How To Prepare For Your Digital Branding Session

Digital Branding sessions have been popular recently so I thought it would be a good idea to provide some useful tips and provide some guidance to help you make the most from your session. If you haven’t booked a session yet then perhaps the following information will convince you to get a shoot in the diary!

Why you should book a Digital Branding session:

If you run your own small business then it is important to have unique images that help to tell your business story. What I mean by that is having a catalogue of images that show the people, the processes, the location and perhaps even the products that help differentiate your business from other similar businesses. This can take the form of headshots, team photos, semi-staged photos of staff “in action” or products in use.

Every business is different and hence every digital branding session will run a little bit differently. The session lasts for up to an hour so we really are just limited by logistics and organisation - we can squeeze in as many types of photograph as we can within that hour.

After the session you will receive an online gallery of images from where you can choose five images to receive in high-resolution. The best bit is, the gallery will be available for at least 12 months allowing you to come back and purchase additional images as required.

How to prepare for your Branding session:

Before your session, there are a few things that you can think about to help you get the most from your time.

If headshots or team photos are part of your plan, make sure all staff members know exactly when to be available. You may want to go so far as to giving them a time window so that they aren’t hanging around waiting. For simple headshots then 5 minutes each will be ample. For more in-depth images (e.g. with props or multiple backdrops) then 10 minutes per person is advised

Think about what you are wearing. What do you want your first impression to say? Does a formal suit and tie match the impression that you are trying to convey or would something a little more relaxed and informal be better? For team shots, do you want all staff to be wearing a similar uniform? Simple, classic outfits are likely to serve you better than an outfit that is bright with busy patterns (fashions are constantly changing and can make your image look dated very quickly). That being said, if your business brand has a strong colour theme, perhaps it would work well to include that colour somewhere in your outfit.

It is often a good idea to create a “shot list” ahead of time so that the set-ups can be tackled quickly and efficiently. Ensure that your “must-have” images are planned for early in the shoot so that you can tick them off the list immediately. Remember, an hour can disappear incredibly quickly so plan all of the bonus images for the end of the shoot (i.e. the ones that would be great to capture if there’s time but it won’t really matter if you don’t get around to them!).

How will the session run?

This really comes down to you and the types of image you are looking for.

If you are expecting to capture some headshots or team photos then it would be great to advise me of this as soon as I arrive (or even in advance) so that I can scope out suitable backdrops. I will then provide guidance on posing etc… to keep you as relaxed and comfortable as possible.

I would also advise you to send me as much information as possible regarding the type of photo you are hoping to capture when you complete the Booking Form. If you need additional guidance or feel as though an hour won’t be long enough to capture the images that you require then please get in touch to discuss alternative options.

After the session, I’ll remove duplicate images or any photos which I don’t feel are quite good enough and send you a link to you personalised gallery from where you can choose your favourite five images. These images will then be given a final tweak and uploaded in both high-res and web-ready versions ready for you to download. Additional images can be purchased as and when required.

If you are interested in booking a session, please take a look here for more information.