Planning A VIP Brand Shoot Experience
Life (I’m talking LIFE) isn’t created from drab attitudes. We must cultivate the life we love by implementing practices we believe in, habits that light us up, and work that gives back to those around us in order to sustain a thriving community. Creating a VIP experience for my clients lights me up. I mean, it seriously fuels me. Every little thing, down to the smallest detail is strategically executed before each client of mine even walks through the door.
How they’ll feel when they walk in…
What they’ll be thinking as they scan the room…
What kind of vibes they’ll sense when they meet me…
All these thoughts have run through my mind at some point that have led me to perfecting my on-boarding and preparation process for brand shoots.
It wasn’t always this way though. I know, how cliche to say. But it’s true! Earlier in the photography business I was such a newbie to planning brand shoots.
Asked about their business… Check!
Googled the best poses for business owners… Check!
Secured a location… Check!
In my mind, there wasn’t much more to it than planning any other shoot.
Until I researched and networked with more business owners and brand experts, and invested in branding photography education.
Now, I fully understand that like a business, there must be clear and intentional branding throughout. The vibes must match during the shoot so that they are portrayed positively in the photos; The atmosphere must be comfortable for the client to express themselves in; The physical environment should be flexible enough that each business owner is confident in the props being used. And so much more.
So after a year of practice and research, you know what? I have a totally different, upleveled experience to offer that keeps recurring clients around as well as invites more new clients than I’d ever have before.
What it means to really be prepared for a brand shoot
Understanding the brand’s imagery is step one. This is where the magic will happen when planning the poses, location, and wardrobe.
Brand imagery is the sauce to the meal. It’s what makes people’s mouth water with desire for the product or service that’s being advertised. So when you’re on-boarding your new brand session clients, you need to prepare yourself to learn all about their brand and the way they want to portray themselves in their imagery.
Our brains process images 60,000 times faster than words which means photos are a BIG deal for marketing purposes. This pressure has the potential to catapult us, as brand photographers, into a realm of motivation that could change clients’ marketing in a big way. Moving forward, we’re keeping their imagery in mind as we implement realistic, professional business strategies for a VIP outcome.
Reasons why, as a photographer, you need to uplevel your onboarding process for branding sessions
Ever purchased something and the disappointment in their product literally broke the camel’s back for your already why-is-this-happening-to-me kind of day? Because same. As business owners, we understand the importance of a functional purchase process and for service providers, the on-boarding process is crucial to customer satisfaction. Not only are you here to make their lives easier by providing this photography service to them, but you’re here to be a part of their team! You’re their advocate in this moment to advance them to new levels in their business.
Building a positive relationship with these clients begins in the on-boarding process. In this, you have the ability to nurture them to promote repeat business and maintain a friendship.
Ready to plan your VIP Branding Session Experience? Let’s get into it.
Step #1 Take Radical Responsibility for the energy in your client’s experience with you
As I mentioned before, strategically planning the details will make all the difference in the feeling your clients get when they walk through the door to begin your session.
→ Turn on some music to match the vibes of your client. Upbeat, aligned music can encourage them to turn up their energy and tone down their resistance.
→ I like to offer my clients champagne – It’s a fun way to help them feel comfortable taking their guard down and feel as though they're hanging out with their girlfriend rather than have to perform in a business meeting.
Learn more about how I implement positive energy techniques in my sessions here.
Step #2 Prepare them to bring their visions to life
Mood board time! This is possibly one of the best parts of this whole process, both for you and the client.
→ Encourage them to create and share a Pinterest board with you filled with all their favorite inspiration photos.
→ Do some searching for inspiration yourself. Check out other brand photographers’ social media pages, portfolios, and Pinterest boards.
→ Motivate them to consider how they want their brand (and their own personalities) to be perceived online in front of their audiences – thinking about who they’re serving, the quality their services possess, and how their audience should feel when viewing their content.
Step #3 Set your objective and get to planning
Collaboratively set the objective for the shoot by going over the needs and goals of the client and their business. For example, if they’re planning a product launch and need market materials for this, you’re likely going to be taking a lot of shot variations of the products + some personal shots for humanizing the brand.
Once you know what they’d like to use the photos for and how they want to come across, you can create a shot list. There are a couple different ways to do this – Simply screenshot their mood board with various poses and visual examples or make your own list of shots that have been pulled from both moodboards.
My go-go shots:
Several overlays to use as backgrounds and accents for forms and website landing pages
2 -3 headshots for more professionals usage
3 -5 full or half body shots with client against blank space; have them point in the air to use later with graphic text
When my clients feel a bit awkward in front of the camera, I have them laugh, hold their hand up to the chin, and clap their hands. These are simple ways for their body language to liven up and feel more real through the imagery. Consider mixing these up to get multiple shots in different outfits. Also keep in mind varying the orientation of certain shots – Include both landscape and portrait orientations for various shots.
Step #4 Automate your emails for optimal preparation
You won’t have time to send every single email after they book. And quite frankly if you are sending all those, so yourself a favor and keep reading anyway. Here are my automated emails each client receives once they book their session:
Immediately after the initial inquiry:
Onboarding Questionnaire to help determine the type of shoot they need
A week after the questionnaire was completed:
Session Prep Guide/Shot List
One day before branding session:
Session reminder with details
Step #5 Make sure everyone is on the same page prior to session
What’s worse than not feeling like Beyonce on the day of your shoot? Not much. Offer assistance in wardrobe selection, make up preparation, location search, and prop options. For more product based businesses, they’ll have much more prop stock to use in their photos. For online service based business, laptops, notebooks, and cell phones are great options for branded photos.
Fun additives to spice up their photos or to use for celebration photos could be:
Balloons
Confetti
Champagne
The icing on the cake: We provide a total pampering, brag-worthy experience for your photoshoot. With a team of hair and makeup professionals, hype crew, and top studio locations, our clients have the chance to truly step into their best selves.
Check out our full VIP Experience!
Remember to invite your clients to have fun with it! It’s a special day to capture the true essence of their brand within a supportive environment accompanied by a professional who’s there to guide them through.
When I first began offering brand sessions, I wondered, “How will I really be able to capture their brand’s essence without contributing to the mundane professional world online?” Throughout my time as a branding photographer, I’ve learned that each business brings their own uniqueness that knocks my worry right out the window. As you welcome new clients, keep their authenticity at the forefront of your process. I’m so excited for you to plan and execute many, many VIP Brand Sessions in the future!