You’ve booked your personal branding session and now you’re excited. You’ve started planning what you are going to wear, you’re thinking about different venues that you could use and perhaps you’ve started a Pinterest board for different poses and photo ideas…How else can you prepare for your branding shoot?
Where will you use your photos?
Firstly, focus on how you will use your photos, beyond just posting them on social media and your website. Waiting until after your session will be too late. Take this time to actively work through and create a detailed plan. Consider the specifics of how you will utilize these new photos, making them relevant for different seasons and weather conditions. Also, think about key dates and specific messages you want to convey to your clients. Develop a shot list that includes considerations for clothing and venues for each photo. Consult your photographer to see if they can assist you; they may have a questionnaire that will guide you in thinking through everything. Optimize your time during the shoot by ensuring a seamless transition of venues and clothing changes.
Call to action Photos
Your session truly is all about you, but you shouldn’t physically be in the centre of every photograph. And the reason for this is Call To Action (CTA) photos. These can be used on your social media or landing pages, the negative space is for the text that you are using. With the subject to one side of the photo, nothing is hidden by the text. You don’t have to interact with the empty space where your text will be, but it can make for a more powerful photo. In the image below, text can be positioned on the left-hand side of the photo while still showcasing the subject.
Header Images
For your website, linkedIn and FaceBook covers you need header images – those long slim images. These images need to be photographed in landscape. Cropping a portrait image for a header will result in pixelating the image. In fact as a general rule landscape images are better because they can be cropped portrait or square. Below is an example header image.
Portrait Images
However, having said that 👆 – there is a reason that vertical photos are called portraits! The audience really focuses on the subject of a portrait photo. The images will add variety to a website, as well as looking good in a grid or as a set of images.
Ask Your Photographer to Help You
And one final tip – ask your photographer to give you an SEO leg up by renaming your images with the relevant titles for each page. This pre-planning will save you both time and stress. If you know where you are going to use your new images on your website and have communicated what you need to your photographer, then as soon as your photos arrive you can add them to your website – job done!
If you would like to have a set of unique on brand images that you can use for your business, taken in a relaxed and fun environment then please get in touch for a chat at hello@mercedesevansphotography.co.uk or visit my personal branding page.
Updated for 2024
