I’m pulling back the curtain on MY personal branding photo shoot!
Today I am sharing with you Part I of the ENTIRE process, start to finish, for my latest shoot. I want to show you how (with a little work and planning) you can create a beautiful library of images that you can pull from whenever you need them for your brand.
I knew I wanted to use my Get the Shot Guide for this shoot to show you that you really can “get the shot” no matter who is taking the photos.
After a quick search on AirBnB, I found the exact location I wanted to shoot.
I then enlisted my friend Camille to be my photographer. Camille is actually one of the owners and makeup artists for BA Makeup Co., but I know from past experience that she has a great eye when it comes to photos.
I knew if I followed the Get the Shot Guide poses and tips and had Camille shoot with my camera, we would get some great shots.
Next, I asked co-owner Lindsey of BA Makeup Co. to do my hair and makeup because I KNOW what a HUGE difference professional hair and makeup make.
In the finished photos, I have a LOT of makeup on. The natural light and the camera/ lens easily wash out the subject, which is why you need to go heavier on the makeup. (If you need more makeup and hair help for camera, check out my post HERE.)
Lastly, I asked Jenna of BA Makeup Co. if she would help me plan, style and execute the vision I had for the shoot, as well as be on set to make sure we got all of the shots needed from our shot list.
As I always say, the team you surround yourself with during a shoot (professional or not) totally dictates the tone and vibe of the shoot, and how well the photos turn out!
Because I 100% trust these ladies to make me look my best, I was able to relax and just enjoy being photographed.
After I got everyone on board, my next step was to grab my Get the Shot Guide, go to the shot list and create a Pinterest board.
Using the shot list in the Guide, I found similar photos on Pinterest and pinned them, as well as the outfits I wanted to wear in certain shots.
You can see the actual Pinterest board Jenna and I created here: MY SHOOT BOARD
*I highly recommend you share your board with anyone who will be on set with you so everyone is on the same page.
After I felt like the Pinterest board was pretty complete, I went off to shop online for props and wardrobe, and Jenna went to work creating a custom style board for me.
Here’s a portion of it:
Now, you may be thinking, this sounds like a lot of work. And honestly, it is. BUT doing this amount of planning up front is going to ensure two things:
1. You will be a LOT more relaxed the day of the shoot. And if you’re relaxed, your photos will be WAY better. You’ll actually LOOK like yourself in them and your personality will shine through!
2. You will have a large amount of photos to choose from. Sure I could’ve gone outside and had my kids grab a few impromptu shots for me. But by doing it this way and putting this much forethought into it, we were able to get over 100 AMAZING photos that I can now use whenever I need them!
A little planning ahead equals less time spent in the future grabbing photos at the last minute and hating the way I look.
Next week I will be back with Part II of my shoot, where I will share with you all about how I decided on and sourced the props, wardrobe and hair and makeup style for my shoot.
While you wait, let me know in the comments below what the hardest part of getting ready for a shoot is for you!
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