PERSONAL BRANDING PREP GUIDE
As long as you show up, it’s going to be AMAZING! That’s it. That’s all you have to do. I’ve got the rest. I can’t wait to give you this experience.
-Judith
LET’S ELEVATE!
I am so excited to be photographing you! I tend to share A LOT of information with my clients so they know exactly how to prepare and exactly what to expect throughout the whole process. I hope you don’t mind.
Let’s face it, your brand is what people say about you when you are not around. It matters. You control the narrative by what you put out there and how you show up.
Feel free to revisit this Prep Guide as often as you’d like because it’s LONG so you may need a few visits. :)
PLANNING
My Personal Branding sessions are all about elevating your branding in the marketplace with authority. The word brand can be replaced with the word reputation or legacy - it’s what people say about you when you are not around. Marketing and Imagery is how you tell the narrative.
These sessions are designed to capture the best version of you - you on your best day. All of my sessions are fully guided from start to finish with multiple outfits, professional hair, and makeup for the girls.
We want to think about the marketing calendar for the year and how we can create images you can use within that plan. Furthermore, we want to think about all the places your image is being used to represent your personal brand and the brand of your company. Things to consider are email signatures, LinkedIn, zoom/ teams profiles, leadership on nonprofit boards, marketing content for newsletters, blog posts, and social media content. Do you get interviewed in trade publications or in your local business journal? Are you a participant in speaking engagements for your brand? Do you have different audiences you tailor to? Have you written a book?
There are a lot of considerations when thinking about updated images for your brand.
The question for you to consider here: exactly what kind of images are you hoping to capture? What is the vibe: friendly, approachable, or serious boss vibes? Are you drawn to an editorial or more posed or a combo? Have absolutely no idea? It can be very difficult to articulate your own style, so we don’t ask you to do that. Instead, the first thing that I ask clients to do is to create a “secret” Pinterest board for their photo session. If you are not a Pinterest user, you can also just send me some photos, but I find that the secret board on Pinterest is the best way for you and me to get a good visual of the concept we’re going for.
Once that’s done, I want you to create a Pinterest board titled “ (YOUR NAME) Photoshoot” (it’s very important that you name your board with your name because otherwise I’ll have a hundred “MY PHOTO SHOOT” boards and won’t know who is who) and, without thinking too much about it, I want you to PIN anything that speaks to you and your style.
After pinning 25 or so images, I will very easily be able to get a visual of your style and the type of images you are interested in. The purpose of this is NOT to find photos to replicate. It is meant for inspiration. Once we both know the kind of images you really like, it will be easier to deliver a set of photos that is YOUR STYLE, as long as it syncs well with my style.
STYLE OF IMAGES
SIMPLE. BOLD. MOODY. EMOTIVE. MINIMAL.
Our standard style is clean and minimal for branding. We want you to be the star of the show for your branding images. We set the stay for you to feel like the best version of yourself and look like a Boss. The goal is to elevate your image so that when people see it they feel your leadership, approachability and authority in your field of expertise. It’s our specialty. There are different types of image categories to work with, so let’s break it down.
What are your favorites?
CLEAN AND MINIMAL
Simple. No props. Authentic poses. This is more about bringing out and capturing the essence of the person. These images are shot on a solid or textured backdrop.
BEAUTY PORTRAITS
This is the classic Portrait that you see in most of my work. It can be taken with or without clothes, these images include your face and body. We have black, charcoal, light gray, golden brown, and white backdrop options for different aesthetics.
EDITORIAL
Also known as candid shots. These shots capture someone in their environment and seem less posed.
MOODY
Images that have a more dramatic tone due to lighting poses, and/ or backdrop.
LIGHT AND AIRY
Images that have a more open and soft vibe. Often backlit or using soft, natural light.
WARDROBE TIPS
Here are some wardrobe tips to calm your nerves and help you decide what to bring:
The number one wardrobe rule is:
Do not bring outfits that you don’t love! If you don’t like the outfit, it’s likely that you won’t like photos of yourself in the outfit. Leave it at home.
Bring 3-5 Outfits
We can go through them together before your shoot to determine what will photograph best. With the chance to wear several different outfits, we can showcase the variety of ways you show up in your professional life. Do you need a look in a suit? Do you need a business casual look? What do you wear when you go to a reception or business dinner? Do you have multiple businesses that need different looks? What are classic outfits that you can bring that will give you headshot options across all platforms and potentially a few years of use?
One more thing about outfits - while you are here getting professional photos done, bring at least one fun outfit just for you!
Below are a few ideas for colors and aesthetics. We’ve given a lot of information because we understand you may not know which aesthetic suits your brand the most.
Just click on the topic below and it will expand to explain that specific aesthetic.
