Brand photoshoot ideas: How to take your own brand photos
By: Natalie Brite
Tags: Brand Strategy, Brands, Photography, Sustainable Development, Branding

Whether you just started your own business, you’re starting a new project thats got you wanting to update your photos, or you just want to experience the joy of conducting a personal photoshoot, the thought of taking photos doesn’t always seem appealing let alone financially in the budget for many people. On top of that, taking pictures of your own self can be super intimidating! In this article we are going to discuss how you can DIY your brand photoshoots in a way that is fun, creative and professional.

Before we get started, I just want to note that I am in full support of hiring a professional photographer to facilitate a photoshoot for you. For the first handful of photoshoots i’ve done for my own brand and business, I hired professional photographers to shoot the photos for me. It wasn’t until my most recent photoshoot that I decided to take a more off the beaten path approach to my photoshoots by DIY’ing the whole thing! What I found in the entire process of DIY’ing my own photoshoot is that it was an absolute BLAST! I got so much more out of it than just a bunch of really great photos to use for my business. It was a completely creative process, where I felt like I was able to tap into the pure essence of who I am in a way that removed the staged feeling that often arises when we do photoshoots. I’ve never been one to take traditional approaches to brand photoshoots. I like to get wild, innovative, and artistic with the entire approach because it’s most important to me to show a true representation of me, not a performative image that I want others to see me as. People do photoshoots for many different reasons and I find that the first step to any photoshoot is checking your intentions.

WHY I WENT THE DIY ROUTE

I chose to facilitate my own photoshoot for a several reasons, the main one being that I just wanted to see what the experience was like! I was craving to have a photoshoot that equally acted as a self care experience. I approached the DIY photoshoot as an opportunity to reconnect to myself, my authenticity, my comfortability with myself, and the ways in which I express myself. It was really soothing to do this and I will definitely be conducting DIY photoshoots again in the future!

My DIY photoshoot was different from other photoshoots i’ve had in the past in that it removed the layer of staging that often is in photoshoots. Instead of having someone else capture me in the way they wanted to, I was able to capture myself in the way I wanted to be seen. This was liberating in so many ways. I didn’t feel like I was faking anything, staging anything, or performing for someone else. I was just being me and filming it! In doing so, I felt that my true personality was able to come through in ways I wasn’t able to experience in other shoots. Maybe this is due to my natural tendency to be socially awkward and introverted, and of course some people are more comfortable being filmed than others. I do enjoy having my photo taken and I also enjoy having others take photos of me. It goes without saying that having someone else facilitate your shoot is also a lot less work on you, the subject! You definitely have to be willing to step into the roles of the subject, the photographer, the planner, and the visionary when DIYing your shoot. This requires having the willingness to unlock your creativity and let your innovative ideas come forward. For many people who don’t feel like they are creative, this can be challenging. But I’ll just say this: We are all creative and we all have beautifully unique personalities that are just waiting to come out. DIYing your photoshoot may just be the way to unleash that!

PHOTOSHOOT PREPARATION

It’s important to go into photoshoots with a clear intention, plan and purpose. Sure, you can just wing it…but you may regret that later, especially if you wind up not getting many photos that are actually usable or practical for your brand and business. Whenever I am getting ready for an upcoming photoshoot, I do several things to prepare.

First, I set up a hidden pinterest board where I can pin photos, textures, and imagery that represents the overall vibe I am going for. This helps nail down the color palette, the outfits, the location, the backdrops, and so much more! It also helps lock down the subject matter and types of photos, ultimately supporting you in getting clear on what the point is for the photoshoot in the first place! Maybe the point for you is to just get a bunch of portraits of yourself. If thats the case, cool! Get creative with the positioning of your body, the angles, the lighting, and so on so that you can showcase yourself from a lens that radiates your true personality the most. Maybe the purpose of your photoshoot is to snap a bunch of photos to use for your website. If thats the case, break down what types of photos you would want for each page on your website so that you can go into the shoot with a solid gameplan. Your pinterest board will help you start gathering visual imagery that represents the types of photos you are going for and the overall essence of the shoot. This can then be referenced during the actual shoot!

When I DIY’ed my photoshoot, my pinterest board contained photos of very specific portrait angles, positioning, backdrops, color schemes, outfit ideas, and more. That way I could go into my DIY shoot and pull up my board to remind myself of what types of photos I was going for.

Secondly, when you are preparing for your DIY shoot its important to get a clear game plan of your outfits. The one nice thing about DIYing your photoshoot is that you’re not going to get charged more for additional outfit changes! For my DIY photoshoot, I brought roughly 5 outfit changes and I had a game plan for how I was going to use each one. I recommend using outfits that are flexible, as in, you can change the backdrop and it shifts the entire feel of the photo without having the change your outfit! For example, I tend to lean toward solid colors for my outfits so that I can lean in on the background imagery as the aspects of the photo that really make the photos become quite creative and unique. I pick 1–2 ‘pop’ outfits that are more bright or wild in patterns, and those outfits tend to be paired with really simple backdrops otherwise the photos can become really busy and distractive. Getting intentional with your outfits paired with how you align them to your background imagery can really help your photos enhance in quality!

