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5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Brand Shoot | Boston Photographer

1. Re-evaluate what your brand means to you and how you want that visualized. What are some of your business’s grounding principles or your own personal mantra? What do you want to be known for- approachability? Family oriented? Think about what locations are good visual representations of your brand. 

2. Image research and prep. Time to head on over to Pinterest and other social media (or scroll through my instagram) to find poses and images that give me some direction for what you want. I will guide you through posing the day of our shoot, but this is a good place for you to figure out what you like and (maybe more importantly), don’t like aesthetically. Additionally, if you already know where you want these images to end up, that’s super helpful in creating a shot list customized to your needs.

3. Keep me updated! Communication, communication, and did I mention communication? We will start with a consultation call to go over how to best showcase you and your brand during our time together. This is a great time for me to really listen to your needs, pain points, and ideas, so that I can start putting those all together into a custom shot list before our session. If any changes do happen along the way - you decide you want to change location, add a specific shot, prop, bring your dog, fill in the blank, let me know ahead of time so we can plan for it.

4. Picking your outfits. A perfect excuse to look through your wardrobe with a fresh set of eyes. It’s so important to choose clothes you feel confident in AND that are representative of you and your brand. If that means shopping to add in some key pieces, or borrowing some accessories from a friend, you’ll want to leave yourself plenty of time for searching and ordering what you need. I always suggest having a few extra options.

5. Day of shoot. Leave yourself plenty of time to prepare, and arrive at our first location punctually so we can make the most of our time together. I highly recommend bringing a few snacks and water bottle. Trust me, the time will go by fast, so take a deep breath, and relax so you can enjoy it and be your authentic self. Once we get going these sessions are so much fun!

How to prepare for your session: The ultimate guide | Boston Photographer

Wondering how to get the most out of our time together? Do you have any specific shots in mind already? Have some questions about the shoot? Here is a comprehensive session guide to best prepare you for your Family Photos!

Step 1: Check the style guide for wardrobe.

Step 2: Feel free to send inspiration photos if you have them. If you have a pinterest board-share it!

Step 3: Answer the questionnaire I sent. It makes all the difference when I know a little about your kids and how to approach them. This is also a great opportunity to let me know if there are any specific shots you really want going into our session.

Step 4: Let the kids be kids and don’t stress if they aren’t “behaving”. Your 3 year old runs from the camera, your 5 year old has no idea how to smile naturally, and your moody 7 year old is done with us before we start. Sound familiar? We are here to make this fun and capture your kids’ true personalities, quirks, silly faces and all. If you are having fun, they will have fun.

3 of my must have shots:

Hugs and kisses

Tickles (or something similar that gets them giggling)

Active playing. Chasing our kids gets sweaty and dirty, and it’s not always glamorous. This is where the real stuff is. The stuff your kids enjoy and more importantly, open up to. All kids are different and if you know what kind of play brings out the best in yours, it is a huge help in capturing their genuine happiness.

Step 5: Go through this checklist to make sure you’re prepared:

  1. Make sure everyone is fed and hydrated ahead of time (adults too). Everyone is just more happy when they’re not hangry. Tip: stay away from foods that stain clothes or faces

  2. Bring easy snacks and water with you. Snack ideas: cheerios, white cheese, raisins…

  3. Have outfits ready ahead of time - like wayyy ahead of time. Pack an extra if you have a young baby, messy blowouts and spit up are definite possibilities.

  4. Leave yourself plenty of time. When you need to be somewhere on time, someone will have a meltdown or poop at the very moment you need to leave. Keep your sanity and leave yourself extra time, you don’t want to cut into your session time because your toddler hid his shoes.

  5. Bring something your kids love. This is totally optional, but if your kid has a toy or lovey that brings them more happiness than anything else in this world, it would be a great idea to have it with you, and even get it in a few photos - it can make a really sweet memory to look back on. One of my favorite photos of my son is him holding onto his “Lovey” at the end of our family session.

Now you’re ready for your session! Just show up and have fun with your kiddos.