EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT A PERSONAL BRAND SHOOT
Sometimes a dream client just lands on your lap. Dominique from Dmarz Designs was one of those! From our first chat I really got a sense that she trusted me with her brand and in turn, I trusted her to show up and her true and authentic self. A match made in heaven…
So I thought I would run through how a branding shoot works, using Dominique as a case study, from the very first contact right through to delivery of the images, and beyond so you can see everything that a brand shoot can achieve for you. I also want to show how your brand visuals and identity are so much more than the location, what you wear and the tone of the photos, but also hugely influenced by the edit - which is one of my favourite bits of the creative process.
As one of the great landscape photographers says (and bear in mind this was before digital processing but the sentiment is the same),
“The negative is the score, and the print is the performance”
I also want to highlight the difference between a short Power Portrait session and a brand shoot and how to choose what you need. I’m always up for a chat to really understand your needs and what these images need to achieve for you so feel free to book that in here.
Now let’s get started on the epic journey…
1. Hello, is it me your looking for?
As I mentioned in my previous blog on how to choose a photographer, I think it’s pretty necessary to have a chat with your prospective photographer. You need to feel a connection and get the sense that you will enjoy your time together as well as trust their guidance, experience and creativity to infuse your images with magic and your personality in a unique, yet authentic way.
A chat and checking that we are right for each other, allows creative juices flow and ideas start to take root and essentially a time for your queries to be laid to rest so you can move on confidently to the next stage.
2. The Prep
To some degree this part of the process is in your hands but I am also on hand to help and guide if and when it’s needed. This is the stage where you start to dig really deep into your brand with my 10 journal prompts which ask some pretty big questions and really ask you to question your values and why you’re doing this shoot. This isn’t something that you need to show me but will inform how you complete the Shoot Workbook which is a google doc that you edit and share with me before the shoot.
Here, it’s over to you really - your laptop, your imagination and your dreams…
This part can be interesting because at the back of your head you are worried about the shoot and feeling insecure about certain things. It’s important to share these with me but I also find that channeling this energy into the planning and remembering I’m here for any questions or queries can calm the nerves. I also have two prep guide PDFs that I send too which explain more about the day and have lots of gems of wisdom that work for the most uncertain of clients.
(Shshhhhhh! You can get some of these exclusive resources for FREE over here.)
As well as thinking, journalling (and maybe a little worrying) this is also the collating stage where you send any reference images. This is fun for you because I don’t want you to overthink this stage. Whether it’s a facial expression, a location, a pose or something else - I just want you to send what excites you and what images you’re drawn to. It’s MY job to join the dots with your reflection and your Pinterest Board so I can reflect back your brand to you on the most fun part of the process…
3. The Shoot
This is the fun bit!!! It really is. But let me let you in on a little secret. I get a little nervous too. It’s a bit like those healthy nerves you get before going on stage (I used to be a dancer and loved that feeling) which give you the adrenaline you need to ace the performance. The thing I’m most nervous about is forgetting something in my kit, but once I have listened to my “TUNES” playlist and stated my favourite affirmations, I am ready.
Usually we will have a rough plan in place. I will have studied your workbook, made an imprint on my brain of the must-have and nice-to-have shots and hold the three main adjectives that you have chosen from all my tasks that encapsulate your brand (a simple yet effective task). But my creative process is very open and I am ALWAYS on the lookout for an unexpected delight, backdrop or moment that we could never have planned. This is the magic and probably the aspect of the shoot that I love the most. The perfect alchemy of planning and spontaneity - the sweet spot of creativity! Once bubbles appeared from nowhere and made the perfect moment for a creative coach.
When I am with you, my primary goal is making you feel comfortable and that you’re enjoying the session. I seem to have the gift of the gab and will keep you talking and distracted with my easy camera techniques (no posing or fake laughs or even bad jokes - I promise.) It’s a really natural and intuitive process, something that most clients reflect on their feedback as the most surprising part about the shoot. You really can’t imagine it until you have experienced it.
This part is why I love my job so much. My favourite thing is the intimate interaction of being with you 1:1. I know for some that sounds a little intimidating or scary but it creates a really safe, trusting and nurturing space that would be thrown if I have an assistant or a bigger team with me on a shoot (something I’ve foregone for this very reason).
When we’re certain we’ve got everything then I dash home and back up the images straight away in preparation for the next (often underrated) stage…
4. The Edit
Most photographers hate this part but I find this a really meditative and such a satisfying part of the process. I really get what yer man Ansel Adams said at the start of the blog - that the RAW image is the score and here, in the edit, is the beautiful, whole performance. For him it was a dark room - for me it’s Lightroom on my laptop.
