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As small business owners, we must be courageous in front of our potential clients (Affiliate Link), whether on social media, podcasts, or other media. We must present ourselves professionally and know how our business brand comes across to others. I recently revisited my business personal brand and wanted to do something I haven’t done in my 23+ years of business. I decided to do a personal brand photoshoot. Today, I will walk you through the small business brand photoshoot process so you can see, through my experience, what it entails, what it costs, how to have a great photo shoot, and so much more. Follow along and see how this process works.
Topics discussed
- What is the purpose of these brand photos?
- Pick a Photographer who has a Personal Branding Service
- Questions to Ask Your Photographer Before the Photoshoot
- Try On and Plan Your Outfits
- Bring Together the Photoshoot Props
- How much does a small business photoshoot cost?
- What I learned from my small business Personal Brand Photoshoot
- The Best Personal Brand Photographer in the Collegeville Area.
- Conclusion
What is the purpose of these brand photos?
It’s essential to have a purpose for these brand photos. So, you need to do some planning and strategizing.
Pick a Photographer who has a Personal Branding Service
Over the years, I have looked into finding a photographer who would do this type of service and was at a loss. Corinne, from Corrine And Company Photography, took my kids’ high school graduation photos years ago, so I knew her work. She is amazing. When she came out with this product, I was ecstatic. Corinne offers several packages for the brand photoshoot.
Fabulous Hair and Makeup Artist in The Collegeville area
Corinne had a makeup and hair stylist who would work on me before the photoshoot. Her name is Gretchen Giambrone from Gretchen Elizabeth Salon.
Gretchen has been in the beauty industry for close to 25 years. She has always loved making people feel and look their best, so she started her beauty journey by taking classes and graduating from Lansdale School of Cosmetology. After working and owning a fully staffed salon for 20 years, Gretchen moved to a small 1-chair (Affiliate Link) suite during COVID, where she could focus more on her clients (Affiliate Link) and find her love for the industry again. Her list of services is wide-ranged, but Gretchen finds color, makeup, and special occasion styling to be her favorite.
Gretchen was so friendly and really listened to what I wanted. It was really helpful to have someone there to apply makeup and do a little touchup on my hair. She didn’t do much for my hair since it was a good hair day for me – and those are rare with my curly hair. The makeup she used was professional and didn’t bother my sensitive skin at all. Yay!
Questions to Ask Your Photographer Before the Photoshoot
First, I paid a small downpayment fee since this was a photoshoot happening in the new year (February). Corinne’s Black Friday Special was a perfect starting point for me to think about the process. She scheduled a call with me, and we discussed my questions about how a photoshoot would work, what to bring, etc. Below are some of the questions I asked.
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- Will we do the photoshoot at my office or hers?
- How many digital images are included in the package?
- What is your next date available?
- How many outfits should I bring?
- Do you have a hair/makeup stylist?
- How long will the photo shoot take?
- Should I bring props if we do the photoshoot in your office?
I also talked about:
- My vision – what did I want to get out of the photoshoot?
- What will these photos be used for?
- Did I want images for banners to use for social media pages?
- Did I want images for social media?
- What do you want the photos to portray about you and your business?
Try On and Plan Your Outfits
This part is done after the logistics are determined and the date is set. Let’s just say this part was the hardest for me. I’m pretty casual in my dress, but I didn’t want to come across that way when my images were online. On our call, Corinne and I determined I should have five outfits.
- Fall Outfit – my fall outfit was a denim jacket with a thin turtleneck.
- Spring Outfit – my spring outfit had a little color with a poncho over a button-down white shirt.
- Summer Outfit – my summer outfit was white pants, a black shirt, and a thin scarf.
- Winter Outfit – my winter outfit was a knit dress.
- Holiday Outfit – my holiday outfit was a denim gold jacket and black pants.
