Have you ever thought to yourself, I need to book a personal brand photo shoot and at some point, you decide, hell yea! I want to be a badass entrepreneur with amazing personal brand photos too! Brand photos that make me look the way I feel (which should be amazing) and ones that truly capture who I am. Good, you deserve it!

You’ve taken a huge step. As a Chicago personal brand photographer, I know how important this milestone in your business is. 

Before booking a personal brand photo shoot, here are 5 things you should consider.

What types of pictures do you need for your website and/or social media? 

One thing you shouldn’t overlook is asking yourself these questions: What specifically do you need these photos for? Do you have a launch coming up? A course you want to market?  Do you need filler images along with your personal brand shoot? What are your image needs? 

During the discovery call with your photographer, this helps us determine an action plan for you. That’s why it’s important to think ahead about your goals and projects and write them down. Bonus points if you want to write down a list of all the places you could use them.  

If you’re starting out and don’t have social or a website, no worries, a good personal brand photographer will give you guidance on all that you need for your personal brand photo shoot.

What message do you want to get through to your ideal client? 

Who do you serve? What are their problems? Their pain points? What mood or energy do you want to portray in your images? What is your brand aesthetic?

This is important because your ideal client tells you what kind of images you need for your brand. Let’s say you’re a florist, you’d want pictures of you building a bouquet, your tools of the trade, and a final example of your work. If you’re a yoga instructor, maybe you’d want pictures of you practicing some poses, some of your mat and tools you use to teach, and some of you helping a client with their pose movements.. 

Knowing your target audience (ideal client) helps us create the best images that communicate your brand story and values to them.

Book Your Personal Brand Photo shoot in Advance

I understand how exciting it is once you decide to book your personal brand photo shoot. If you’re on a deadline, I would suggest booking the shoot sooner rather than later. Trying to set up a photoshoot at the last minute can become so stressful. Good personal brand photographers need time to do a deep dive into your brand, shoot and edit your session. Most personal brand photographers, including myself, book out at least a month in advance. Some photographers book out several months in advance.

Location, Location, Location.

It’s not a bad idea to brainstorm where you want to have your shoot. Do you want one location? Two locations? Do you have a home office that fits your brand or is your home part of your brand? Do you want to shoot in a studio? Should the studio have a kitchen? An office? These are all things you should consider. 

Your personal brand photographer will have ideas and suggestions on where to have your shoot. Choosing a location will depend on what kind of business you have and what you want your ideal client to see. 

Decide on your budget

Last but not least, what is your budget? Personal brand photographers have all kinds of pricing and pricing structures. It’s important to understand what your photographer’s price and packages include before booking.

Depending on your photographer and what kind of content you want to create, or how much content you want to create, personal brand shoots can range from $500-$5000. The more experience the photographer has, the more expensive their packages will be. 

Taking these five things into consideration before booking your personal brand photoshoot will help you get the most out of your experience. 

If you’d like to work with me, click here to learn more about my services.