social media posts that include an image receive 120-180% more visibility and engagement.

2. Your website - Blogs, home page, about me, landing pages, sales pages, contact, etc.⠀

3. Marketing pieces - Business cards, brochures, mailers, or other printed marketing materials.⠀

4. Press releases, speaking engagements, email signature, anywhere you have the opportunity to show people what it would be like to work with you⠀

I bet you can think of at least 10 more that apply to your specific business. I’d love to know what you can come up with for your business!

What types of images do we create? I know you don’t want 30 versions of a formal headshot... BORING! Of course this varies with every brand, but I love to mix in some lifestyle and “working” photos so that people can truly visualize what it’s like to work with, and just be around you. If you offer products, we’ll get some really great product shots. If you have your own workspace, I love to shoot there and incorporate the vibe of your space

Once I’ve experienced and loved everything about our photoshoot, when can we do it again? YES I hope that’s what everyone says, but honestly, our need for content these days can be overwhelming and it can be so hard to keep up with. Again, everyone has different needs, but we can come up with a plan to shoot weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly to keep your content fresh and consistent!

Personal_Brand_Photography from Emily O'Brien on Vimeo.