Thirdly, I recommend preparing for your shoot by making a list of the types of photos you are shooting and how they will be used. For example, I made a list of three top types of photos I was going for in my DIY shoot: Professional (headshots, simple body positions and solid outfits with a fun but elegant background), Personal (more intimate expression of my personality such as me dancing, in unique body positions, playing with angles, more artsy and abstract), and lifestyle (such as me with my laptop, me laughing, or shots that represent me in every day life). Playing with these three types of photos helped me really center into the photoshoot where I could work through taking photos for the three types…all of which could be used in many different ways such as for my website, for my social media accounts, and for materials I create for students, clients and community. It gave me enough flexibility to have a broad range of photos that could be used in many different ways!

Once you do the above things to prepare for your DIY shoot, the next thing is to deeply consider the location and how it will help you execute your vision. When I DIYed my shoot, I went through Peerspace to rent a local Portland Studio. I’ve used Peerspace in the past for other photoshoots and had a great experience so I knew I could trust this avenue for locking down my location. DIYing your shoot gives you the flexibility to choose multiple locations which is a really nice benefit to doing this yourself. I’ve taken many shoots outdoors and in nature, but I wanted this particular shoot to be inside in a studio that had the types of props, backdrops and elements that aligned with my vision.

TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR LOCATION:

If its your first time DIYing your shoot, I highly recommend going with a studio thats going to set you up with props and backdrops to make your life a lot easier! The studio I went with was loaded with so many props that it made it incredibly easy to set up different scenes and backdrops, giving me a huge variety of photo styles. The studio I shot in also had lighting equipment, tripods, plants, beautiful cathedral ceiling and huge windows, providing gorgeous natural light. Its super crucial that the spot you choose, whether it be inside or outdoors, has great lighting because that can make or break your shoot. If you go with an indoor studio, you will be able to check to see what sorts of props they have available prior which can help you with preparing your shoot. If you do an outdoor shoot, this will require more equipment to drag around the scenes, where it may help you to bring a friend along to support you in the shoot!

I also communicated with the studio owner prior to booking to ensure that the space was good for the type of photo and video shooting I was doing and also informed them that I would be by myself in the studio so to guarantee that it was safe for me to be alone. I recommend considering safety levels if you are doing your shoot completely solo. Bring a friend, partner or someone along with you if you feel like you may need an extra set of hands or support!

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU ON YOUR DIY SHOOT:

For my DIY photoshoot, I brought a ton of things so that I was fully prepared. I made a list prior of all the things I would need so that I wouldn’t forget anything. I brought my Nikon camera, my Iphone, my Ipad and my Macbook. Since I was filming both photo and video, and I also wanted to be filming and shooting on multiple devices at the same time, I needed all the tech! I also brought a ring light with tripod and a camera tripod. This allowed me to easily set up multiple devices and film on multiple devices at the same time. I also brought a handful of outfits and accessories. The most important thing to have with you on the shoot relates to the tech you are using. If you line up with a studio that can provide you with lighting, that is a huge bonus!

TIPS ON TAKING PHOTOS:

I loved that I set things up to be able to film on multiple devices at the same time. This really took the entire DIY photoshoot to the next level because I was able to capture both photos and videos in various angles and lighting at the same time, which cut down on the overall time it took. I rented my space on two separate days, totaling 4 hours of photo and video filming. I broke down my session into half photo taking and half video taking, and I started with video filming first because that always tends to take the longest. You want to get the most essential shots out of the way first, especially if you are on a time window. Having a plan for how you are going to utilize your time if you are renting a space that has you paying by the hour is key!

Making sure you have the proper tripods is another incredibly important aspect of DIY photoshoots. You want to make sure you don’t have to ‘selfie’ your way through your shoot, right?! I used two tripods at all times throughout my filming, one that was tall and one that was more horizontal / direct in shot. This gave me the chance to get some really cool angles and also allowed me to shoot both far away and close up at the same time! You can use your timer on your camera, line up the angles and positioning of the shoot, and then set the timer and get yourself in position.

You’ll notice that DIYing your own photoshoot will definitely have you running around a lot! I was constantly running back and forth between tripods and the place to which I was positioning myself for the photos and videos. Once you get in the flow of it and have your style down, it becomes much easier…so you may want to practice at home before getting into the day of your shoot. I’ve got a background in photography and the arts so this type of stuff comes pretty naturally to me, but if thats not the case for you definitely make sure you get some practice rounds in with your tech and shooting before the day of the photoshoot itself!

To help me get in the rhythm of my shoot, I played music and just had a lot of fun with it. Though it felt almost like a workout because of the large amount of running around I did for hours on end, it also was one of the funnest experiences i’ve had and the photos definitely pick up on the joy that was being felt in the process!

Thinking about DIYing your next photoshoot and need some help setting up the initial plan? I’d love to help you develop a brand kit for your shoot! Drop me a message and let’s talk more about your vision.

Have any questions about DIYing your photoshoot that I didn’t cover here?

Drop me an email! I’m happy to give more feedback on my experiences and thoughts.

Until next time…

Natalie Brite