Peek Over My Shoulder During a Branding Session

I love what I do and know without a shadow of a doubt that I can take great photos of anyone. You may not believe that. You may be saying, “Anyone but me. I’m not photogenic, and I hate having my picture taken.” And you’re not alone. I hear this all the time. I even wrote a blog post last year about photoshoot insecurity. I’m always looking for ways to change your paradigm about having your picture taken.

I also know that it may not be just the thought of stepping in front of the camera that’s holding you back. It could be your dread about the entire photoshoot experience. That’s why I thought I’d lay out a “day in the life” of one of my photoshoot clients to remove some of that anxiety.

I recently did a branding photoshoot with singer/songwriter Megan Costa. Here’s how her experience unfolded, from beginning to end:

THE PRE-PHOTOSHOOT CONSULTATIONS

Once Megan booked her appointment, we met via Zoom for a 30-minute pre-branding consultation. During that call, I walked her through my branding process to help her clarify what her brand was and what she wanted to accomplish with her photos. I had her choose three words that would best convey that (and we used these three words throughout the photoshoot). We also talked specifically about the location for the shoot, what props she could use to convey her brand (like her guitar), and her wardrobe choices.

Megan also met with Megan Wilson, one of the wardrobe stylists with whom I work, prior to her photoshoot, and they chose outfits for Megan that would best convey her brand in her photos. That way, Megan showed up on the shoot day, feeling confident in her wardrobe choices.

These sessions alone often work to alleviate concerns and put my clients at ease before the photoshoot itself ever happens.

YOUR CUSTOMIZED PERSONAL BRANDING SESSION

On the day of her photoshoot, Megan showed up with a clean face and hair, ready to be pampered! My makeup artist chatted with her about her three words so she’d know what look Megan was going for and worked with her to make sure she felt beautiful and confident in the applied makeup look.

My stylist Megan was also on-site to ensure that Megan looked amazing in their wardrobe choices. Having a stylist there during the shoot also provides another set of eyes for me to ensure collars are lying correctly, necklaces are positioned just right, and that hair is laying smoothly. Megan could relax, and we had a blast during the three-hour session.

YOUR PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS

During the session, Megan and I looked at the digital images I was capturing on my camera so we could make adjustments as we went. Then we met about two weeks later to choose her images. Each of my branding clients receives one “anchor” headshot and four web-friendly, high-resolution, professionally edited images to use on websites and social media.

Many of my clients can’t imagine how they could fall in love with one photo of themselves, let alone ten images! (We’re so critical of ourselves). But because of my process, which helps to reveal your personal brand, it’s most common for my clients to have a hard time just choosing ten images from all the photos we take! You can see by Megan’s testimonial below that she felt that way once she saw her images.

You can read more about the specific, step-by-step process for a branding session on my website HERE. I hope you’ll give yourself the gift of a branding photoshoot with me. Not only will you end up with some incredible photos that will make it easy to share your services online, but you’ll also see what the rest of the world sees when they look at you…a confident, beautiful human with so much to offer the world!