Welcome

A NOTE ABOUT THIS GUIDE

I am so excited that you took the first step to download this guide and I can't wait for you to start diving into the planning process of your very own personal branding session!

I am a huge fan of branding sessions for so many reasons. First, branding sessions allow you to show off your personality (your brand) in order for you to start attracting your ideal client. If you think about it, the visuals you are putting online are either attracting or repelling clients, and I’m pretty sure you are wanting to attract your preferred customer. Secondly, Personal Branding Photos can help elevate your work for not only your social media but give your business a consistent and professional look on all platforms you are present on.

Third, you can showcase your profession in a setting which matches the personality of the unique business you are creating! So what this means for each of my clients is this; no two branding sessions are ever the same. You will have a unique branding session which fits YOU in order to make your business stand out online!

There is a lot to think about when it comes to planning a branding session and since I get asked the same things over and over again, I thought it would be the most beneficial if I put together a guide that walks you through everything you need to know. 

It’s time to ditch your boring headshots, let me help you elevate your brand by planning out a successful session! 

- dolly delong

I get it. Having your picture taken for several hours might not be in your top-10 favorite things to do during your downtime. And at first you might feel sort of awkward being in front of the camera. But I think you’ll find that by the end of the session, it’s a lot easier than you thought, and you even had a little fun. I look forward to it because it’s a great opportunity for you to walk away with so much valuable content to use not only for your website but other social media platforms. 

a note to the business owner

Branding sessions can take place anywhere from the business owner’s home office to a rented AirBNB space. I have found that there isn’t a “good” or “bad” time to take your photos. I normally plan sessions based on a particular “look” a business owner has in mind, and primarily based on the pre-branding questionnaire the client fills out once they book with me. 

I have two main packages so sessions typically are either 3-4 hours (half day) or 7-8 hours (full-day) depending on what the business owner’s content needs are. I prefer to start the shoot earlier in the day where there is ample natural light. 

However, if it is an overcast (or stormy) day outside, I have off-camera lighting + equipment to help me achieve a consistent and natural look for the session. We go more into depth in the permits section of this guide, but if you decide to photograph your session at a rented property, make sure that the owner permits you to use off camera flash (lighting equipment).  

Is there a "good" time to take photos? 

TIME & LIGHT

While I shoot most of my branding sessions year-round, some of my clients have chosen a season based on the location where they want to shoot.

 A few things to keep in mind as you plan out your branding session:

Factors to consider when planning out your Branding Session

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Lighting & The Season Of The Year

lights, camera, action!

If you’re planning on taking your branding photos during winter, keep in mind that your session most likely will need to take place indoors, so we could begin shooting as early as 9 AM to get as much natural lighting as possible from the windows. Yes, I do have off camera flash, but during the winter months we have to factor in how dark it gets by 5PM so I want to make sure your session is well lit throughout the day!

Planning A Launch?

capture some celebration photos!

In addition to these new branding photos, are you planning a new launch for a website? A digital product? A physical product? Let’s be intentional with one of your storylines to incorporate the specific launch you want to highlight! 
You work so hard on your business, you need to have some celebration photos of different milestones you WILL reach in the months + years ahead!

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Include Family

especially if they are a part of your brand

Even though your business may be a team of one (you) or a small team, you still have a village (aka your family) who backs you up day in and day out. If your family is one of the biggest WHYS behind your business, include them in some of your photos (again only if you are comfortable with that)! They can come in at the beginning or the tailend of your session so that you have a few photos with the TEAM behind your brand! 

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Feature Clients

show your future clients how you can work with them 

If you are a service provider who works 1:1 with clients, you should consider showcasing how you work with your 1:1 clients in your branding session. This shows future clients what it would be like to work with you, and it helps them better envision booking with you because they actually see what you do with a real-life client!

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Wanna feature your workspace? I always love coming into a branding client’s workspace to showcase how and where they work. 
When you showcase your workspace it will give you the advantage of having one-of-a-kind branding photos (because no one else will have space like yours)!

However, there are some factors that may deter us from NOT Using your space: over-clutter, your space is in your house (kitchen, dining room, basement, closet, living room, a space which doesn’t truly capture your brand’s messaging), there are no windows, even the color of the decor and walls do not match your branding. (Example: I worked in a closet for 2 years but did not have my branding photos in a closet. You do not always have to shoot & feature where you work!) 

