Brand photoshoots

BRAND PHOTOSHOOTS

GOOD IMAGES ARE MAKE OR BREAK

WE LIVE IN A VISUAL WORLD

I know I know, it can feel vulnerable to share your image with the world. Some people love photoshoots most people loathe them! I was a model for ten years and a fashion stylist for magazines for four so hopefully I can impart some useful tips on how to prepare for a photoshoot.

BE YOU, YOUR BEAUTIFUL, ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC SELF

It may seem obvious but so many people (amateur and pro) fall into the trap of trying to copy an image they like.

It’s so easy to fallback on someone else’s aesthetic and think it’s quicker and easier to reproduce an existing image. So I would say whilst you should absolutely pin ideas to Pinterest or look online and in magazines for inspiration, you should never just blanket steal someone else’s scene! Why? Because it will look contrived as hell and you’ll be left feeling disappointed that’s why! I can assure you, that you won’t appear natural or at ease because somewhere inside you will be thinking ‘I’m acting or pretending"‘.

Find a location and setting that suits you, where you feel truly happy.

DON’T FORCE ANYTHING

Get what you need but don’t be overambitious

When you book a photographer for a half or a full day there’s a tendency to want to cram as much in as possible. I would definitely say less is more. By all means get your shot list together ahead of time but don’t try to achieve everything in a day. It is better to focus on fewer shots but make sure they are perfect and focus on attention to detail.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TECHNICAL THINGS I NEED TO CONSIDER?

Here’s what you need to know

Most photographers who are used to doing ‘personal brand’ photoshoots will know what you need. But as a recap for you, here’s the down low on what to consider and ask for.

Dimensions & file size

Banner images for websites should be 2500 x 1500 pixels and should be shot wide i.e. there should be plenty of image either side of the main focal point. For website banners you’ll need the orientation to be landscape. When a photographer supplies images they usually send high quality JPEGS (file format) which are high resolution e.g. 5 megabytes or larger, which is a great quality image BUT not suitable for upload onto a website. The file size needs to be reduced to 500KBS anything larger than that is really going to kill your loading speed and your site will be super slow. Tip: People get bored very quickly if they can’t load a page on your site, they often navigate away from your site.

Less is more, simplicity is often best

RELAX & SMILE

Relax and all will be great

Natural and candid are the best images. Staged photos feel so cringe! I really wouldn’t put yourself under a ton of pressure to come up with the perfect images, it often paves the way to disappointment. The best images usually come when you have a relaxed approach and when you’re honestly not really expecting much! The moment you start panicking that the shoot is costing me a fortune I have to ‘get the shots no matter what’ is the moment you are doomed to failure. You’ll be tense and the session won’t flow well. The best images always seem to come at the end of the shoot when you’re more relaxed and into the swing of things.

Pro tip: leave your most important image (home page) to shot 2 or 3 down your shot list you’ll be relaxed and warmed up by then.

FILLERS ARE YOUR FRIEND

I don’t mean cosmetic enhancement!

What I mean here is that it’s really handy to have plenty of extra images of things rather than just of you. For example props, a book and pen, a vase of flowers, your pet, items of interest from your studio. Anything that really tells your unique story. When it comes to building your website, having beautiful ‘filler’ images makes life so much easier. So get styling your mala beads draped over your altar or your desk set up with laptop and pen. The more of these images you can get the better with different crops (close up or zoomed out) in both portrait and landscape orientation.

Filler images are a great way to tell your unique story

THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONSISTENT COLOUR PALETTE

Your images should work as a ‘suite’ of images that have a consistent look and feel and colour plays a big part in that. You can capture some amazing images that as standalone pictures are dreamy, but that just don’t work together as a collection. I would opt to use a colour palette for sure. It’s fine to wear bright colours and bold prints if they are your style as long as all the images work together in a cohesive aesthetic not just in isolation. Personally I find it’s easier to opt for a neutral aesthetic and then allow the website to do the splashes of colour on your site. Also have a think about the background you are standing/sitting behind. Are you in front of a bright wallpaper on one shot and then in a forest on another? The best websites I find make use of images with a consistent colour palette and ‘look and feel.

INTERESTING CROPS

The final thing to mention is you should absolutely get creative about how you crop your images. Sometimes a hand in meditation using a mudra or a crop of a yoga mat and props can be a really creative way to bring a website to life.

What stage are you at with your soulful business? I’d love to hear all about your dreams.