Ep. 58 What Your Brand Strategist Wants You to Know Before Your Photoshoot
You've finally decided to invest in professional brand photography. You're excited, maybe a little nervous, and ready to elevate your visual presence online. You've found a photographer whose work you love, booked your session, and started planning your outfits.
But here's what most business owners don't realize: the order in which you do things matters more than you think.
As a brand strategist and designer who has worked with hundreds of service providers, I've seen the same pattern repeat itself too many times. A client invests thousands of dollars in a beautiful photo shoot, only to realize months later that their photos don't quite fit their brand. Or worse, they never use them because they don't feel authentic.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through exactly what you need to know before your brand photo shoot to ensure you get photos that actually serve your business, feel authentic to who you are, and work seamlessly with your brand strategy.
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Why Brand Photos Are Your Most Important Visual Asset
Think about the last time you landed on someone's website or Instagram profile. What caught your attention first? What made you feel like you could trust them? Or perhaps what made you feel like you couldn't?
It probably wasn't their color palette. It wasn't the fonts they used. It likely wasn't even their logo (assuming their logo was even visible on the page).
What you connected with was their face, their body language, their expression, their energy.
This is why photos are arguably the most important part of your visual brand. They humanize your brand in a way that no graphic element can.
What Good Brand Photos Actually Do
High-quality, authentic brand photos:
Humanize your brand: People see you as a real person, not just a business
Build trust quickly: Visual authenticity creates connection faster than any text
Shorten the "know, like, trust" timeline: People feel like they already know you before your first conversation
Create immediate connection: The right photos make prospects feel comfortable reaching out
You've heard the phrase "people buy from people." It's absolutely true. People don't connect with graphics or color palettes. They buy from people they know, like, and trust, and authentic brand photos are the fastest way to accelerate that relationship.
The Cold Corporate Alternative
To contrast, consider a brand with a gorgeous logo, beautiful custom fonts, and a sophisticated color palette that either uses stock photos or no photos at all.
This brand feels cold. Corporate. Distant.
To me, it signals that they're trying to compensate for the absence of good photography by going overboard with other visual elements.
Conversely, a brand with authentic, high-quality photos that allow the audience to feel like they know you takes center stage. Those photos become the focal point. The rest of your brand can be simpler because your imagery is doing the heavy lifting.
The Faceless Brand Fallacy
Over the last year or so, faceless Instagram accounts have become trendy. But ask yourself honestly: would you ever buy something from a faceless account?
I doubt it.
These accounts might be entertaining to follow because they create interesting content, but you don't feel like you know them. You don't trust them. And you're probably never going to give them your money.
When I say that photos are the best, most important, and easiest way to build trust with your audience before you even meet them, I genuinely mean it.
I tell every client on a discovery call: I can design you the best brand in the world, but what's really going to take it to the next level is great brand photos.
The Fatal Mistake: Getting Photos Before Strategy and Design
As a brand strategist and designer, there are a few critical things I need you to understand before your brand photo shoot. The most important one is this:
Brand strategy and design must come before your photo shoot.
Let me say that again because it's so crucial: Brand strategy and design must come before your photo shoot.
I cannot tell you how many clients have come to me for a brand design consultation and said, "Well, I just got these photos done, aren't they great?"
I look at them and think, "Yes, they're high-quality photos. They look nice. But are they going to match the brand we're about to create for you?"
The Two Problems This Creates
This sequence (photos before strategy and design) creates one of two significant problems:
Problem #1: Photos that don't fit your strategic brand
I design your brand the way it should be designed based on your brand strategy, your ideal client, and everything we discover in your strategy session. Then you have photos that don't fit that strategic direction, so they look out of place on your website and social media.
Problem #2: Design constrained by existing photos
You love your photos so much that I, as the designer, feel constrained by them. I need to design a brand around these photos, even though that's not the best strategic move for your business.
Why This Happens
I understand the appeal. Getting a photo shoot done feels glamorous and exciting. People get energized about it because they're ready to step up, elevate, and step into the next-level version of themselves.
What they don't realize, probably because they simply don't know (which is why I'm explaining it today), is that doing brand strategy first and having that visual direction in place will make everything in your brand feel dramatically more cohesive.
The Guessing Game
Without strategy and design first, you have a brand photographer asking questions like:
"What's your vibe or personality?"
"What colors should we incorporate?"
"What locations should we use?"
