How To Create A Brand Photography Shot List

So, you’ve finally done it: you’ve taken the next step to boost your online authority and hired a personal branding photographer! What’s the next step?

Creating your brand shot list.

But what shots do you need? How many photos should you take? How are you going to use your photos? This post will go over all of these questions and help you decide how many shots you need, what kind of images are best for the story you want to tell, and how to use your images effectively across multiple content types in new and interesting ways. 

If you keep reading, you’ll learn how you can make the most out of your photoshoot and maximize this investment in your business. Planning effectively for your shoot will ensure that you’ll never have to pay for photos you don’t need, and you can be confident that every image you capture will serve the purpose of marketing your business successfully and serving your customers the way you do best.

How And Where Will You Use Your Photos?

Start out by going through your website and making notes of all the places you use photos or would like to use photos. Consider how many photos you need on each page, what kind of photos would best tell your brand’s story, and whether you want branded photos for your blog. 

Next, ask yourself what specific parts of your business you’ll be using photos for. For instance, if you’re running campaigns decide what specific images you want or need to promote, and whether you need product photos, lifestyle photos, or personal branding portraits to support the campaigns. Also, consider the kinds of emotional reactions you want your imagery to invoke through your campaign. This will help determine the style of shots you take for this purpose.

Once you’ve determined the content you need, explore what your brand’s content pillars are. To do this, start by writing a list of 3-4 topics you write about regularly in your blog, on your social channels, or in your webinars. Creating imagery that naturally aligns with your content pillars is the key.

How Many Shots Do You Need?

Once you have a clear idea of the kind of shots you need to achieve your marketing goals, you can more accurately decide how many you need to do so. When moving to this step, consider whether you could use a certain shot for multiple purposes, as well as what your top 20 non-negotiable shots would be and how you’d use them.

Most brand photographers will offer image packages with a set number of images in each and it can be overwhelming to choose which package you want if you’re not sure exactly how many you will have. Not enough photos and you will end up having to invest in more sessions, too many, and you’ll be paying for images you will never use.

Who Or What Will Be In Your Photos?

Now that you’ve got the numbers, it’s time to determine who or what will be featured in your photos.

Are you a solo business owner who only needs photos of themselves and the behind the scene aspects of the business, or do you have a full team that needs to be featured in your images?

Are you a more service-based business that needs more photos of you interacting with clients? Do you have products that need to be featured if you’re a more product-based business?

Do you need photos of a storefront?

These are all important questions to consider that will help you maximize the time spent on your photoshoot. When you are able to determine who and what will be in your photos, you’ll be better able to see how to integrate your photos into your marketing plans as well.

Wardrobe, Locations, And Props

The final touches on your shot list aren’t the shots themselves but what you will bring to your session. What you wear, where you shoot, and what you bring to tell your story are some of the most important elements of your photo shoot. They are what will bring your shots to life, sort of like adding great accessories to an outfit, they just pull it all together. Without considering these elements your shots could fall flat and you will be left disappointed by a shoot that isn’t what you envisioned.

Spend some time thinking about the answers to the questions above and brainstorm the outfits, places, and props that could help you tell those stories and bring those shots to life.

Now, it’s time to create that brand photography shot list! To get started, you can download this brand shot list guide. When you’re filling it out, remember to focus on these three questions: How and where are you using your photos? How many photos do you need? And, finally, who or what will be in your shots? These questions will help guide you and plan a photo shoot that will give you images to achieve all your marketing goals and boost your business.