Feature Your Workspace

Locations

location ideas (if you don't have an "office")

(how to choose a location) I love it when business owners choose a location for their branding session that compliments their business. I bring this point up only because I’ve had business owners not want to use their own working spaces as the featured location (aka there is #noshame in working in your closet, but when you want to have bright/airy open spaces you may want to rethink the location!) So here are a few suggestions I have come up with for you to look into if you need to think outside of the box: 

AirBNB
Peerspace
VRBO
A Friend's House
Boutique Hotel 
Rooftop 
A Co-Working Space
A Farm

Shoot in Nashville?
Check out: https://www.homestudiolist.com/




location ideas (if you do not want to shoot at your office) 

The above locations are all beautiful but I also love exploring meaningful locations with my clients. If you are uncertain where to shoot, you will have a pre-shoot questionnaire to fill out where we can dive into location ideas! NOTE: I do not cover permit fees for location rentals this will be added to client's final bill.

Tools of the Trade

(What to bring to the session) While I do like to concentrate on lots of portraits and headshots of the business owner, I do encourage the business owner to pack their “tools of the trade” for their branding session. I want to document how the business owner works in their business (i.e. if the business owner is a hair and makeup artist I will document them working with a client, organizing their makeup brushes, etc.) If you are uncertain of what this could look like for your session, we will dive into a pre-shoot branding questionnaire which can help you take a deeper look at what “tools and items” to pack for your session! 

HINT: Think through items you would like to have as filler photos for your website

Animals may be either a part of your brand OR one of your most favorite things about your home, and I love it when branding clients choose to incorporate pets into their session. Keep in mind that bringing a pet along often means that we’ll need to choose a pet friendly location (or at least a location which permits animals to be on the premises). 

I recommend planning for your pet to be at the first part of your session and then either dropping them off or having a friend take them home. I won’t use the pet in every single photo so it’s also nice to have a friend available to hold him or her in between shots. 

If you’re going to bring a pet, I recommend exercising your pet before the session and bringing your pet's favorite toy or treats! Depending on your pet’s fur type, it might also be a good idea to groom them before the shoot. 

Pets

Outfits

TIPS FOR LOOKING YOUR BEST

I am not going to lie, I am NOT a professional stylist (that is why I always recommend you hire a professional stylist for your personal branding session-and that is why I work with one for my Nashville based sessions) but I have gathered some tips from other professional stylists in my years of branding photography which can help you better style your own session! Below are these tips and I hope they will help you plan out your session with confidence and ease! 

FOR THE LADIES

FOR THE gENTS

on to the next

find it fast

Heels lengthen legs but if your heels aren’t comfortable for walking, bring an extra pair of shoes to slip into in between shots.

I always say stick to solid colors and you cannot go wrong with black - just be careful not to choose a pattern that is too small - it may accidentally make your photo look a little too busy.

Softer, pastel colors tend to photograph better than bright colors - especially since bright colors could reflect on your skin. Please note: neon dresses and other colors close to neon-like colors will add to your complexion because of the reflection of the color.  

Wardrobe Tips

ACCESSORIES

WHERE TO SHOP

HAIR & MAKEUP

MANICURE

Outfits

for the ladies

find it fast

Statement jewelry is a great way to add color or pattern to a simple dress. Lace and tulle look amazing in photographs.

And dresses with lace sleeves are a great way to help slim arms. Depending on your location, you might want to consider a fit and flare or a flowy dress!

They look great in walking and photos with movement. Choose an outfit you feel comfortable in, but don’t be afraid to dress up!

Accessories

ACCESSORIES

WHERE TO SHOP

HAIR & MAKEUP

MANICURE

Outfits

for the ladies

find it fast

Rent the Runway
Target
Morning Lavender
J. Crew
Anthropologie
Free People
Francesca’s
Jessakae
ModCloth
Loft
Hazel & Olive

Favorite Shops

Chico's
J.Jill
Nordstrom
White House Black Market
Nordstrom
One Loved Babe
Express 
Banana Republic
Ann Taylor

ACCESSORIES

WHERE TO SHOP

HAIR & MAKEUP

MANICURE

Outfits

for the ladies

find it fast

Having a hair and makeup artist at your branding session not only helps elevate your look for the session, but it brings a boost of confidence in the photos as well! Professionally done hair & makeup last longer than typical hair & makeup. They also tend to hold up better for humidity and wind.

I think it’s so important that you look and feel your best for your branding photos - because these are going to be photos which will be used commercially to promote and market your business! 

Hair & Makeup

ACCESSORIES

WHERE TO SHOP

HAIR & MAKEUP

MANICURE

Outfits

for the ladies

find it fast

There will probably be times during your session when I will be photographing your hands to get up close shots of you working behind the scenes - which means it’s a good idea to clean up your nails before your session (this applies to the guys too!).