"What outfits should you wear?"
You're probably not the expert in those areas. If you haven't worked with a brand strategist and designer to define all of that, then it's just you and the photographer making it up as you go.
The result? You'll probably end up with photos that look good because you're working with a professional photographer. But do they fit your brand? Do they send the message you're trying to send? Do they communicate the emotions you need to invoke in your audience?
It's a coin flip.
You end up with high-quality but generic-feeling photos that look nice but don't truly elevate your brand.
The Expensive Consequences
Here's the part that breaks my heart: Brand photo shoots are really expensive, often several thousand dollars.
So when clients come to me saying, "I just spent $3,000 or $5,000 on a brand photo shoot, aren't my photos great?" I have to be honest with them: "Yes, they're great. But they could have been so much better if you had worked with me first."
The Correct Order for Strategic Brand Development
The ideal order to approach all of this is:
Brand Strategy
Visual Identity
Photoshoot
Brand Implementation (Website, Marketing, etc.)
Why This Order Matters
When you follow this sequence, your photos amplify your brand instead of fighting against it.
Without this foundation, you're forcing photos into spaces where they don't fit or don't make sense. You're constantly working around your photography instead of having it work for you.
How Strategy and Design Directly Impact Your Photo Shoot
Let me give you specific examples of how brand strategy and design show up in your photo shoot decisions.
Color Palette Direction
Your brand colors should be incorporated intentionally throughout your photo shoot.
Example: If your brand colors are green, brown, and cream, you want to bring those colors into your photo shoot. I don't want to see you in a bright red power suit if sage green is your main brand color. Those will clash and look jarring.
Similarly, if your brand colors are all neutrals like black and white, then I don't want photos of you in front of a rainbow painted mural downtown. That's going to stick out like a sore thumb, not fit the vibe of your brand, and look forced.
Props and Branded Elements
Design plays a significant role in your props, especially if you want to incorporate branded elements.
Consider getting items with your logo or brand elements:
A coffee mug with your logo for desk shots
T-shirts with your branding (if appropriate for your business)
Stationery or business cards featuring your design
A physical version of your workbook or signature framework
Incorporating these intentionally designed items takes your photos to the next level and makes them feel deliberate rather than like an afterthought.
Strategic Positioning Through Visual Storytelling
Your brand strategy, specifically your ideal client, messaging, and positioning, directly informs what you should be doing in your photos.
If you're a coach: You probably want photos of yourself journaling, on a call, or in a thoughtful pose that conveys reflection and guidance.
If you're a designer: You'll want photos at your desk, perhaps sketching something or arranging a physical mood board on a wall, showing your creative process.
If you're a course creator: You probably want photos that feel educational, friendly, and guiding, perhaps at a whiteboard or in a teaching posture.
Your brand messaging tells the story. Your photos bring that story to life visually.
Without knowing your messaging and strategy, how is your photographer supposed to know what type of photos you need?
Marketing Channel Requirements
Your brand strategy dictates where these photos will be used, which dramatically impacts what you need.
When we discuss brand strategy, we talk about where you'll be marketing your business:
Website (obviously a given for everyone)
Instagram
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Email marketing
Speaking engagements
Podcast appearances
Guest blog contributions
All of these channels require different orientations of photos, different setups, and entirely different types of visual content.
If you don't know where you'll be using your photos, it's impossible to capture images that will work effectively in those spaces.
Show Up Authentically as Yourself (Not Pinterest You)
My second most important tip as a brand strategist is this: Show up authentically as yourself.
I know this might sound cheesy, but this is genuinely the most critical piece of successful brand photography.
Why Authenticity Matters for Your Comfort
First, showing up as yourself will make you more comfortable during the photo shoot.
If you show up wearing clothes you would never normally wear, with your hair and makeup overdone when you're not typically a "hair and makeup person," you're going to feel awkward. And that awkwardness will show through in your photos.
Your comfort during the shoot directly translates to the quality and authenticity of the final images.
The Trust-Eroding Disconnect
Second, we absolutely do not want you to look wildly different in your brand photos than you do in real life.
Let me give you an extreme example from my own business:
I show up to most client calls wearing leggings, slippers, and a hoodie or flannel, sometimes with a baby on my lap.
If my brand photos showed me in heels and a suit or a ball gown, people would see that on my website and then get on a call with me thinking, "Whoa, wait a second. This does not match what I was expecting."
