How Do You Choose the Best Personal Brand Photographer for YOU?

29 Dec

So you have committed to elevating and growing your personal brand and your business with a photoshoot to create the marketing assets you need for the visibility piece.

You already know you want high quality images but you want to avoid wasting money, or feeling dissapointed or uncomfortable by choosing the wrong photographer.

This is a sensible concern because you are going to be working closely with your photographer, you will be feeling vulnerable, and you’re going to be spending the best part of a day with this person so it is incredibly important that you feel aligned, supported and confident in your choice.

Start with experience, not just aesthetics

Obviously you will need to love the photographer’s style so a strong portfolio matters however a photographer can take beautiful photos but still be the wrong fit for you.

Do your research and create a shortlist of photographers whose work you love, and who specialise in personal brand.

Ask to see the full gallery of a shoot as portfolios are curated with the best photos. It is important to see what a full gallery covering multiple scenarios will look like.

The photographer needs to have an understanding of the marketing needs of business owners, and authority-led brands that require strong timeless imagery. Not trends or just pretty pictures.

Direction is everything

Do you worry

That you don’t know how to pose?
What to wear?
That you don’t know what shots you need?

One of the biggest differences between an average and a successful brand shoot, is the photographer taking control and driving the service from the beginning stages of planning, and also on the day.

Direction shows confidence by a photographer that has experience with photographing real women and men, not models and influencers.

A strong personal brand photographer doesn’t wait for you to be confident. They take control and create the conditions for confidence.

Preparation should be part of the service

In my opinion you need 2-3 weeks of time to prepare for your personal brand photoshoot.

Planning your shoot starts with a brand questionnaire so that I can learn more about you and your business, a shoot prep guide, and multiple shoot planning calls to share ideas and help me design your shoot uniquely for you.

Preparation is what removes pressure on the day and you should expect guidance around:

What the images will be used for
Outfit planning
Locations
Props and styling
Professional hair and makeup
How the shoot will flow and timings

Look for strategic thinking

The right photographer thinks beyond the shoot itself. These are marketing assets after all so they should assist and do the heavy lifting in your marketing. To maximise your investment.

They should be asking:

Where will these images be used? Do they need to be vertical and/or horizontal?
Do you have any marketing drives planned in the next 6/12 months?
How do you want to be perceived and does this support your positioning?

Trust how your gut

Finally, pay attention to how you feel after your Introductory call. I do believe that chemistry between photographer and client is a thing, and alignment can bring incredible results because the photographer shares the client’s vision.

You don’t need hype or ego. You need calm confidence and clarity.

This is what will allow you to show up as your authentic self and be seen properly.

Choosing the right photographer isn’t about finding the most popular or even recommended person. It’s about finding someone who understands your vision and your level, and knows how to reflect it back visually to the world.

Are you thinking about investing in your own personal brand shoot?

Please get in touch and lets chat about what you need and how I can help you achieve your dream brand shoot.

Together we will plan forward to align with your marketing plans and visibility goals for the next 12 months to create brand photographs that feel like the you and are what you need to have a stress free year because you’ll have all the images you need!