If you’re new here, Welcome! If you’ve been here before, Welcome Back! In this post I want to talk a bit about what to expect from a brand shoot. But first, a little introduction…

I’m Kandi, the owner, photographer, coach, and image editor running Life Style Photography. I’m based in Johannesburg, South Africa – which I love – and sometimes travel for shoots as well – which I love even more!

The mission behind Life Style is to help female entrepreneurs to embody their confidence and emerge from the crowd. We all want to be working with our dream clients and I step in to make that possible for you.

I’m always ready to hang out with passionate, heart-centred small business owners. And, find that a lot of my clients tend to be in self-care fields like yoga, meditation, coaching, alternative therapies, and such. Some own service based business and some product-based, but they’re all amazing and I’m honoured to be able to capture their essence.

A casual portrait on a white wicker chair featuring denim jeans and a professional camera.

Doing a brand photo shoot is a BIG DEAL! Not only is it crucial to your business to have on-brand, professional images for your website & marketing, but it takes a lot of effort too. For some, the thought of getting on camera is extremely daunting and that can put a dampener on things as well.

Let me give you an idea of what to expect from a brand shoot and, hopefully, this will put your mind at ease and get you excited to book your next shoot.

Fashion photo with black turtleneck and tweed skirt holding a large copper metallic sphere.
Joyful indoor-outdoor lifestyle photo showing movement and dancing on a wooden deck.
Stylish fashion photo with tweed outfit and champagne against white brick wall.

The Pre-Shoot


Expert

Your photographer is the expert and should be excited to guide you through the whole process. You’ll feel confident that they have your best interests at heart and will deliver what you’re looking for.


Planning

The more planning there is, the smoother the shoot will be. Your photographer will have a client experience workflow in place that helps you both to prepare and plan so that shoot day is (hopefully) stress-free.


Consultation

A pre-shoot planning consultation is so important! It gives you a chance to meet, discuss any areas of concern, and have all your questions answered.



Guidance

This one’s a biggie… You don’t want to feel like you’re alone in this process. Your photographer should be there to guide you through the planning and address all the details.

Elegant white one-shoulder dress photo with macrame bag against white background.

The Shoot Day


Getting ready

You’ll wake up from a good night’s sleep and head into your hair and makeup session before your shoot. This should be a calming time, with everything else planned and ready a few days before. Enjoy the pamper session so that you can feel like a million bucks!


The shoot

Meet up with your photographer at location 1 (most brand shoots include more than 1 location) and ease into the shoot. You should be able to relax and enjoy your shoot time while your photographer directs you and ensures that your key shot list is being attended to.


Refuel and refresh

Since most brand shoots take either a half or full day to complete it’s important to stop for a bit of lunch and a breather before your next location. This is super important as you want to keep your vibes high. You can also use this time to do a quick check on makeup and hair.


Wrapping up

By now you’ll have likely shot at a few locations, changed outfits quite a bit (my clients tend to do around 6-10 looks), had a bite to eat, and completed your key shot list. You should feel like you’ve had the most wonderful day celebrating yourself and your business. And, leave on a high knowing that your photographer will be in touch soon with your beautiful photos.

Bright yellow ruffled dress portrait with indoor plants and macrame wall hanging.
Full-length yellow jumpsuit fashion photo posed in doorway with garden background.
A vibrant yellow ruffled dress brings joy and elegance to a bright interior setting with tropical plants.

The Delivery


Sneak Peeks

A few days after your shoot you’ll receive your sneak peeks. These are some of the top shots from the day that your photographer has edited and sent your way to get you super excited for the delivery. You can start sharing these so long and tag your photographer on social media. This can also boost excitement for your audience to see what you’ve been up to.


Selection

About a week after your shoot you’ll receive your selection gallery. This will include all the usable images from your shoot. You then get to pick your favourites and have the option to purchase additional photos if you choose to.


Delivery

Once your final images have been fully edited and made ready for your website, social content, PR needs, etc. you’ll receive your gallery to download. Whoop whoop!


Putting them to use

Now that you have photos that you absolutely adore you can start using them EVERYWHERE! Send them off to your web designer, social manager, virtual assistant, and everyone else who needs them.



Psssst… don’t forget that it’s also a good time to look at increasing your pricing since you’ve just up leveled your brand!


Joyful movement captured in a black floral dress against a white wicker chair and palm leaves background.
Candid laughter while sitting on white wicker furniture with tropical decor and palm leaves.
Dynamic pose in black floral two-piece outfit against white wicker furniture and tropical backdrop.

In closing

What you should expect from your brand shoot is to have an impactful experience from start to finish. You should feel way more confident on and off camera, and feel ready to grow your business even more.

Make sure that you’re working with someone who takes the time to get to know you, listens to what you want and where you need help, and puts in the time to make this experience super special for you.

Now, doesn’t this sound good?


Why not book a call with me and let’s chat about you and your business, and how I can help you to plan the BEST photo shoot you’ve ever had? Use the button below to get in touch.

Or, head over to my Services page to see which offer best suits your needs.