Photography is a key element of your brand expression. Before you invest, keep in mind these four critical tips for a successful shoot.

I was so excited this morning when I woke up to texts from a client… She had her photoshoot yesterday, and she was sending me some sneak peeks. They were SO great. The shoot went really well. The photos came out incredible, and I cannot wait to start working with them for her rebrand.

It got me thinking a little bit about some tips I could share on why the shoot was so successful, and things that you could pull from it for your own use. If you’re thinking about rebranding, or having a brand photoshoot, there are a few things to keep in mind before you go and hire a photographer and spend a pretty good-sized investment on your photos. Typically, photographers range from several hundred dollars all the way up to several thousand, depending on what you’re getting and their fees. Generally, it’s quite a big range. You can expect at least about $1,000 for your brand photoshoot, so that’s one thing to kind of keep in mind.

Because you’re investing in this way, you want to make sure you get it right. I’ve had clients come to me who are ready to rebrand, and are so excited, because they tell me they’ve already had their photos done, and I kind of cringe a little bit, because typically when that happens, the photos are… They’re not unusable, because we’ll work with them, but they are not the best they could be, and they haven’t kept in mind the brand we’re creating because obviously we hadn’t created it at the time of the shoot. So to avoid all of that and make the most of your investment, I have some tips I could share with you today.

The first thing is to make sure that you connect with your photographer.

Everybody has a different style, lighting style, whether you’re shooting indoor, or outdoor, natural light photography, in-studio photography. Everybody has their own kind of brilliance as a photographer, so make sure that you check out a few different photographers, who have the style of the look that you’re going for, for the photo shoot. And also speak to them! Make sure you connect with them, and that they know. and understand your mission, what you’re all about, what you’re trying to create, and what your vision is for the brand photoshoot.

They should be able to pull out the essence of what you’re creating in these photos, and help you along through the photo shoot.

The second thing is to make sure that you’re solid on brand colors that work with you.

We had a client a couple of weeks ago, who did her photoshoot, and we had already established brand colors, logo, and style direction. When we went out to choose her outfits, we discovered that none of those colors looked great on her. It was kind of like, “Oh no. What do we do now?” So we just went back and adjusted, and just shifted some things to make sure that we had colors in the palette that really worked well on her. This is important because when you have a speaking engagement, or if you’re creating a video, you want to make sure that you’re always dressed on-brand.

So, connect with your photographer, make sure that your color palette is on brand and you’re wearing brand colors, and also, make sure that the clothing you’re choosing really works with your body.

Working with a stylist can be super helpful. I realize it’s another investment, but it’s totally worth it, because you’re going to be using these photos on your website, social media, and that’s a third thing to keep in mind.

Where are you using the photos? Make sure that you’re getting the right shots.

The ideal shot list for your photographer should include things that are going to connect with your audience, and also represent the essence of who you are and what your brand actually does.

And number four, location.

It’s important to keep in mind where you’re taking the photos.

A lot of times, we have ideas like, “Oh, I want photos on the water,” but how does that relate to your brand? Just think about that before going in and investing in the shoot. Your photographer should be able to help you with location ideas, too. If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer. We’ve done a ton of brand photography, not us personally, but we’ve worked with brand photographers and guided the direction of the shoot, so ask me. Happy photo shooting!