Oooo, let me tell you how much I dislike getting my photo taken. I’ve dodged it very cleverly for the longest time…4 years to be exact. So why did I book a proper branded photoshoot a.k.a. a “branded lifestyle photoshoot?” Well, you’ll find out all about it in this post.
But you might be saying, “Hey Maiko, I’ve seen your photos all over the place. What do you mean you’ve been dodging it?”
Did I not just say I’ve been “cleverly” dodging it? I’ve had 2 very casual shoots done by my friends in the past, just so that I didn’t get too nervous & worked up about the whole thing. Then while I was using some of them, I hired photographers to shoot my live events for “candid shots.”
Candid shots are great because I don’t need to pay attention to what the photographers are doing. I let them do their thing & voila! A ton of good photos come out of nowhere. Then I picked a few & threw them up on my website.
These are a couple of clever ways to avoid a proper photoshoot.
But there comes a time when you want to buckle down (more like suck up) and do one.
First, I’m going to cover the definition of “branded photoshoot” & who needs it and who doesn’t. From there, if you’ve determined that perhaps it’s time for YOU to book one, I have the 5 key elements that will help you avoid getting into “drama queen mode” (regardless of what your gender is.)
By sharing the benefits of a branded photoshoot and showing how the pros outweigh all of the cons, I hope that you’ll be able to feel more relaxed about giving it a try. For those who loooove dressing up and planning all the scenes… you can go back to your IG feed & skip this post.
By the way, the bonus, or I should say, the byproduct of this post is to give you a glimpse of how I overcome something that I feel uneasy about. Even if you are not considering booking a shoot, you can think of a task or a project that you know could be beneficial for your business but dread doing and use some of the takeaways I list here to push yourself outside of your comfort zone.
Alright, are you ready? I am.
The Definition of Branded Photoshoot
This is also known as “Branded Lifestyle Photos” according to my photographer, John DeMato (www.johndemato.com). His definition is as follows:
Branded Lifestyle Photos, if done right, play the role of being punctuations that draw people in and highlight your core message, your voice, and your story including struggles, triumphs, aha-moments, etc.
This is when people will stop scrolling and take action to get to know you more by clicking on your posts.
He also differentiates his approach from that of other photographers by offering a “mood library” to his clients as opposed to just a bunch of photos. A mood library carries a cohesive theme about who you are, how you serve, and what makes you distinctively different from your competitors.
If you want to know more, he shares 3 mistakes that contribute to any branded photoshoot going wrong in this post.
As you can see from the description, it is all about capturing what makes you, YOU. This means that you might see some of my photos NOT looking flawless and perfect, and that is actually the whole point of going for a shoot like this one.
This is the major difference between so-called branded photos which focus purely on creating an imaginary lifestyle that forces others to think that’s the way we all need to look.
My decision to go for a branded photoshoot was to increase the volume of my visual assets that reflect my “current” and “future” work accurately so that it’s easier for my audience to imagine what it is like to work with me.
It was my way of upping my game. As the title of this post suggests, it meant I do this now when I feel I am not ready. That’s where personal growth happens. More on this later.
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Who Needs “Branded Lifestyle Photos” & Who Doesn’t?
Service business owners as well as expertise business owners, like myself, can take full advantage of creating a mood library to visually translate what it means to work with us. Since we don’t sell products, branded lifestyle photos play an important role to… “connect the dots” so-to-speak.
So, if you feel the photos you currently use on your website and social media accounts do not showcase the way you work or do not translate your POV and/or you feel you need something more than what you can ask your friends & family to do, it’s time for you to consider booking a shoot.
But keep in mind, this is an investment that brings ROI over time.
If you are just starting out or are on the path to shape your own business identity, you can wait. Having a few crisp profile shots will do just fine for the time being while you invest your money in learning.
I see many business owners spending loads of money and time perfecting/rebranding their websites like their lives depend on it. Call me crazy, but I take the opposing position and say that it’s a waste of money!
Instead of being obsessed on the look & feel with a chosen color scheme to… “fit in,” focus on answering this question, “What’s in it for prospecting customers by using your service?” with the photos that translate who you are.
Over the past 4 years, my mind was set on investing in learning and building a community. At the same time, I was also ambitious about having enough photos to showcase my work. That’s when I came up with the idea of hiring photographers to shoot my live events, as I mentioned in the beginning of the post.
This is a good alternative if you are not quite there yet to book a shoot like this one. The great thing about candid shots taken by a professional photographer is that you don’t need to be self-conscious. You can focus on your work while you let your photographer do his/her thing. In addition, this is a much affordable option.
By the way, there is always a hot debate or two over social media about whether or not you should use stock photos for your website, blog & social media posts. I say you absolutely can! Don’t let others (marketers) shame you for it. If you don’t believe me, check out all of my other blog posts.
If you don’t have enough original photos, use properly purchased royalty free stock photos that are close to the look & feel you are going for. If you see my blog, you will notice none of those stock photos are cheesy. It’s because I do allocate my time & energy to NOT picking cheesy ones that get a bad rap.
Now let’s go over the 5 key elements that I took away from my recent shoot.
