Charlene Izere on How to Prep & Plan A Brand Photoshoot

Behind (almost) every aesthetic + profitable personal brand is a curated photoshoot.

I’ve been creating content since 2017 and I’ve failed a lot a long the way. There was a time when my then boyfriend and now husband would spend all weekend shooting content without a game plan and it honestly put a strain on our relationship. In the last year, I’ve finessed the heck out of my content creation process and I’m excited to share that with you. My goal is to demystify the content creation process.

I get it, as a content creator it feels like you need an endless supply of visuals for the 102049303 various social media platforms. Part of that is true because story telling is how you build relationships with your community. Those stories are told through your content. Community-centric personal brands do the best across the board – from vanity metrics to brand deals.

In February, I had a personal brand photoshoot in preparation for my new direction: fully embodying content creator life.

There are a few things I wish I had known and prepared for prior to shoot day, so I’m here to spill the tea. No gatekeeping over here! In this blog post, I am breaking down how to plan a personal branding photoshoot and how to prepare for shoot day.

Determine your Photoshoot Theme

The theme for my February photo shoot was: Slaying the local Streets. I wanted to fully embody the Mom Boss Influencer vibe because my goal is to become a content creator full time 1 year from now. With that in mind, I needed new visuals that reflect my new direction.

Before I booked my photoshoot, I took a couple of days to think through the theme for this photoshoot. I thought about what message I wanted to convey. What vibe I wanted to give off. I even thought about the brands that I wanted to work with and the aesthetic that would be in alignment with those partnerships.

If you are having a hard time coming up with a concept, think about your niche and your brand core values. Then take a look at your marketing calendar and identify what is coming up. For example if Mother’s Day is around the corner, you may want to plan for a spring themed shoot. Get clear on your overall theme because this will guide the rest of the process.

Create a Photoshoot Mood Board

Before you book a session with a photographer or enlist your Instagram husband to take photos of you – conceptualize and visualize your shoot.

For this photoshoot I knew that I was going to do 3 looks which translated into 3 concepts.

1. CEO in The City
2. Casual Slay Mom
3. Candid Influencer

 

When you break down your brand photoshoot into concepts it becomes so much easier to execute the overall vision

If you aren’t sure of your concepts, create a mood board around your theme – then break it down into concepts.

Chances are, as you put your mood together, you’ll find similarities in your visuals and you can group those similarities into concepts.

Your mood board should clearly communicate the vibe and vision of your photoshoot.

This will ensure that your ideas are cohesive and on brand. It will also give you and your photographer direction for the day of shoot.

Where to Find Images and Inspiration

Pinterest is my go to; however, Pinterest could do better with diversifying their database, so often I look to TikTok and Instagram for inspiration.

I’ll screen shot images and upload them to a google drive folder to keep things organized.

What to Include in Your Mood Board

When assembling your mood board you’ll want to include the following

• Props
• Clothing
• Poses
• Location
• Lighting
• Color Pallet

For my February Personal Brand Photoshoot, I simply created a mood board in Pinterest and sent it over to my design team to create a more tailored photoshoot guide. I then sent that completed product to my photographer.

The photoshoot guide included a breakdown of my 3 looks, outfit inspiration and photo details & suggestions.

Pro tip: Send your mood board to your photographer before the shoot so they can plan and prepare. This will help them co-create with you and offer location suggestions that match your overall vibe.

 

Create a Shot list

While putting together your photoshoot inspiration board think about the types of shots you will need. Ask yourself, where are your assets going to be utilized (which platform is the best fit?)? For each use case, you’ll want to make sure you have assets that are in alignment with that platform.

A standard personal brand photoshoot shot list may look something like this:

• Horizontal shots for hero images on your website
• Close up detail shots to showcase products
• 3/4 Images for your IG Grid
• Aesthetic Filler Shots         
  

  Assemble Your Looks

  Once you’ve put your mood together and outlined your shot list, assemble your looks. I highly suggest doing this at least two weeks prior to your photoshoot incase you need to order outfits and source props.

  For my recent shoot we did 3 looks and I made the unfortunate mistake of waiting until the day before my shoot to try everything on.

  After trying on my outfits and putting my props together, I realized I needed to go shopping. Check out the vlog below.

  

  While I was out shopping my husband steamed my outfits and each look, with accessories, was added to a garment bag. This made it so much easier when it came to changing in between shots. I didn’t have to rummage through bags for accessories everything was easily accessible inside of my garment bags.

  Bonus tip: create a day of shoot go bag

  The day of your photoshoot, things move fast so do the best you can to prepare and organize everything that you will need. Create a day of shoot go bag to eliminate the “oh darn, I need x” moment.

  Here is some inspiration for your go bag:

  • Bobby Pins
  • Safety Pins
  • Tide To Go Pen
  • Blotting Paper
  • Hair brush
  • Fashion Tape
  • Mini Tripod for BTS content

  Conclusion

  There you have it: a guide on how to slay your next photoshoot! In summary, here is your photoshoot checklist:

  • Determine your photoshoot theme
  • Create a mood board + Outline a shot list
  • Share your Mood Board + Shot List with Your Photographer
  • Assemble Your Looks + Source Props

  What’s your theme for your next photoshoot?