There are so many things to think about when planning and having a personal branding photo shoot. I have a blog post to help you plan your shoot located here. In addition to this list, there are a few other things to keep in mind. These are the little details that if missed can ruin a great photo. The good news is an experienced photographer will be on top of all of these potential distractions.
But just in case here you go….
- Watch your hand placement. Hands can make a great photo look awkward if they are not looking natural. When holding a prop like your iPhone or sign, be sure to have your fingers tightly together and with a slight natural bend. You want to avoid your hands looking like claws. If you are not holding a prop, a good place to put your hands is slightly in your pocket or at your side with a slight bend. I’m not a big fan of the exaggerated hand on hip pose. In my opinion it looks too forced and too “posed.” For the photo below, we took several images. Getting her hands to look just right took a few attempts. 🙂
- Remove all clutter from the background. Now is the time to do some cleaning or at least move things out of the frame. If shooting at your desk, clear off all the miscellaneous items and watch your computer cords. If shooting on the street at a table, remove extra chairs from the background and keep an eye out for wayward branches and greenery. When doing that casual walking down the street pose, keep an eye out for garbage cans and signs. These little things may be overlooked during the shoot but can become an eyesore if in your final photos.
- Look out the window. I did a photo shoot for my friend Jen and we planned on doing some of the shots on a couch in front of a window. It seemed like a great idea but the issue was that out the window you could see the furniture in the backyard which just added clutter. Even when blurred it was a distraction. Also make sure the window is clean. A dirty, smudged window can be hard to edit in post and can make an otherwise great photo look bad.
- Time of Day: If you are going to have a photo shoot at a public place be sure to consider the time of day. A coffeeshop is always a nice spot for photos (be sure to ask permission) but going during the morning or lunch rush would not be a great idea. Try and plan on times when your less likely to have people in the background. A slow period will also be better for the venue, as you won’t be in their way. When I had my session at a local coffee shop, we went around 3pm. It was the perfect time because we had the place all to ourselves.
I hope you found these tips helpful. If you have any questions about personal brand photography, I’m happy to answer them or if you’d like to receive a free personal brand photography checklist please click here.
