First of all, what is a personal branding shoot and how is it different from headshots?...

Headshots are just photos of you. Typically head and shoulders with a very plain background. Think LinkedIn style of images.

Personal branding tells the rich story of your business, bringing your brand to life. These days' people want to connect with authentic brands and who they're purchasing from.

So instead of just headshots, if you were a ceramicist for e.g. I would come into your studio and capture images of you making your ceramics, your tools, the space and you in it, capturing your daily activities.

This style is much more journalistic and it creates a bunch of content that allows you to tell the story of your business and the products or services that you sell, on all your platforms like your website, Instagram and your blog in a fun, natural and creative way.

So how do you prepare for something like this?

The first thing that I send all of my clients is a questionnaire so I can find out more about your business. I want to become a part of your business, so I need to know your business' ethos, direction, branding colours and mood you want the images to portray.

Some people are very colourful and energetic and want their images to represent them in the same way. Other people like neutral tones or a calm, chill vibe. The questionnaire is invaluable to me. It's the best way to know more about you and your business so I can create images that are perfect for your aesthetic and become a part of the team.

Next I send you a style guide - I really LOVE this guide! It has tips on how to dress for your body shape, tips on what to bring and how to prepare for your shoot. If your favourite dress is a bright pink and red pattern and your branding colours are all neutral tones (no matter how amazing you look in it!) you shouldn't be wearing it for your personal branding shoot.

Have you ever done a shoot and afterwards you didn't want to use half of the images and you weren't sure why, but they didn't quite go with your brand? This guide will eliminate this from all angles!

It's important that everything you bring and wear is all on brand so your images are timeless in your business and you can use them across all platforms and they go with everything else.

The last important preparation we do is choosing a location that also goes with your brand and aesthetic. Not everyone's brands look good shot in an office environment and likewise not all businesses suit images at the beach. We need to tell the story of your business.

Preparation is the most key part of any personal branding shoot. You can't just wing it and hope that the images you receive will be the perfect images for your brand. Your images are the first-impressions to your clients, they need to be the best you that you can be.

Would you like to chat about this process more or have a look at my packages to see what would work for your business? Great! I love a chin wag :)

Let's create some magical images for your business and take your imagery to the next level!

Marigold Meagher is a published personal branding and fashion photographer that is based in Brisbane and the Gold Coast with work seen in Who magazine, On the front of novels and all major Newspapers and News channels such as A Current affair, 9 news, Amazon and The Herald Sun. You can sign up for her blog HERE or work with her HERE.