Today, we are talking about the top branding session tips I learned from experience!

As a personal brand photographer here in New Jersey, I have learned over time how important it is to have updated professional and varied images for my own business.

I fell in love with personal branding at the beginning of my business when I needed updated headshots. At that point, my husband took my headshots and while those were helpful, I knew I wanted to visually tell my story and get a variety of shots to do so! In addition, I knew I needed to save time looking for images to post and use to connect with my audience online. Can you relate to that??

This past summer, I went ahead and executed a planned and organized personal branding photo session for myself! After going through that experience, I wrote down some tips I wish I had before preparing for my branding session. It might seem daunting at first, but I hope these three tips inspire you to take that next step for your business!

 

Branding Session Tip One

First, connect with a professional brand photographer! It will make the entire process so much easier. I like to view it as an event and you are the star of the show! ✨ The benefit of using an experienced photographer is that their job is to help walk you through it. They are your guide! 

For my session, I implemented all that I learned to create, plan, and organize the vision I have for my business so I can showcase the best of Jocelyn Cruz Photography. With the help of my friend and fellow photographer Alex, she was able to help capture my vision.

 

Branding Session Tip Two

Next, have a vision! But, before you head straight to Pinterest for inspiration, ask yourself a couple of questions.

• • How do you want to show up for your audience?
  • How do you want to utilize your brand photography photos (ex: website, marketing, social media, book, music cover, podcast, all the above)?
  • What do you want to reveal to your audience? Do you need friends to come and pretend to be clients of yours? Are you in an industry that allows you to show and tell?

This was one of the first things I did for my planning. I literally did a brain dump and wrote down all the roles I have as a photographer, business owner, and person! After that, I knew I had concrete moments I needed to capture in my brand photoshoot: 

1. The Photographer: These images were specifically of me doing the thing I do best – photography! I consider these my action shots.
   • Behind the scenes
   • Working with clients
   • Working mini brand sessions
2. The Business: I needed more “still” images for the website. Think images that are traditionally thought of for a business photoshoot:
   • Headshots for website and marketing pieces
   • Shots of me working and editing without a camera or clients
3. The Person: I wanted to capture shots that showed my personality, with or without the camera.
   • More casual photos of me with coffee in my favorite cup. 
   • Photos to celebrate my upcoming milestone – my 40th birthday! 

 

Branding Session Tip Three

The third thing I did that helped me prepare for my branding session was to organize my outfits! I used Pinterest for inspiration, but mainly gathered pieces that would help tell the stories I wanted to tell (tip two) and accentuated my brand colors. 

A tip that really helped me was to try every potential outfit and take a picture with it on. I tried on a ton of different outfits and took a lot of pictures! Taking pictures with the different outfits on helped me determine if I felt comfortable. 

Here’s a little collage of some cell pictures my husband took: 

I suggest making it fun and try different combinations and accessories! Also, if needed, bring in a trusted friend that will give their honest opinion on the outfits. I had my friend Julie look at each outfit and it helped so much. Julie also came with me to my personal brand photography session and helped me transition in each outfit and was a great hype woman! She was so helpful!

 

 

I hope these tips were helpful if you are considering or in the middle of planning your branding photography session! If you need more information about preparing for a branding photography session, check out my blog all about hair and makeup and the timeline I recommend using.

xoxo, Joie

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE CREATIVE TEAM & VENDORS

• Location: Seeking Lavender Lane
• Hair & Makeup: MJ Bridal Artistry
• Event Planner: Stage & Style Designs
• Cookie: Tonilyn’s Bakery
• Florist: Brady Everett

Here is a visual recap of my brand photo session.  It’s amazing how much variety and looks.  It was exactly what I needed for my new website and to show up on social media. 

 

Interested in learning more about my branding services? Check out these blogs with my frequently asked questions or the one where I announced my branding memberships!

Are you ready to book your brand photography session? Then let’s connect!  This is your moment to shine and level-up your business’s visual content.