Preparing for a Brand Photoshoot: Tips for Capturing Your Business Story

One of the biggest questions clients ask me when preparing for their new brand or website is:
What kind of photos do I need?

It’s a great question, because photography can either elevate your brand experience… or hold it back.
The right images don’t just fill space. They tell your story, set the tone, and create the emotional connection you need with your audience.

Whether you’re preparing for a full-on brand photoshoot, working with a photographer to refresh your headshots, or DIYing your own visuals, this guide will walk you through what to consider.

General Photo Guidelines

Before we dive into shot ideas, here’s what I recommend across the board:

• Capture both vertical and horizontal shots. You’ll want flexibility for desktop and mobile layouts. Wide, open images are great for full-screen website sections. Vertical portraits are essential for mobile optimization and social posts.
• Plan for whitespace. Choose and shoot some non-busy backgrounds where text can be layered without clutter. Think flat lays of on brand print materials, close-ups, landscapes, wide-open spaces.
• Variety is key. Mix professional headshots, candid movement, workspace scenes, and detail shots. A site that feels alive has range, just like you.

The goal: When someone lands on your website, they should feel who you are and how you move not just see a photo of you standing still. This Pinterest board of creative brand photography may say it best and stir some ideas up for you.

Core Photos to Prioritize

1. Headshots (But Make Them Lived-In)

Yes, you’ll want a polished, professional headshot for your website and materials, but just check a box here. The best brand photoshoots go beyond stiff, posed portraits. They capture who you really are when you’re doing your best work.

Here’s what to aim for:

• A classic, clean headshot: Think confident posture, genuine expression, and simple, neutral backgrounds that don’t overpower you. This is your go-to photo for professional bios, press, and speaker features.
• A lived-in, natural version: Set down the crossed arms. Instead, imagine you’re mid-conversation with a client, welcoming someone into your space, or setting up for a project. Move a little. Laugh if it happens. Look with the camera, not at it.

Ideas based on your industry:

• Wellness professionals: Capture yourself moving around your space, arranging a room for a session, greeting a client, or preparing materials. Let people see your presence, not just your smile.
• Event designers: Set up a styled mock “event prep” scene. Flatlays of invitation suites, floral samples, linen swatches. Be in action, planning, arranging, collaborating.
• Creative entrepreneurs: Show yourself doing what you love, sketching, brainstorming, crafting something with your hands, walking through a creative space.

The key is that your “headshots” should still feel like a day in your life. Polished, yes, but never perfectly posed and frozen in time.

2. Group Photos (If You Have a Team)

Please say goodbye to only snapping a photo of “everyone standing shoulder-to-shoulder smiling at the camera.” Group photos are about capturing your team dynamic and how you show up together. Capture the energy of how you work, not just the end product.

Sometimes the best brand photos aren’t staged. They’re captured while you’re doing what you do best. Consider hosting a workshop, a speaking engagement, a retreat, or even inviting a photographer to tag along for a real client session. Capturing you in your element not only feels more natural, but it also builds trust and creates imagery that truly reflects the lived experience of working with you. These moments tell a deeper story than a studio backdrop ever could.

Ideas based on your industry:

• Wellness teams: Greet an arriving client. Show the welcome you offer in real life. Prep a space together or organize products.
• Auction teams, fundraising teams, event firms: Stage a moment around planning or strategy, talking around a whiteboard, pointing at a table layout, setting up materials.
• Creative studios or agencies: Brainstorm with sketchpads out, review design samples, move around an open-air workspace.

3. Detail Shots

Little moments matter. Flatlays (overhead shots of your work, tools, or brand materials) give you endless content for social posts and website texture. Some ideas:

• Branded stationery (business cards, notebooks).
• Materials or items related to your craft.
• Moodboards, color swatches, textures you love.

4. Portfolio or Product Shots

If you have work to showcase, prioritize your top 3–5 pieces, not everything you’ve ever done. Choose work that:

• Reflects where you’re heading, not just where you’ve been.
• You would be excited to get hired for again.
• Represents the aesthetic and energy you want to attract.