Also, I’m a bit of a technical geek and really love the creativity and possibilities of this stage. Here’s where we accentuate the best features, remedy anything that is distracting and even remove or paint in something to the background. I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop* depending on the needs of the image as they offer different capabilities. I use a tablet and pen to paint and remove light or colour. It really is such a creative stage, and one that I will keep honing for years to come.
But the subtle and powerful thing here is the colour toning. The temperature of whether the scene is cool or warm, the tint, whether a colour is more vibrant or desaturated. I am also a lover of theatre so we can add drama by adjusting the shadows or blacks. And even the colours of your brand can be exaggerated or used in the highlights or shadows. There so much nuanced work that happens here.
In my shoot with Dominique she had a really strong neutral cohesion to her brand tones and it was so important that this was realised and implemented at this stage. See the before and after below to get a sense of how this all works.
Removing the vibrant blue and yellow tones while lightening and highlighting the pinks was the grade that really made these images sit together well.
*NOTE ON PHOTOSHOP: I use photoshop (something I’m reluctant to share sometimes with it’s negative connotations to altering someone’s true self) to enhance photos and bring creativity to the image. I don’t remove permanent features or make you thinner etc. I only adjust things that could have been changed on the day if I had additional lighting at my disposal - that includes colour toning, creases on clothes, new spots, flyaway hairs, something we meant to remove from the shot. I really believe it’s this attention to detail that makes your final images professional and why I spend so much time on the edit. I might spend up to 5 hours on the editing stage of a brand shoot which is important to bear in mind that your investment also covers this.
5. The Delivery
The bit you’ve been waiting for BUT this is also the nerve-wracking part if we’re being honest. You’ve invested time, money and emotions into these images and I want to make sure that there are no surprises here, so this is why I make sure you see the images on the back of the camera as we are capturing them on the shoot. This feedback is really important for me in the moment but it also serves you too. And my goal is the same as yours - to give you images of you that you love so that you can grow in confidence PLUS be excited and eager to share them with your tribe.
“Donnaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! These photos are amazing. Phenomenal. I can’t deal. Thank you so so so SO much.”
Then you take as long as you need to choose from a gallery of at least 100 images (but there are often more) and you can get a second opinion too. You just ‘heart’ the images you love and can even write notes if there are any amends. Some people take weeks to choose and others maybe 30 minutes! There is absolutely no rush my end.
6. Using your photos
We will most certainly keep in touch and if you tag me in my images then I will also share what you’re up to. I care so deeply about the personal brands I work with and can’t wait to see where they soar next.
And I’m excited that I am also starting to offer clients creative ideas with their new images so that they and really grab the attention of their audience and stop the scroll so your important content can be read and connected with. These include cut-outs, drop-shadows, word outlines, prism exposures, creative collages and so much more!
7. Time to reflect
A possibly neglected part of the process but quite an important one in my opinion. A little while after the shoot and receiving your photos, I will send a brief email inviting you to take just a few minutes to reflect on the process. Last year the prompts gave me these insights:
100% felt the final images showed your authenticity and individuality
100% would use the service again or recommend it to a friend
100% felt that my Photography service was value for money
97% are happy with the final images (giving either 4 or 5 out of 5, no-one was unhappy with the final images)
This year I am curious to find out whether your confidence improved, how long you waited before booking in a shoot and what surprised you about the experience. These are as useful for me as they are for you. A recent reflection that is very telling of how the reflection is empowering for you rather than just data for me…
“I’ve spent a lot of my adult life not being comfortable in my own skin. It’s a work in progress but our shoot helped me to see myself in a different light, felt like getting back to being me.”
Ah - what a dream shoot! I really hope that you’ve enjoyed getting inside the process and understanding the stages of the whole thing. I hope you also have a sense of the creativity, honing and adjusting and the magic that comes from the beautiful collaboration between photographer and client. Not to mention the confidence as well as grounding and purpose you infuse into your business and brand
“I’m truly amazed by my new brand photos! We had such an incredible morning working together. Donna had me feeling really at ease and relaxed the whole time.
She managed to capture my brand personality fully, and I’ve already had so many compliments about the new photos.
From the prep work to the final images, she did a fantastic job of helping me feel prepared, comfortable and confident. ”
Huge thanks to Dominique - please check out her work. She really does create such a unique branding and design service, including hand-drawn lettering.
I love brand shoots and the slow pace that we meander the streets (or set up scenes inside) and try out different shots and really captures tons of facets and angles of what you do, how you do it and why you do it. If a photo says a 1000 words then a set of images can tell the whole story of YOU. And that’s what you’re clients and customers are crying out for (even though they may not realise it). You can view more client stories here.
So who’s ready for their brand shoot then? You can find out more here and if you need to try a shorter session for updated headshots or your first shoot experience then find out about Power Portraits here.
I cannot wait to take you on this journey…
Donna x