Personal branding: How to get PR-ready images for your business
A Personal Branding Photographer and Business Mentor for fellow female business owners and creative entrepreneurs, Sophie Carefull knows a thing or two about what imagery you need to get noticed and stand out to potential clients.
Whether you wish to pitch your business to the press or be considered for a relevant podcast or speaking opportunity, having a selection of beautifully shot founder imagery is essential.
From how to make sure your brand photos tell the right story to ways to feel more relaxed in front of the camera (we know how uncomfortable and unnatural it can feel having your photos taken!), we caught up with the talented photographer to help you plan a great shoot right for your business.
Having a folder of high-quality, on-brand images not only saves you loads of time as a busy founder juggling all the plates, but it also means you’re ready for every press opportunity that comes your way. Nicely shot images will make you appear credible and professional while offering press, industry contacts, and potential clients a peek behind the scenes.
Booking a photoshoot with a specialist in branding photography is the best way to go about getting one of these magical folders for your business. A branding photographer will capture the all-important portraits of you for profiling press, as well as a wide range of supporting images that illustrate your products or services and showcase your unique personality.
Choosing the right photographer
Who you choose to work with will depend to an extent on your brand aesthetic. For example, if the overall look and feel you’re going for is bright, fresh and colourful, you’ll want to look for someone whose portfolio reflects this, as opposed to someone who shoots dark and moody photos.
Beyond that, I would argue that the most important factor in choosing the right photographer is how much rapport you have with them. Can you see yourself getting on well with them and being able to relax around them? This is especially important if, like so many people, you’re camera-shy. There’s no use booking someone whose work you love the look of but you have no chemistry with, as this will show in the final images.
You need to be able to be fully yourself on photoshoot day. To help you achieve this, start your research at least a few weeks before you actually need to book the shoot and bear in mind that lots of photographers will be booked up at least a month in advance.
Follow a few people on Instagram first and get to know them, their values and their creative process via their posts. Watching people’s Instagram Stories is a great way to get a gut feel for whether you’d be a good fit to work together.
If you get this part right, it’ll make for a fun shoot day and results that you’re really proud of, so you can pitch to the press with confidence!
How to make sure your brand photos tell the right story
Picture yourself with a double-page spread in one of your target publications that’s read by your ideal customers. What do you see? Where are you? What are you surrounded by?
The locations, lighting, outfits and prop styling that feature in your brand images will all contribute to the story that they tell. Be intentional about what you want this to be.
Keep your business’ core values front-of-mind when selecting venues. Consider the seasonal personality of your brand and book your shoot in alignment with this.
Use props sparingly to enhance your message; if an item doesn’t add anything to the scene, or worse, detracts from the story you’re telling, remove it.
Sam Burgess - Business + Life Coach, featured in She Is Fierce magazine (now rebranded to Delicate Rebellion)
Nicole Ramson of Chelsea Creative Studio - Branding Designer, featured in Bath Life magazine
Sophie French - Life Coach + Business Mentor, featured in online magazine Comeback
“Picture yourself with a double-page spread in one of your target publications that’s read by your ideal customers.
What do you see?
Where are you?
What are you surrounded by? ”
— SOPHIE CAREFUL
What to wear on your photoshoot
Wear what makes you feel good. You want to look like yourself on a really great day! Align your wardrobe choices with the locations so they feel natural and never out-of-place.
Plan out a variety of different looks that don’t all use the same ‘outfit formula’ (such as jeans and a blouse, for example). Incorporate layers to make the images more dynamic and to help with posing. Use accessories to inject colour and personality.
If you feel particularly unsure about this part of planning your shoot, ask your photographer if they can recommend a personal stylist. Booking yourself a colour consultation alone can boost your confidence in your outfit choices, especially if (like me) you feel cautious about wearing colour but don’t want to wear black in all your photos.
Going on a personal shopping trip with a stylist is an even better way to ensure you look your best in your photos. They’ll help you pick out styles that highlight your best features and create the right impression in these images which are going to appear on your website, and hopefully in magazines!
How to feel more confident in front of the camera
As well as working with a photographer that you trust and have a good rapport with, feeling comfortable in front of the camera really does come down to practice. I know that’s not what you want to hear! But trust me, the more you can normalise being in photos (and actually looking at them), the less daunted you’ll feel next time you have a professional shoot.
I don’t just mean selfies, although I’m all for those too. Just be aware that seeing yourself in reverse, in a picture taken from above your head, is not the same as seeing yourself in a photo taken by someone else.
To help you feel more ready for your next photoshoot, get into the habit of asking friends and family to snap pictures of you on your phone whenever you’re in a photogenic place or wearing an outfit you love.
Practice giving yourself constructive feedback on your posing. Of course, a pro photographer will guide you on how to stand and where to look, but it’s also useful for you to know which poses and angles you like on yourself. I made this short video last summer about how to pose for full-length photos, it’s full of simple tips you can start implementing straight away.
If you’d like any further tips on planning a photoshoot for your personal brand, please check out my blog here.
You can find out more about Sophie’s work on her website and Instagram. Follow her on Pinterest for photoshoot inspiration and useful resources for creative businesses.
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