Field Notes on Pivoting Your Brand | Part 5 | How to creative direct your own brand photoshoot
I'm pretty stoked to share todays email with you, because it's on my second fave topic to design, photography! As part of my re-brand I did a whole new photoshoot (only my second one EVER, lol), so I've got some BTS for you as well as a handful of tips of HOW to creative direct your OWN PHOTOSHOOT!
If you feel like you're really clear on your own vision for your brand, I think its pretty rad to be able to bring that to life and to infuse your brand with those photos.
As I've said before when I talk about photography & branding, first impressions really fucking matter, and the photos you choose are telling your brand story for you, so you gotta make ‘em count. Whether this applies to your own photoshoot or curated stock photos — either way its equally as important.
Anyway, let's get into it. First, BTS, then I've got some tips for you if you're DIY directing your own shoot (or maybe helping your clients with theirs).
BTS of my brand photoshoot —
While I did re-brand my biz back to my own name, I really don’t want all of my photos to be of me/my face... It's just not my vibe, I actually only need a couple more classic ‘portrait’ shots, and the rest can be a lot more creative and less ‘me’, lol.
I went into this knowing that I would be over-the-fucking-moon stoked if I could come out of this shoot essentially with my own stash of branded ‘stock’ photos. This is also why I wanted to focus on some more creative, prop-based shots outside of the classic portraits.
The Shoot Inspo
This was my very initial photoshoot inspo that I pulled together, so you can kinda see the vibe I was going for.
The Shoot Guide
As part of some client projects in the last couple years, my designer that I work with, Jade, put together this awesome Photoshoot Direction Guide for a couple clients who were doing a full re-brand, and we helped them direct that shoot a little.
Anyway, I grabbed that guide and simplified it WAY down (the original guide is about 15+ pages) to build a very simple 3 page guide that we could use for the actual shoot day — since I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted, my photographer thought it could be a good idea to have this on hand too, just so we didn’t miss anything.
I split the shoot into 3 main scenes or sections since all of the photos I wanted fit into these categories...
The Final Shots!
I've shared these here and there and they're all over my socials & website, but to show you how that inspo came to life in the ACTUAL shots, here's a few of the final ones! Major props to my friend & photographer Tianna Grey who did an awesome job, I'm super stoked on how they came out!
Tips for creative directing your own shoot —
1 — Unless you want every single shot on your website, and across your entire Brand to be a headshot of your face, you will NEED to either shoot or source other brand photos.
If you’re investing in a brand shoot, GET OTHER BRAND SHOTS! This is why I put so much focus on those brand/props photos for my own shoot. Its really worth chatting to your photographer about these extra more creative shots because they always, always come in more handy than your classic head shots.
I can 100% guarantee it. You can use them for backgrounds, for Instagram posts, for blog & email images, for literally fucking anything. If it’s not possible to get these photos on your shoot, you can source them from stock photo sites too, but obviously its much more ideal for them to be 100% custom to you.
2 — For the outfits and the props and everything… make sure it’s just YOU, or your BRAND. Is it shit you actually use or wear?
Or are you trying to paint a picture that isn’t 100% authentic to you? Your shoot doesn’t need to be a huge, orchestrated, perfectly planned thing. For example, my outfits and prop list are things I am wearing and using almost every day.
3 — Can you build a photoshoot guide?
Maybe you’d need some help with this (from your photographer, or your brand designer, etc), as it takes time, curation, and photography & location know-how to understand what’s possible, and what your photographer can do, but I reckon they are super helpful to have, so you don’t miss any shots. Even if its a really simple guide with a few pages, inspo, the types of shots you want, and also a props list.
I actually printed out mine and took it to our shoot and we referenced it a few times for ideas and I think it was pretty handy.
4 — It’s all gotta come back to the branding. Which is why it’s so important to get clear on that shit FIRST!
I think its a lot easier to map this shit out when your business is ‘you’, but it’s also not a free pass to cut completely loose haha. I live in the mountains now, I grew up on the ocean, I spend all damn summer in the water, and this new re-direction of my brand also involves an element of nature & adventure as a huge component… so with that in mind, that’s the whole direction & vibe of my shoot. If you want some help here, start with these branding questions.
p.s. If you're not looking at doing a brand shoot anytime soon but you want to learn the ropes of CURATING better stock photography so it feels like a custom shoot, check out my mini workshop!
This isn’t just about pretty pictures – it's about creating a visual language that resonates with your audience on a whole new frequency. People remember, share, and connect with stories, and that's exactly why this shit matters so much, and why it’s such a key skill to master if you want to build a brand worth noticing.
Curate Better Brand Photography Workshop — $67
Ditch the boring-ass visuals to the curb – they're not doing your brand any favours. In this workshop you’ll learn how to easily curate a set of on-brand stock photos for a specific biz (whether thats yours, or your clients).