When you look dramatically different in your brand photos than you do in real life, it creates massive disconnect and confusion.
This happens when someone:
Meets you on Zoom
Sees you speaking on a stage
Runs into you in person (yes, even in online business, this happens)
That disconnect immediately erodes trust before you even have a chance to build a relationship.
The Temptation to Be "Photo Shoot You"
I completely understand the temptation.
You're spending significant money on a brand photo shoot. You want to look your best. You want to show up as that next-level version of yourself.
You have a Pinterest board full of aspirational photos where everyone looks polished, perfect, and professionally styled. You think you need to look like that too.
But I'm telling you: you need to look like YOU.
What Not to Do
Don't wear something you would never normally wear.
Don't get your hair and makeup done in a way you would never do in real life.
Don't pose in ways that feel silly and unnatural.
Tell your photographer if something doesn't feel authentic. Speak up. Don't try to be someone you're not.
What Clients Are Actually Expecting
When someone sees your photos online, loves them, and books a call with you, it's because that's what they want when they get on a call with you. That's what they're expecting to see.
The Right Kind of Elevated
Now, to be clear: you can absolutely be a polished, elevated version of yourself.
For example, I'm getting my hair and nails done before my brand photo shoot in May. I'm going shopping to buy new clothes. But I'm buying clothes I will actually wear after the photo shoot in my real life.
You can be polished. Just be a polished version of yourself, not a version of the model you saw in a Pinterest inspiration photo.
The Photos You Won't Use
Here's the other problem with showing up as someone you're not: if your photos don't feel authentic to you, you probably won't want to use them.
I know you're thinking, "But I'm going to look so professional and fancy and beautiful!" And you will. But if the photos don't feel like you, you won't want to share them online.
I've seen this pattern so many times I can guarantee it:
In a few months, you'll think, "I have these photos, but I don't really love them." You probably won't even know why you don't love them. But I'm telling you, the reason is they don't feel like you.
Then you'll feel like you need another brand photo shoot in a few months, which means more stress, more money, more time, and honestly, a lot of wasted effort.
The Ultimate Compliment
When it comes to consistency in your brand photos and meeting people in real life or on Zoom, the goal is for someone to say:
"Oh my gosh, you are exactly how I thought you would be."
That is the biggest compliment you can receive. It's the biggest indication that your brand overall, including your photography, is representing you authentically.
When someone gets on a Zoom call with me and says, "You are exactly what I was expecting," there is no higher praise.
The Core Purpose
The goal of your brand photos is to make people feel like they already know you.
The way you achieve that is by showing up to your brand photo shoot as yourself, maybe a polished version, an elevated version, but fundamentally YOU.
If you take away one thing from this article, let it be this: Show up as you. Be unapologetic about it. Let your real self and real personality come through in your photos.
Get the Variety Your Business Actually Needs
My next tip is more practical and tangible: Get a variety of photos.
The Common Mistake
Many business owners book a short photo shoot (one to two hours) and end up with basically just headshots. They call it a day.
Or conversely, they get a bunch of candid, super artsy editorial-type photos, and then I'm asking for one good headshot for their about page and there are none.
You need variety, and it's not just about aesthetic diversity.
Essential Photo Types
Here's a non-comprehensive list of the types of photos you should get from your photographer at minimum:
1. Professional Headshots
These get used on:
Your About page
Email signature
Social media bios
Speaker profiles
Guest contributor profiles
Podcast appearance graphics
Variety needed:
Several smiling
Several with a more serious expression
Some looking at the camera
Some looking away from the camera
2. Candid Working Shots
Pictures of you doing the thing you do:
Writing copy
Designing
Photographing (yes, photographers need brand photos too)
Working with a client (if you're a coach)
Recording a podcast
Creating content
Where these are used:
Social media content
Website service pages
Behind-the-scenes content
What they accomplish:
Create a relationship feeling with your audience
Build authority by showing you in action
Humanize your expertise
3. Lifestyle Photos
These show who you are beyond your work:
Drinking coffee
Reading a book
Walking your dog
In your home office
Casual moments
What these accomplish:
Show more of who you are as a human being
Create relatable content
Build personal connection
4. Detail and Stock-Style Shots
These are the shots that often get missed:
Your hands typing
Coffee sitting on your desk
A special notebook you use
Workspace details
Your planner or journal
Tools of your trade
Where these are used:
Background images on your website
Accent images
Social media graphics
Blog post headers
Email banners
Why You Can't Just Buy Stock Photos
Yes, you can purchase stock photos to supplement your brand photography. But if you can get your own detail shots that are:
Unique to you
Feature props you actually use
Include your brand colors and aesthetic
Won't be used by anyone else on the internet
...this goes a long way to make your brand feel elevated, intentional, and custom.
