Your simple guide to getting branding photos that actually work for your business.
You've booked your brand portrait session.
Now comes the slightly terrifying question:
“Okay… what do I actually need photos of?”
Don't worry. You don't need to arrive with a 47-page Pinterest board and a spreadsheet of poses.
Your Glow & Tell brand session is designed to give you a variety of images you can actually use, from professional headshots to social media content, website images, promotional graphics and everything in between.
The goal isn't just to make you look good. It's to make your brand look like you.
Think about what you want your photos to say
Before your session, think about your business as a whole.
Ask yourself:
- What do I want people to feel when they see my brand?
- Who am I trying to connect with?
- What makes my business different?
- Do I want to feel professional, approachable, fun, bold, luxurious, relaxed, creative or something else?
- What does working with me actually feel like?
- What parts of my personality do I want people to see?
Your photos are part of your brand story.
They should help someone scrolling through Instagram understand who you are, what you do and why they should stop scrolling.
You don't need to have all the answers.
That's something we can work through together.
Think beyond the headshot
Yes, we'll get the classic headshot.
You know the one.
Professional. Polished. Perfect for your website, LinkedIn, profile picture or email signature.
But we're not stopping there.
A good branding gallery should give you options.
We'll create a range of images that can be used across different parts of your business.
Think:
- The professional stuff
- Headshots
- Profile photos
- Website About page
- Team profiles
- Email signatures
- The social stuff
- Instagram posts
- Facebook posts
- Stories
- Reels covers
- Launch announcements
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Personal brand content
- The marketing stuff
- Website banners
- Promotional graphics
- Advertisements
- Service launches
- Blog headers
- Canva templates
- Special offers
- Booking announcements
- The personality stuff
Because your business isn't just a logo.
We'll also capture photographs that show you actually being you.
Working.
Laughing.
Creating.
Thinking.
Moving.
Interacting with your products or tools.
Whatever makes sense for your business.
Tell me what you actually need...
This is important.
Before your shoot, have a think about where you're going to use your photographs.
Are you rebuilding your website?
Launching a new service?
Trying to show more of your personality on Instagram?
Updating your professional headshot?
Creating advertisements?
Need photographs for a new business?
Tell me.
The more I know about what you need the images for, the more intentionally we can photograph them.
Bring your brand with you
Your branding photos should feel like they belong to your business.
That might mean bringing:
- Products
- Packaging
- Tools or equipment
- Laptop or tablet
- Notebook
- Props
- Uniforms
- Business cards
- Signage
- Favourite coffee cup
- Flowers
- Anything you regularly use in your business
You don't need to bring a suitcase full of random props.
Bring things that actually make sense for your brand.
If you're a hairdresser, let's photograph hair.
If you're a florist, bring flowers.
If you're a photographer, bring a camera.
If you're a tradie, bring your tools.
If you're a business coach, bring the things you actually use while working.
Your everyday business can become your content.
Think about your outfits
Bring options.
You don't necessarily need five completely different outfits. A few changes can create completely different looks.
Consider:
Your brand colours
If you have established brand colours, think about whether you want to incorporate them through clothing or accessories.
Your usual workwear
What would a client actually see you wearing?
Bring that.
Something a little more polished
Think about what you'd wear for an important meeting, presentation or professional photograph.
Something that feels like you
Your branding photos shouldn't look like a costume.
If you're normally colourful, wear colour.
If you're minimalist, embrace it.
If your brand is relaxed, you don't need to suddenly turn up looking like you're running for CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
The goal is recognisable you.
We'll create images with purpose
One of the biggest differences between a standard portrait session and a branding session is how we photograph the space around you.
We'll create a mix of:
Close-up images
Perfect for profile pictures, social posts and personal branding.
Mid-length portraits
Great for websites, posts and promotional content.
Full-body images
Useful for websites, campaigns and showing your environment.
Landscape images
Perfect for website banners and Facebook or website layouts.
Vertical images
Designed with Instagram, Stories and other social platforms in mind.
Images with negative space
These are especially useful for advertisements and graphics because they give you room to add text, logos, prices or calls to action.
So instead of having one beautiful photo that you use 37 times...
You'll have a library of images with different jobs to do.
Leave room for the words
This is one of my favourite parts of branding photography.
Not every photograph needs your face filling the entire frame.
Sometimes the most useful photograph is the one where you're sitting to one side, leaving beautiful clean space beside you for:
“BOOKINGS NOW OPEN”
or
“NEW SERVICE”
or
“MEET YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER”
or whatever your next marketing campaign needs.
We'll intentionally create some photographs with copy space so you can drop them straight into Canva, Instagram graphics, advertisements and your website.
Pretty and practical.
That's the goal.
Don't worry about knowing how to pose
You don't need modelling experience.
I'll guide you through the session.
We'll move, talk, work, change positions and create different expressions and compositions so your gallery doesn't look like 80 versions of the same headshot.
And if you're someone who says:
“I am so awkward in front of a camera.”
Excellent.
You're in very good company.
I'll tell you where to stand, where to look, what to do with your hands and how to move.
You just have to show up.
Bring your personality
This might be the most important part.
Your clients aren't just buying a product or service.
They're choosing you.
So let them see you.
Laugh.
Talk.
Move.
Be serious.
Be silly.
Show your concentration.
Show your excitement.
Show the personality that your clients actually experience when they work with you.
Your branding photographs should feel like someone could look at them and think:
“Yep. That's them.”
