As you begin planning for your branding session, there’s seemingly infinite choices to make. What location? When? What props should I bring? And, of course, what should I wear? This blog post clears up some of the most important things to consider while sculpting your brand session outfit. It’s important to wear a versatile outfit that reflects your brand identity. Below, I’ll walk you through the five questions you need to ask yourself before your session.
What colors should I wear?
Choosing a color scheme is really crucial as you want to convey a certain experience and emotion to your clients. Are you fun and playful? Maybe go for a yellow or orange. Are you serious and down-to-business? Consider a deep blue or black. Are you thoughtful and artistic? Wear natural tones such as mustard, pine green, or blush rose. Are you simple and down-to- earth? Consider wearing plain beiges and whites. The first step to consider is, what am I selling? As a business person or entrepreneur, you’re selling more than a product, it’s an experience. For my brand, I sell a laid-back yet intentional experience to capture you and your story. For that reason, my brand colors are mustard and other natural colors.
What style am I going for?
As you consider what to wear, make sure it fits into your brand story. Are you an athletic realtor? Consider taking photos at your boxing gym! (Believe it or not, I’ve photographed that session!) Are you a thoughtful planner? Wear a blazer with jeans. As you decide what to wear, consider these categories: business formal, athletic, boho, simple, and modern. Then, search up examples of branding shoots using those keywords that fit your brand. You’ll be sure to find a lot of great inspiration. Keep in mind to catalog how you feel while looking through the images. When seeing an image of a bohemian photographer in the wild, are you excited and encouraged to book a session? Maybe that’s the same feeling you want your client to experience when they see your branded portrait.
How can I be intentional in what I choose to bring to the session?
Versatile, versatile, versatile. Choose clothing articles that can be used in multiple outfits and at multiple locations. For example, start wearing jeans and a t-shirt, then add on a button down, and then add a jacket. You limit time wasted by changing your entire outfit, and end up with an array of images that are different yet cohesive when they are displayed in print or online. I recommend bringing five staple pieces to the session. Choose items that your clients would realistically see you wearing at a session. For example, I often wear birkenstocks, mustard tops, and a jean jacket!
How can I make these images last longer?
Make sure to choose timeless pieces that will last you five years or more. While, of course, you’ll want to book more branding sessions in that time, it’s nice to have staple images that you can mix and match across your website. So, don’t wear anything too trendy that will age poorly. In addition, be sure to vary what you wear so it works for different seasons. Hence, bring a t-shirt and a jacket so you can have summer and fall looking images. Also, try to take indoor and outdoor shots as indoor images can be used at any time while outdoor images reflect a certain season.
How many outfits should I bring?
Bring a hodge-podge of mixing and matching items! Long-story short–it’s up to you! Be sure to bring three plain tops, a few bottoms, a blazer, jacket, and dress as well as different accessories: earrings, hats, rings, scarfs, and necklaces. Overall, try to find articles of clothing that blend well together and have a cohesive theme and style.
In all, be intentional about what you wear but don’t sweat the small stuff. Be confident and yourself and it will fall into place.
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