Where Your Photos Need to Work
Your brand doesn't live in just one place. Your brand photos need to work across:
Your website (multiple pages and sections)
Social media posts (various formats and platforms)
Email banners and signatures
Podcast covers and episode graphics
Sales pages and landing pages
Pinterest pins
Membership site graphics
Other people's websites (when you're a guest contributor)
You need images that fit everywhere rather than recycling the same five photos because you only got headshots and desk shots during your session.
The Six-to-Twelve-Month Rule
The goal is to create a bank of images that will support your content for at least the next 6-12 months.
You achieve this by planning for significant variety upfront.
This is something I highly recommend discussing with your photographer during the booking process and strategically planning together before your shoot day.
Compositional Variety for Real-World Application
Beyond the types of photos you need, you also need to think about compositional variety.
What Composition Means & Why It Matters
Composition refers to the way elements are arranged within the frame of an image. On your website, we need photos where you're positioned mostly to one side with significant space on the other side. That's where the text goes.
A skilled designer can sometimes Photoshop space into an image, but it's always better if it's captured that way originally.
The Variety You Need
Orientation variety:
Horizontal landscape images
Vertical portrait images
Positioning variety:
You in the middle of the frame
You on the left side with space on the right
You on the right side with space on the left
Distance variety:
Zoomed in (close-ups and tight crops)
Zoomed out (full body and environmental shots)
The Cropping Principle
Here's an important rule: I can always crop an image tighter. I can zoom in. But I cannot zoom out. I can't create space that doesn't exist.
A good photographer understands this, but you as the client should also keep this in mind during your shoot.
When in doubt, shoot wider. You can always crop in, but you can never expand the frame.
Planning My Own Brand Photo Shoot: A Behind-the-Scenes Look
Now I want to walk you through what I'm doing to plan my own brand photo shoot, both to show you that I practice what I preach and to give you a real-world example of this process.
In full transparency, I haven't done a brand photo shoot since 2018. That's eight years ago.
I still love those photos, but I hardly know that person anymore. That was:
Pre-marriage
Pre-kids
Before my husband joined the military
Before I truly found my footing as a business owner
My life looks dramatically different now. I've grown and evolved significantly, and I'm ready for photos that illustrate where I am today.
Why Now?
Beyond feeling a bit of imposter syndrome about telling clients they need brand photos while mine are severely outdated, there were a few key factors in my timing:
Physical readiness: I'm done having kids, at least for a while. Physically, I'm ready to step back into this space.
Business evolution: I've clarified my positioning, my offers, and my ideal client significantly since 2018.
Professional milestone: I'm working with WorkPlay Branding (I'll link them in the resources). They're the brand photography team for online business. Many of my favorite online entrepreneurs have worked with them, and it feels like a significant level-up.
My First Photo Shoot: The Starting Point
My first brand photo shoot happened at a business retreat with my coach and several other business owners. She brought in a brand photographer who spent an hour with each of us.
At that time, I just needed something. I was working with a couple of iPhone photos and a headshot from our engagement photographer because I had literally nothing for my website.
Those photos served me well. I've mixed and matched them with purchased stock photos to extend their usefulness. That approach worked fine then.
But as I think about what version of Specht Co. I want to step into in 2026 and beyond, I need something more elevated and custom that lets people feel like they know me when they land on my website or see my social content.
Feeling Held Back by Limited Variety
I've found myself feeling genuinely constrained by not having enough photo variety. I'm tired of recycling the same 10 brand photos and filling gaps with stock imagery.
When I look at my Instagram, it's good, but better brand photos would take it to the next level.
My Planning Timeline
My photo shoot is at the end of May. This episode was originally published in February, so I gave myself about three months of planning time.
This is a good timeline. Give yourself runway to:
Create the vision for your photos
Develop a comprehensive shot list
Source props and wardrobe
Select and confirm location
Get any branded materials printed
Schedule hair and nail appointments
This is not something to rush.