The 5 Key Elements of a Successful Branded Photoshoot
Immediately after the shoot was over, I took notes about what I took away from the experience. Then I narrowed my lists down to 5 essential tips you can use. They are as follows:
Key Element #1: Start planning one month in advance.
Key Element #2: Get your mind prepped to show up fully committed.
Key Element #3: Expect some things to go not the way you planned.
Key Element #4: Make a list of outfits/accessories you’ll put on in order by scenes
Key Element #5: Go with the flow
As I mentioned earlier, these are the tips you can use for practically any project you work on in your business. The prep time, of course, will vary depending upon the project, but you get the idea of what you need to do at minimum.
Key Element #1: Start Planning One Month in Advance
This is highly recommended so that you won't feel rushed. “Rushed feelings” create negative thoughts that are, obviously, useless, especially when you are already feeling resistance with the task like I did.
Anything beyond one month is optional as you'll get all you need done in a month's time.
In my case, though, the idea of booking a shoot had been on my mind for several months. During that time, the only thing I did was brainstorm what kind of setting would maximize how I wanted to be photographed. It took a long time solely because I was resisting it.
Here are the actual tasks I had on my list.
The prepping time includes:
● Conceptualizing your expected outcome from the shoot.
● Based on the above, finding a photographer who understands your needs.
● Having a meeting with your photographer.
● Prepping outfits, props, accessories, haircut, etc.
● If you aren't shooting at home, selecting locations & sorting paperwork.
I’ve known John’s work for a few years as I had invited him as a guest speaker for my event twice. So, going with him was almost a done deal. However, if you have to start from scratch to find a photographer, be sure that he or she has done branded photoshoots that are, dare I say, authentic.
The term “authentic” has been thrown around, and I did pause for a second before typing it. But the truth is that’s the opposite of being fake, right? So, authentic, it is.
My goal for the shoot wasn’t to create something that’s far from reality. It was about being able to connect with people through the photos that will make them say, “You look and behave no different than your photos” when they see me in person.
Your ideal photographer is someone who can see the full spectrum of what you do professionally, what items you use while you work, and the stories behind those items. Some photos John has taken do not include me in them, but they all tell stories about how I work, for example.
This is why you are NOT going to see carefully composed flatlays with a coffee cup, rose-gold stationery, a small tray of macaroons & a laptop from me. Ever. That’s not how I work.
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Key Element #2: Get Your Mind Prepped to Show Up Fully Committed
This is a biggie, especially during so-called "the messy middle." It happens around 2 weeks to 10 days before the shoot when you just want to back out. It’s not because something horrible happened; it’s just that this is the time when the initial excitement of working on a new project wears off & reality sets in.
You might be familiar with the messy middle. It’s a pain. But all I can say about this is that it’s part of the process. Growth happens when we go through with it. You can also look at it as a good sign that you are really pushing yourself to grow.
That’s basically the reason I made a decision to do this in the first place.
I was hoping that I could skip the messy middle, though, because I worked on myself well in advance, but sure enough, I did feel it. Full on. I started to think of excuses to cancel or postpone the shoot date knowing that wouldn’t do me any good.
What helped me was reading through the notes I took when I started planning for the shoot describing what I wanted to accomplish & feel after it was all done. This is a good practice for anything you will attempt to do that you have never done i.e. introducing a new offer, changing your business model, or hiring help to expand your business, etc.
Notice that I wrote what I wanted to accomplish & feel. This “feel” is as important as what you want to accomplish. I wrote I wanted to feel I managed my energy well without drama. I also wrote I wanted to feel I showed up fully committed to making the shoot successful, hence no regrets.
The next step was for me to ask myself, “What is required for me to attain these feelings?”
Then I got back to working on making it all happen. I’m not going to say it was easy. But reconnecting myself with the outcome I wanted guided me to the things I needed to do. That’s the difference between this shoot and the 2 other shoots that my creative friends helped me with.
Those 2 casual shoots in the past were OK. I did not get a lot of shots that I could use NOT because they were bad at taking photos. It was a classic case of, “It’s not you, it’s me” where I lacked direction and let myself be preoccupied with my insecurities. You could see that through the photos.
Thinking about these past experiences also pushed me to do some mental walk-throughs to prep myself for how I wanted to show up because I was not about to make the same mistake for the third time.
Key Element #3: Expect Some Things to Go Not the Way You Planned
Notice that I did not say, “Expect some things to go wrong.” That’s intentional. I prefer not to look at things from the perspective of right or wrong to avoid unnecessary mental drama. As you can imagine, the minute I think something is going wrong, the stress level goes up.
Instead, I choose to expect that some things may not go the way I planned. This allows me to stay neutral with what’s going on and handle it calmly.
There were a few things that turned out to be different from what I planned. For example, the office location in my neighborhood I wanted to use. I was hoping the price of securing it would be lower than presented. That was a bummer, but there was nothing I could do as all other options would have been even more expensive.
