How to Prepare for a Brand Photo-shoot
“Taking my own product photos are becoming a hassle and I just want to give it to someone else!”
Sounds familiar?! I want to help you find and choose the best product photographer for you, how to prep for your photo shoot, plus how to use your product photos after they have been delivered to you! So let’s begin first by looking at how to take better product Photography for your business?
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Finding your First Photographer
I’m an online brand and product photographer that does photos for online business owners that do not have the money to go all out and book a local photographer. It’s a big difference from a brand photographer that lives locally or a photographer that meets you where you are. These types of services usually cost a little more but they are great when you want to add more of you into your images along with your products.
You can find photographers where you live through word of mouth or search on instagram under hashtags that include location and photographer or type of photographer behind it such as #vaphotographer (virginia photographer).
“So which one should I decide on?
It really depends on your budget and level of business you are in. If you have the money definitely go for the full branding experience but only if you want to have yourself included in your brand and how much your budget allows. However, if you are a business that just wants your products to be front and center, an online photographer is the perfect solution. Simply ship the items to the photographer and they will shoot them and send your items(if you like) back and images will be delivered to you via a image sharing platform like dropbox. Even if you are a service based business you can use this online service. You can create custom stock photos for your brand and you can include models or no models, flatlay or lifestyle images.
These are images taken for a service based business:
These are images taken for a Product Based Business:
How do I choose a photographer that is right for me?
Their are several ways to choose a photographer…
Photographer’s Aesthetic: Look at their style of photography by checking their portfolio on their website. Also check there other platforms like instagram and don’t hesitate to message them to see if they could pull off your style as well.
Do you like bright and airy images?
Do you like the minimal simple look?
Do you like fun and colorful images?
Do you have a specific editing preference?
I tend to have very bright and airy images. I love busy flatlay images. However, my area of expertise ranges beyond that to colorful images and even minimal prop images!
Don’t know your style? Then you should not be booking a photographer…period! By Knowing your brand and getting clarity on it before venturing out to finding a photographer comes in handy! Things to know about your brand:
Your brand’s message (Why are you doing what you are doing, your goals that are long term)
Who you want to attract (create an ideal persona and focus on them when creating the rest)
Your Brand’s Personality (choose 5 words to describe your brands personality)
Your Brand’s Core Values (choose 5 core values to stick with)
Your Brand’s colors is the most important piece (choose 3-5 colors that you want to be know for)
“If you’re not taking your business seriously enough to have picked a few colors to represent it, then do NOT invest hundreds or thousands of dollars on a photo shoot. You will waste not only your time but your photographers time.”
If you were to work with me I’ll send over an in-depth brand clarity questionnaire to better understand your brand. You can then take this questionnaire and use it for your brand from here on out! But you need to at least know your brand colors before you even consider booking a photographer.
Photographers Personality: Have you checked out their personality on social media, through video, on their website, how they treat their customers? Will it align with your personality. Learn more about them as much as you can before deciding to go with them. You need to be able to trust the person you are investing in.
I make it a point to show up on instagram daily! Whether to give words of wisdom, share inspiration quotes, share tips and tricks, or just to show the behind the scenes. I want people to feel comfortable with me. I want to build that trust right from the start! So check out the potential photographers instagram, stories, and post to really get a feel of them and then head over to their website!
“Why do I need a brand shoot especially if I just started?”
Brand photo-shoots essentially will make you stand out among your niche, setting you up for much success. It’s a way to intentionally tell your brand’s story through visuals that are specific to you!
So whether you are considering working with me or another brand photographer I want to encourage you to prepare for your next brand photo-shoot!
So what do you do now that you have all of these tips?
Your next step:
Prepare for Your Product/Brand Photo shoot
Create an Inspiration board: Many photographers will either want you to create one or will create one for you to review. I would suggest having this when you are chatting with him or her. Share this board with your photographer. Even in the descriptions explain why you like this picture will make shooting for your needs easier!
Plan out your prop list: What would you like to see in your photos? Want minimal props but add in a succulent...let him/her know. Would you like to have a marble background with a brown flooring tell them! It makes prop selection so much easier for the photographer! Be as specific as possible in your prop list. Let them know what you want and what you absolutely do not want.
Mention in the very beginning if you want models or not: Models have to get paid too so it’s important to let the photographer know this up front to give you a quote or they may have add ons like in my services!
Mention where you would be using these images: Tell your photographer up front. Will you need it for your website then you’ll need a hero image for instance.
Create a shot list: Think about the shots that you absolutely need for your products and mention it during the beginning stages.
I hope you found these tips helpful. Whether you are a product based or service based business I hope that you consider getting branded photos for your business.If you are making the investment in brand photography, you are investing in yourself! Pat yourself on the back, because that is AMAZING.
In Conclusion
How to prep for a Product PHOTO-SHOOT
KNOW YOUR BRAND!
Look up photographers where you live as well as on social media
Check out their aesthetic and personality
Check there website for examples of their work
Prep for the photo-shoot before you communicate with photographer
So there you go, you are going to get some amazing images if your find, plan, and prep for your next photo-shoot! Plus if you would like your brand or After reading these tips what did you take a way from it? Are you ready to utilize stock photos in a fresh new way for your social media?!