Step 1: Refreshing My Brand First
Before I even met with my photographer, I went through and refreshed the Specht Co. branding:
Created an updated version of the logo
Adjusted how I'm using some brand colors
Confirmed the style and vibe I want to lock into
I did this specifically so I could select outfits, props, and settings that align with my brand direction.
Step 2: Planning Branded Props
I'm probably going to get stationery made with my branding. I'll also print a physical version of my Standout Brand Strategy workbook to use as a prop.
These elements showcase my branding within my photos and create that elevated, intentional feel.
Step 3: Building the Shot List and Selecting Location
I'm so grateful to WorkPlay for this. They're doing most of the heavy lifting on both the shot list and location selection.
But I have significant input. I can say:
"I want photos of myself doing this specific thing"
"That suggestion doesn't really fit my brand"
Having someone to collaborate with helps immensely. Showing up on shoot day with a comprehensive list of needed shots keeps things moving efficiently and ensures we capture everything necessary.
We have one day to get these photos. I'm planning to use them for the next one to two years. We need to make the most of it.
Step 4: Outfits and Props Strategy
This is where I learned significant lessons from my first shoot.
What I did before: I literally went to Ross and picked out props that looked cute. There wasn't much intention or strategy behind it.
What I'm doing this time: I'm thinking strategically about what I actually use every day in my business. I want to bring those authentic elements into my shoot so when someone gets on a Zoom call with me, they might see something in my background that they recognize from my brand photos. It creates familiarity.
Outfit strategy then vs. now:
My previous outfits were things I loved, felt comfortable in, and would actually wear in real life. I still wear some of them eight years later. But they were overly colorful for me.
The problem? When I updated my brand colors, those outfit colors didn't quite fit anymore.
This time: I'm keeping outfits as neutral as possible and bringing brand colors in through smaller, more easily changeable elements. That way, if I rebrand down the road and completely change my colors, it's easy to phase out those specific elements without the entire photo shoot feeling dated.
The Bigger Picture
I'm having a genuinely good time getting nerdy about:
The strategy behind my photo shoot
The visual planning
How these will look across my website, Instagram, and Pinterest
Making sure they feel authentically like me
After eight to ten years in business, after becoming a mom, after finding my footing as a business owner, I'm so much more confident and secure in who I am. I'm excited to bring that to life visually with a team who knows how to capture that.
Walking the Walk
When I share all these tips about what you need to do before your photo shoot, I want you to know I'm literally doing everything I told you to do.
Honestly? It's been a lot of work. But it's also been incredibly fun to apply my own advice to my brand. And it serves as a good reminder that this approach works. I'm living proof.
I'll definitely do an update episode after my shoot to share how everything went and what I learned.
The Investment That Pays For Itself
Brand photography is expensive, typically ranging from $2,000 to $6,000+ depending on your photographer, location, and scope.
But when done correctly, with strategy first, authentic representation, and proper variety, this investment pays for itself many times over by:
Shortening your sales cycle: People feel like they know you before the first call
Increasing conversion rates: Authentic photos build trust that generic ones can't
Creating 6-12 months of content: Reducing the stress of "what should I post?"
Elevating your perceived value: Professional photos signal professional business
Differentiating you from competitors: Custom imagery can't be replicated
The Final Test
Here's your litmus test for whether your current brand photos are working:
If someone met you tomorrow after seeing your brand photos, would they recognize you? Would they immediately say, "I feel like I know you already"?
That's the test.
If the answer is no, it's time to consider new brand photos.
Your photos should make people feel like they already know you. They should feel cohesive with your entire brand. And they should give you a library of content that makes showing up online feel easy and authentic.
What If You Don't Have Your Brand Figured Out Yet?
If you've been putting off a brand photo shoot because you feel like you don't have your brand quite figured out, that's actually wise.
Start with strategy. Then move to design. That will make the photo shoot feel exponentially more powerful and ensure you get photos you'll actually use.
Your brand photos are the thing that will amplify your brand, but only if you get them right.
And getting them right starts with doing things in the correct order: strategy, design, photography, implementation.
🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned In The Episode:
➡️ Follow me on Instagram @spechtand.co
➡️ Book Your Stand Out Brand Strategy Session (use code SFBPOD for $100 off)
➡️ Learn more about the Ultimate Brand Experience
➡️ Book A Brand Chat
➡️ Follow WorkPlay Branding on Instagram @workplaybranding
🎧 Listen to episode 58 of The Six Figure Brand Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube
