3 Must-Do Steps for Planning Your Brand Photoshoot
If you’ve got a brand photoshoot coming up, chances are you’re thinking about outfits and maybe scrolling Pinterest for inspiration. But there are a few less obvious things that can seriously affect how your shoot feels and how useful your photos are afterwards.
When I jumped on a planning call with Anna ahead of her brand shoot, we covered a lot. She was launching two websites, prepping a skincare product line, and wanted portraits that felt like her and none of that was going to happen by winging it on the day.
Here are 3 things most people overlook in their brand shoot prep, and why they matter.
1. Where Your Photos Will Actually Be Used
This sounds obvious, but so many people don’t think about this in advance. Will your images be used on your homepage banner? In product listings? Instagram Reels covers? Press features?
Knowing how and where your images will be used shapes everything: from composition and background to whether we shoot landscape or portrait. During Anna’s pre-shoot planning, we mapped out images for:
- Two new websites
- A product range
- Instagram posts and behind-the-scenes reels
Planning your brand photoshoot properly means we can create strategic content that works hard in all those places, not just something pretty for one square on your grid.
2. Props That Tell a Story
Your laptop and a coffee mug are a good start, but what else helps people understand what you do?
Anna brought:
- Skincare products from her upcoming range
- Published pieces and press features
- A bold-coloured mug (because she’s rarely seen without it)
These aren’t just props. They tell the story of your work, your expertise and your personality, which makes your photos more engaging and more useful long after the shoot.
This is exactly what planning your brand photoshoot properly is all about.
3. The Running Order
This one’s underrated: what’s the order we shoot everything in? Do you want to start in your more formal clothes and end in casual outfits? Hair freshly done at the beginning or more relaxed later?
Anna’s day was carefully paced. Hair and makeup started at 10am, then we moved through outfit changes that matched the studio sets we’d chosen. Because we’d mapped it all out on the call, there was no scrambling or second-guessing.
Instead, she walked in confident, relaxed, and ready.
Planning Your Brand Photoshoot Shouldn’t Feel Like Guesswork
When you actually take time to plan your brand photoshoot, the experience is smoother, more fun and delivers way more value.
If you’re thinking about booking your own shoot or already have one on the calendar, let’s make sure you feel totally prepared. I include planning calls with all my brand shoots, so everything is thought through ahead of time.