Bring Together the Photoshoot Props
Since I was doing a photo shoot at her studio, I had to create my own desk (Affiliate Link) of items to bring. She had the backdrop and a standing table to use, so I didn’t have to sit. No fat rolls, please! =) The things I brought were:
- My tablet includes a keyboard, so I propped it up on the desk (Affiliate Link), making it look like I had my laptop.
- Three faux plants – One for a fall outfit, one for a summer outfit, and one for spring/winter (she also had a green faux plant (Affiliate Link) with different pots to use)
- A Hardback Cream Color Journal
- My earbuds (Amazon Affiliate Link)
- Business customized notepads and pen
- My cellphone
- Hourglasses that have different durations of time on them (Amazon Affiliate Link).
Corinne had a desk (Affiliate Link) that was adjustable and some props we used for the photoshoot as well.
How much does a small business photoshoot cost?
The packages start at $1500.00. The session fee is $450.00, including the wardrobe consult, planning session, professional hair and makeup, the photoshoot, and one-on-one guidance in selecting images. And it was worth every penny!
What I learned from my small business Personal Brand Photoshoot
It was a lovely experience, and it allowed me the opportunity to explain exactly what I wanted to show for my business, helping small business owners, especially women. Without planning the photoshoot wouldn’t have been a sucess. Spending time figuring out what to wear was very helpful to build my confidence when in front of the camera.
Check out the collage I made with the digital photos I purchased.
The Best Personal Brand Photographer in the Collegeville Area.
I want to take a moment to give a quick shout-out to my photographer, Corinne, from Corrine And Company Photography. She has been a photographer for 11 years and loves making clients (Affiliate Link) laugh & feel confident in front of the camera. (And I can attest to that!) She prides herself on ensuring all her clients (Affiliate Link) love what they see when looking at photos. Her main focus is personal brands and headshot services.
Conclusion
I hope this blog post helps you get excited about doing a Small Business Brand / personal brand photoshoot and helps you make the most of the experience. And, if you are in the Collegeville, Pennslyvania area, please check out Corinne and Gretchen!
I despise having my photo taken, so I can imagine myself procrastinating on something like this forever. (Indeed, I have. I’ve got very little of myself in any of my branding, and I often wish I could have a cartoon version of myself whose hair, makeup, and weight would always stay on point!) However, you clarified the entire process, and the questions you spelled out are will be helpful for anyone approaching this kind of project.
Oh, and that gold jacket is so perfect with the honey tones in your hair!
Thanks, Julie! It was a great find at Chico’s.
Your photos came out so great! Just beautiful!!
I love all of these tips. I went through this process about 4 years ago when I was redoing my website. There was a lot to it, as you point out. I had a couple of different “costumes,” and brought alone items to provide backdrop. Having the makeup professionally done was a must for me since I don’t wear much makeup on a regular day. I still wanted to do my own hair, because I like how I do it best, but it all worked out so well. My daughter came along and we actually had a lot of fun!
Your questions to ask were very helpful. Thank you for walking us through the process.
Ooh, I love your new photos, especially the ones that show you in your world. I had a photographer come to my home office once and I loved what he did.
Thank you for walking us through this process. It sounds like your photographer was fabulous! I also appreciate knowing what questions you asked and the way in which you put the different looks together.
I would love to do this for my business. It may be a goal to accomplish in early 2025.
Love your pics Sabrina – Really great questions to ask yourself and the photographer when doing a photo shoot. I did one recently and did not prepare well enough. I was not happy at all with the end result. Ugh!
Sabrina- Congratulations on your branding photo shoot! The photos look great! I love all of the questions you asked and what you did to prepare. And how fun it was that you had someone do your make-up and hair, too.
I’ve had professional photos done a few times, but not to the extend that you did it. It’s all about the team; it sounds like you had a great one. I know you’ll have fun using the photos in many ways.
I love the step by step process and all the details, I think it’s essential to every business to have a Brand photoshoot to send the message and advertise.
Thanks for sharing your experience.