Special Note: Setting the Scene

If your home offices feel cramped or mismatched, rent a clean space for a few hours, whether it’s a studio, an Airbnb, or a coworking room that matches your brand’s tone.

Location matters. It’s often easier (and cheaper) to rent a space for a few hours than to completely redesign your surroundings. A clean, intentionally chosen setting elevates the entire shoot.

A Few Outfit Considerations

Your outfit is part of the story too. Some quick guidelines:

• Think enduring, not trendy. Avoid anything overly graphic, distracting, or too seasonal.
• Reflect your brand tone.
  • Professional yet approachable → Tailored jeans, neutral blouses, minimal accessories.
  • Creative and bold → Textured pieces, confident color pops, playful but polished details.

Ultimately: Show up as your real self, your best self, and the future version of yourself you’re growing into.

Real-World Example: Full Gallop Communications

When Amanda from Full Gallop Communications reached out, she was standing at a major crossroads.

She had built a strong reputation offering business consulting, but she was ready for more. She was stepping fully into her next evolution: positioning herself as a fractional CMO, providing high-level strategy and brand leadership for discerning industries like healthcare, tech, wellness, and beyond.

The challenge? Amanda wasn’t just pivoting her services. She was pivoting her identity.

She needed to show up as the seasoned expert she was without losing the warmth, joy, and authenticity that make her magnetic. She also wanted her brand to honor her personal passions, like her lifelong love of horses, without diluting her credibility in the corporate space.

At the time, she described feeling stuck. She wasn’t excited about her business the way she used to be. She knew she was ready to move forward, but didn’t know how to bridge the gap between where she had been and where she wanted to go.

Together, we shaped a brand story that could hold it all.

We mapped out a brand photo direction that embraced the duality of her work. Strategic and approachable, polished and personal.

Here’s how we structured the shoot:

• Embrace Duality: We planned shots that captured the forward momentum and trusted leadership Amanda brings to every project, through scenes of movement, collaboration, and authentic conversation.
• Set the Standard: We styled work scenes that felt elevated but inviting, aligning perfectly with how Amanda leads complex projects with clarity and empathy.
• Add Personality: We shot additional scenes at an equestrian center, subtly tying in the spirit behind Full Gallop’s name and Amanda’s own journey without being literal. Details like clean barn aisles, open paths, and natural textures told a story of grounded leadership and bold momentum.

The shoot plan included two major themes:

• The Full Gallop Office: Clean, polished workspaces with candid action shots and brand material flatlays.
• The Open Path: Outdoor, natural settings that symbolized opportunity, forward thinking, and vision.

The result?

Amanda didn’t just update her visuals. She stepped fully into her new brand identity.

Her words after our brand strategy and photography planning session say it best:

“Feeling immediately understood created so much renewed energy and excitement to continue developing my vision. This has been one of the best things I have done for myself and my business in the last few years.”

“I have an actionable plan, new tools, and CLARITY to bring to every decision now. On top of that, I feel totally comfortable reaching out for additional support in the future.”

Amanda’s presence now feels clear, magnetic, and completely aligned with the impact she’s here to create. Full Gallop Communications has moved beyond simply being a service provider. It’s a brand that stands tall in its values, leadership, and story.

And it all started with the decision to honor her next chapter and step into it fully.

Why I Offer Brand Photoshoot Direction

The truth is: Good brand design needs good photography. And good photography starts with intention—not just aesthetics.

That’s why, as part of my services, I offer brand photoshoot direction. I help you or your photographer:

• Build a moodboard that matches your brand story.
• Create a detailed shot list for versatility across platforms.
• Align the shoot to your larger brand goals, so every image has a purpose.

Because your brand isn’t just what you say. It’s what people feel the moment they land on your site.

And the right photos make them feel like they belong there.

Looking for more personalized support?

If you’re preparing for a photoshoot, building a new site, or just want to elevate your visual storytelling, I’d love to support you through a brand strategy session or creative direction. Reach out here or explore more ways to work together.