I also struggled a bit with finding the outfits I was looking for. I’m glad I started to shop early so that I could make a few trips to the stores. Even then, I ended up with fewer items. This challenge, however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
It made me realize that my goal for this shoot was all about showcasing the way I work, and that I could use most of the outfits I already owned. Plus, I knew the locations very well. It meant I just had to figure out which outfit to put on at which location, taking into consideration the overall composition of the colors.
The local café that I actually frequent, for example, has dark, strong colors on the walls. In this case, it made sense for me to wear a simple white shirt with a scarf. Once I got down with strategically planning what to wear and when, immediately, my concerns about not having enough outfits disappeared.
Under normal circumstances, using the outfit I already had would have been a no brainer. What happened was, my common sense went out the window because I was still slightly worked up about the shoot.
Key Element #4: Make a List of Outfits/Accessories You'll Put on by Scene
This is a practical tip that may be boring to you but also an important one that I can’t leave out from the list.
I know myself well enough to expect that my mind will go all over the place once the shoot started. So, having a checklist handy was vital just so that I knew I had something to rely on. All I had to do was to go down the list, regardless of how nervous I was feeling.
This gave me peace of mind. It was one less thing to worry about.
For this, I used Google Sheets so that I could easily pull it up on my laptop which was one of the props.
Just like using a travel checklist, my outfit list helped me pack my carry-on efficiently. I was able to think cleverly about how many fewer items I could pack without feeling like I didn't have enough variation. I only brought 3 pairs of pants (I rarely wear skirts, so that is that) knowing that many shots would only cover my waist & up.
On the day of the shoot, to my surprise, I didn’t look at the list at all. It was because I had them all lined up in my head just by creating the list. To me, making up the list wasn’t a waste of time. I would not have been able to switch my outfits quickly if I didn’t do this task.
What the list does is force you to do mental walk-throughs of the shoot. It’s not much different from an athlete doing image training before the game. You imagine entering the location, unpacking, putting on your first outfit, etc. It preps your brain to operate as if you’ve done this before.
There was something else that happened unexpectedly that I didn’t share under Key Element #3. I don’t know what got to me, but I could not find the accessories on the set including the rings & necklaces which were key for some scenes.
This led me to believe that I left them at home even though I had them in the small pocket inside the carry-on. (I found them after the shoot…)
This seemed like a setback for a few min. I was disappointed. But because I had my main outfits all lined up, I was able to quickly improvise by using the extra scarves & belts to get around the situation. At the end of the day, having done the mental walk-throughs allowed me to focus & fix the problem quickly.
Key Element #5: Go with the Flow
Prepping as much as you can for your shoot will give you plenty of room to be creative on set. After having an in-depth pre-session strategy call with John, I had a pretty good idea of what I needed to do. Even then, some things I thought I would do were replaced with John’s onsite directions.
I knew I wasn’t the boss in this situation. I trusted his ideas more than I trusted my own, and that turned out to be the best decision I made. It was actually super refreshing for me to take the direction John gave me and let it all work out without me getting in the way.
The best work is created when all parties involved go with the flow. Eliminating anything that creates friction is the key to a successful shoot. I didn’t ask John, but I am pretty certain my intention to hand over control to him contributed to maintaining good vibes (for him to do the job) throughout the shoot.
Imagine you question every direction you get from your photographer or disagree with him/her based on the assumption that you know better than your photographer when it comes to angles & light. Do you think your photographer would appreciate this? I know you know the answer to that.
But I know for a fact that some people resist taking direction & end up with photos they hate. It’s a tragedy.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to compromise on everything. For example, I felt bad about asking him to carry his equipment to go to the second location, the café, outside of the first office location as it was a bit of a hike. Also, there was no guarantee that the café would let us shoot.
Yet I still insisted we do it.
Normally, I would ask the café for permission in advance. Somehow though, I had this gut feeling that we had a better chance of executing this idea if we showed up on the day & asked them on the spot. This meant there was a 50/50 chance we would make the trip for nothing.
Luckily, the café had no objections. So, everything went smoothly. After seeing the photos from the café, I was so glad we took the chance.
My suggestion is to discuss in detail what you want during a strategy call, and once you show up, you give up your control and go with the flow for the maximum results.
It’s a Wrap!
John and I worked like machines for 3 hours straight. After several outfit changes over 2 locations, John shot more than 700 photos. Out of those, we ended up with 120+ great photos that we both are happy with.
As you might have noticed, for what we were able to accomplish, 3 hours isn’t a long time at all. All this was possible because we were both fully prepped. We had maximized every opportunity we saw and captured them all.
Remember I mentioned earlier in this post that I wrote a list of “feelings” I wanted to achieve from this shoot in my journal? I’m happy to tell you that I achieved most of them. There were a few things I could do better, so I jotted them down for the future.
All in all, though, this experience taught me how to accelerate personal growth by grabbing the chance to do something that I wasn’t fully ready for. If I waited until I felt completely ready to do this, I seriously wonder if it would have ever happened because I can totally see that I would always find an excuse or two not to go for it.
Did I cover everything? If not, feel free to comment below or shoot me a message!
This post covers what “branded photoshoot” is & how to plan one even if you don’t like having your photos taken. These tips will help you reduce the amount of stress!