Manicure

ACCESSORIES

WHERE TO SHOP

HAIR & MAKEUP

MANICURE

Outfits

for the ladies

find it fast

You can’t go wrong with a suit and tie. Mainly, I want to encourage you to dress to attract your ideal client (who do YOU want to work with?) Please do not show up wearing sweatpants and a stained sweatshirt (yes, you may work in those clothes at home...but now is the time to have an elevated look for your photos). You can find a good balance of professional + relaxed! 

Be careful not to choose a pattern that is too small - it may accidentally make your photo look a little too busy. Softer, pastel colors tend to photograph better than bright colors - especially since bright colors could reflect on your skin. Cozy sweaters layered over button ups are a great way to stay warm and stylish during the cooler months.

Wardrobe

WHERE TO SHOP

Outfits

for the gents

find it fast

Rent the Runway
Target
Suit Supply
J. Crew
Zara
Leather & Cotton

Jack Threads 

Frank & Oak 

Nordstrom 
H&M
Urban Outfitters

Wardrobe

WHERE TO SHOP

Outfits

for the gents

Inclement Weather

(say a little prayer for good weather!)

Because of the nature of branding sessions, I am normally photographing my clients indoors in their office, studio, or specific location. However, some clients do have businesses which feature outdoor workspaces as well (like gardening, or farming, etc.) So, in the event you know you are wanting (and needing) to photograph your branding session outdoors (because again even the settings will showcase what you do and who you serve) then we will need to schedule one primary date and a rain date for your branding session. Having two dates helps us make sure that your photos happen in a timely manner. 

I will check in the week of your branding session to confirm the time & location we’re meeting and the weather. We know it takes a lot of time to get ready for a branding session and it’s the worst to get dressed up and drive out to your session only to have it rain. I typically try to make the call at least 12 hours in advance.

This is something many photographers (and business owners) neglect when they are planning out their personal branding session, and this is something that I want all of my clients to keep top of mind: is there a permit needed to shoot at your desired location?
The last thing I would want is for us to be in the middle of a session and for a person to stop the session because there wasn’t a permit secured to shoot. In the beginning stages of your branding session, always secure a permit at your desired location, yes it sometimes costs extra money, but it is always respectful & responsible to be mindful of any rules and regulations!


Permits

When it comes to posing for your branding session, you don’t need to worry about a thing! I will guide you through the entire process beginning with “poses” that are super easy and natural. If I tell you to do something that feels a little funny, it’s probably because I know it’s going to make the you laugh - and that’s the photo I'm actually looking for.

Throughout your session, I will keep an eye on your hair, makeup and outfits to make sure things stay in place. I want you to feel as relaxed as possible and enjoy your branding session!

"What do I do with
 my hands"?

"What do I do
 with my hands"?

authentic posing

Story Lines

Your business is more than just you. Your personal branding session is where we are going to dig into the storylines that make your business unique and one-of-a-kind. This portion of the planning process for your branding session will take some time, but the very last thing I would want for your session is this: for you to show up at the session and expect me to take headshots of you holding your computer. 

That’s so boring and super vanilla. Everyone does that, and we are NOT going to do that. You are uniquely gifted, talented and have SO much to offer to the world and we are going to capture the facets of your business visually in your branding session!

The moment you’ve been waiting for...your gorgeous (and elevated) branding images for your business!
Here is my normal timeline of events when it comes to delivering your personal branding photos:
-I like to post a sneak peek within 1-2 days after our session together
-I will send over your entire gallery within 30-45 days after your session
-I will blog about your session within 60 days of working with you (because like to highlight the businesses I work with) 
-I will send over a photo release and next steps of how to use your images with your gallery of images 

When to Expect Your Images

So now that you’ve gotten your beautifully curated branding photos, now what? Instead of posting the same rotation of photos on your social media platforms you now will have an arsenal of content to use on multimedia channels!

Before your session, it is vital to communicate what your expectations are of how you will be using these photos so that I (as a photographer) can walk into your session fully informed and ready to deliver not only several storylines, but several different formats of the same pose so that you can repurpose those photos across various platforms to market your business. 

An extra step to make these photos more “evergreen” is to wear various outfits throughout your session, have different backdrops, and use different props that pertain to specific times of the year! 

How to keep your content "Evergreen"

How to keep your content "Evergreen"

Hacks for your branding photos

Remember, the biggest thing you can do to prepare for your session is to fill out the pre-branding shoot questionnaire so that I know exactly how to personalize your branding session. Use this guide as a roadmap to help you better conceptualize the process.  I 
 know that this guide is long but hopefully it helps you start the process of  prepping for your branding session (and it helps spark some ideas)! However if there is something I missed, or you need a recommendation feel free to email me at: 
thedollydelong@gmail.com

THANK YOU!