Do's and Don'ts for a Personal Branding photoshoot
Here’s a personal branding photoshoot 101 shared by Julie’s first-hand experience!
The wonderful Julie, a lawyer, shared the down-low in having her photos taken with me - including her absolute gold do’s and don’ts! She did such a delicious job of that - and I think you might relate:
“Right from the initial contact (which was about what I wanted my photos to say), to feedback on my proposed outfits, to the shoot itself (I had an absolute ball !!) and now to the follow up tips on rebranding, Tabitha has got you.”
“The absolute best thing I have done for myself in a long while is to have Tabitha take my photo – the whole experience was that good.”
Three things prompted me to book a photo experience:
My LinkedIn and website photos were 8-10 years old and looked it
A close friend had been photographed by Tabitha (and her photos were amazing)
And I needed a confidence boost after a tough few months. Well, I certainly got that!
And now my personal branding is up to date – I have a set of photos that I can use in my business that project confidence and competence, and are miles better than the old “me standing in front of our logo” shot.
It’s hard to pick a best part of the experience – the shoot itself was an absolute blast (I really did feel like a model) and Tabitha’s enthusiasm is infectious, and then there is the moment you see the results (which is when I decided Tabitha is more magician than photographer).
I can say I would do it again in a heartbeat.
“and then there is the moment you see the results (which is when I decided Tabitha is more magician than photographer)”
Some more absolute gold from Julie:
In case it helps, here are some Do’s and Don’ts:
DON’T decide not to book because you “never look good in photographs”. You will look good in Tabitha’s photographs. Honest.
DO take Tabitha up on her offer to review outfits before the shoot (I took photographs of garments, just on their hangers, and Tabitha helped whittle them down)
DON’T worry about the colour of nail polish (if any) – Tabitha can do magic touch-ups, so my nail polish matches what I’m wearing in each photo [Haha yes! But do get it right for at least one of your outfits! - Tabitha]
DO wear something loose-fitting to the shoot (so you can get it over your head without messing up your hair and make-up)
DON’T forget to bring jewellery and props and shoes.
DON’T freak out when Tabitha tells you to jut your head forward – yes, it feels really awkward, but the end result is no double-chin or tiny neck !
DO trust in Tabitha’s experience – she’ll ask for your thoughts on poses, background, staging … and I very quickly decided to go with her suggestions. The results are amazing.
Thank you so much to the beautiful Julie! Such wise words.
Want to know more about the personal branding photo experience? Dive in here!
Ready to plan to get the best out of your personal branding photos - what you’ll need and where? Check out my FREE Guide to Using Your Personal Branding Photos Online!
Featuring: Julie, Lawyer, Te Whanganui a Tara, Wellington
