1. YOU!!
Number one, hands down, your branding session should include you and your personality. There are many businesses like yours, what makes your business stand out is YOU! Your clients want to see what you look like, get to know you as a person, and genuinely like you…these are the people who are going to be excited to work with you and ultimately give you all those dollar bills!
Do something that will get you excited about getting in front of the camera, consider getting your hair and makeup done or maybe getting a brand new outfit–something that will help you feel more confident and excited about getting in front of the camera.
2. Your Brand
Think about what kind of things make up your brand…a brand is not just your logo or its colors…it’s the culture that you want to surround your business or the people that you want to attract. If you want to build a culture around the things that you love…that’s fine too! Let’s pull some of those elements into your session.
For example, I have a friend who loves pizza and the Backstreet Boys…and they included that in their session. When people think of them, they are literally the girls who love the Backstreet Boys. I encourage clients to make a list of things that are “so your business” and let’s talk about how we make them apart of your shoot!
3. Your Services + Products
What do offer in your business and how do you serve your clients? Prior to your planning consult, make a list of your services (many of us have more than one) so that we can chat about how to visually bring your different offerings to life in your images. Of course this can also include your final product!
Example: In my wedding work, I provide many services throughout the planning process leading up to the wedding (a timeline consult/creation, engagement session, reveal session, coordination with other vendors) and on the wedding day there are many aspects to my job that I would love to be shown to clients: styling details, working with the couple, working with their family and wedding party, communicating with other vendors. These are all important aspects of what I do to serve my clients that show me as a professional.
See some great examples: Kristin, Paper Petals Co., Gina, Deirdre, Maria
4. Processes
What are the different process that lead up to your final product? Think about the main points in your process that you would like highlighted. Our clients love to see what we do in the background and the value that you bring to your work by being a professional, let’s highlight all these things and show them how you create your magic!
Are you a cake artist and have all the processes of making and decorating a cake? A branding designer who does a consult with a client, designs a brand’s logo, and builds them print collateral? or an Event stylist who works with a client every step of the way to ensure that their vision comes to life by consulting with a client, coordinates vendors, sets up an event? Within your services are tons of processes that we can highlight to share why you are so stinkin’ amazing!
**Pro-tip: Make sure that this isn’t all done behind the screen of your computer. Let’s come up with ways that we can capture a process in another way to show you off!! Here is a blog on Capturing what you do Digitally.
See some great examples of these from Ellyn, Deirdre, Kelly, Jacki
5. Workspace
Where do you do all your magic? Capturing you in context of where you work adds a layer of authenticity to your branding session. Do you have a studio? Or meet clients at a coffee shop? Is your magic always done with clients? Let’s capture you in the same environment that you would normally be found on a typical work day! (Of course we can get some headshots with a nice pretty background, but that’s done on top of these environmental photos)
See some great examples: Cindy, Jacki, Ellyn, Pauline
Other session preparation resources
