In this guest blog Hollie Ellis, a graphic designer explains that if you want branded lifestyle headshots to match in with your business values then planning is very important. Here is 4 tips on how to do it..
”If you’ve never had some branded lifestyle headshots taken before, don’t worry. There will be a lot of other business owners out there in the exact same position. Having professional lifestyle headshots are really important when it comes to branding you and and your business and if you’ve never done it before, the idea can seem really nerve-wracking.
I bet the following thoughts will be running through your head: what should I wear, how should I do my make up, could I get a make up artist or just do it myself. Should I wear something smart or something I’m more comfortable in. I don’t want it to look too casual. I need to lose weight! How should I sit. Ahhh I’ve never done this before…
You get the gist!
I am here to tell you to take a deep breath, relax and it will all be fine.
As a freelance graphic designer, I absolutely LOVE working with professional photographs. They can do so much for you and your business. Stock photos are great, but they’ll never exude your brand the way you want them too. However, with professional photographs you can do just that – get everything about you and your brand across that is unique to you within a series of images.
I recently worked with a client of mine to do just that and I have some top tips to share with you before you get any branded lifestyle headshots taken. Preparation is key!
” Preparation is key!”
1. Brand Colours
The first thing you need to do is to sit and really think about your brand and what it’s all about. Think about the visual aspects of your brand in terms of colours. How can you get these into the headshots in a subtle way? Could it be through what you wear, any props or accessories like jewellery, your bag etc. Or could it be through your make up and nail polish. There’s so many ways in which you can inject your brand colours into photos.
2. Create a Theme
You also need to think about your brand values and how you want people to feel about you and your brand. If you want your brand to look and feel friendly, quirky and approachable then that needs to come across in your headshots. The same if you want your brand to look and feel professional, loyal and sincere. This in turn will help you create a theme for your photoshoot and this will also really help the photographer too.
3. Research & Moodboard
This is my favourite part of preparing for a photoshoot. Headshots means you need to relax and also be in a comfortable pose at the same time, but if you don’t know how to hold yourself and you end up feeling awkward in front of the camera – this is going to show! Trust me.
”have a look for inspiration
and create a moodboard that way”
Doing some research before your headshot is vital and also a great way of generating ideas. So now you are clear on your brand colours and also the theme for your photoshoot and how you’d like your brand to look and feel through the photos, you need to visualise this. This will not only help you, but this will really help the photographer too. There’s two ways in which you can do this… First of all you could buy some of your favourite magazines and have a look in those for inspiration and create a moodboard that way.
Alternatively, why not create a secret Pinterest board and start pinning with your colours and theme in mind. This can be a massive help. You can search for almost anything on Pinterest and there’s loads of headshots inspiration on there too. This will help you think about what you’d like, the types of photos you’d want to get from the photoshoot and in terms of how to hold yourself too. You’ll feel a lot less awkward and being relaxed will come across on the photos in such a lovely way.
Once you’re done pinning, share the secret board with your photographer. The more they know about what you’re after in terms of the look and feel, the better for them too and it’ll make their lives a lot easier. You will both be on the same page and you’ll both get the most out of the photoshoot at the same time. I’d recommend doing this 1-2 weeks before the photoshoot so you’re fully prepared and have a clear idea as to what you’d like.
Then all those other questions swimming around in your head will be answered and you’ll feel more confident knowing you’ve hit the ground running.
4. Discuss your Pinterest Board
Make sure you discuss your Pinterest board with your photographer too, not just share it with them. They need to know what you’re thinking and they will be able to bounce ideas off you too which you may not have thought of.
This is the exact process I went through recently with a client of mine and the photos from the photoshoot are amazing. They are exactly how we envisaged them and having prepared everything beforehand helped massively.
If you have any questions at all about branding, please don’t hesitate in contacting me. Hollie
Hollie Ellis Design
I’m a freelance graphic designer in Newcastle upon Tyne with clients all over the UK and further afield, ranging from sole traders to large corporations. I specialise in branding, logo deign and print design and with 10 years experience within the design industry I know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to branding businesses.
To find out more, please visit www.hollie-ellis.co.uk or contact me via email: hollie@hollie- ellis.co.uk
If you want to get your very own branded lifestyle headshots click here to find out more or grab a pricelist