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Bring something in a soft shade of blush, gray, nude, cream, or white.
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Black, chocolate, charcoal, or dark, rich jewel tones will all work well.
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Put together an ensemble (or two) that’s timeless and chic. Lets face it, you may use these images over the course of a few years so let’s go timeless with our look so that your branding images are never dated
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I love edgy. I know we are here for business, but this is where you may give yourself permission to do a little something for yourself while you're doing all this business stuff. I mean you are already being professionally photographed. ;) A photoshoot is a perfect opportunity to dress like a movie star or an avatar for who you want to become (and a great excuse to go shopping). You might even rent or borrow an outfit.
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Fitted clothing which shows your shape works best for photographs. This applies to any body type. Outfits should hug your curves, especially along your top half. (Loose, flowing skirts, or wide leg pants are fabulous as long as your bodice or top is snug.) Skip the kimono sleeves and dolman style tops, and always choose tailored over loose or boxy.
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Love your arms? Show them off with a strapless dress or sleeveless top. Not a fan of your arms? Pass on anything with cap sleeves, which emphasize the widest part of the arm. Either way, bring (at least) one outfit with long sleeves.
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Ladies, always consider the undergarments you’ll need for each outfit. Pair a black bra with dark clothing, and stick with nude bras under light clothes. Shapewear is awesome for concealing any wobbly bits.
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Bring jewelry, hair accessories, and scarves or wraps to complete each outfit. Choose timeless over trendy.
If you have an amazing pair of shoes, feel free to bring them. Otherwise, don’t worry about your feet - the only time we’ll see them is if we’re specifically trying to show them off.
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Look great on camera. Luxurious fabrics and textures add tactile richness and depth to your photos. Think lace, beadwork, embroidery, crotchet, leather, velvet, draped satin, chiffon, and chunky knits.
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Limiting each outfit to one color palette is a great way to create a long, lean body line in your portraits. When pairing separates, keep light with light, and dark with dark. However, your top doesn’t have to be an exact match to the bottoms, (like dark-wash jeans with a black top).
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They are distracting and often harsh on-camera and a bit unflattering so try to avoid them. A small pattern is fine but no big plaid patterns, please.
It doesn’t have to be complicated…in fact, we welcome simplicity!
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Make sure your wardrobe selections aren’t wrinkled, and cut all the tags off of your sheer items before arriving.
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They can be awkward unless we need to do this for commercial and ad purposes.
GET YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP. SERIOUSLY! PHOTOSHOP CANNOT FIX TIRED.
PLAN AHEAD
Nothing puts a damper on a fun and relaxing photo shoot like feeling rushed or late! You should plan for traffic and arrive about 5 minutes before your scheduled start time.
PAMPER YOURSELF
Use this as an opportunity to pamper yourself. Go a few days before your shoot and get a manicure and pedicure! This will give you a finished, polished look. Chipped polish can be distracting. Also, consider an Esthetician appointment for glowy skin and polished eyebrows or a blowout for flawless hair. Always clean your jewelry.
HAVE EXTRA WARDROBE OPTIONS
Bring at least 4-5 different outfits and accessories only if you usually wear them. We may not use it all, but it never hurts to have options. Often clients will bring a smattering of wardrobe options and I’ll just style up some different looks that they maybe weren’t thinking and they end up loving them.
MAKE A PLAYLIST
Music will really help you get into the supermodel zone!! Try to select music that matches the concept of your shoot. We have a BlueTooth speaker at the studio to stream your tunes if you bring them! We also have a pretty kickass set of photoshoot playlists that tend to jive well with most people.
TRUST ME
I won’t make you do anything that is going to make you look bad. I’m a pro. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I know how to make a woman look good with killer poses, strategic lighting, and appropriate camera angles. I’ve photographed thousands of women in the last 10 years and have quite literally worked with EVERY body type and insecurity. I’ve got you covered. Don’t stress. (Easier said than done, I understand.)
DON’T YOU DARE
SPRAY TAN BEFORE YOUR SHOOT
I know you think that you look better with a tan...but I assure you, even if you don’t see the streaks and unevenness with your naked eye, the camera will pick them up. You will photograph a lot more tan than you think you look, and spray tans will photograph orange in color images. Trust me on this!! On that same note, no tinted lotions or bronzers on your body. Even after this warning, I get a lot of women who message me to say that they’ve been spray tanning for years and they cannot fathom not doing so before a photo shoot. Of course, I will still photograph you, but unfortunately, our standard retouch will not account for spray tan correction, so just keep that in mind.
FORGET TO STRETCH
Many of these poses, while they look effortless, are quite unnatural feeling. Take a few minutes on the morning of your shoot to stretch your arms, legs, hips, and especially your back. People are surprised to see how sore their muscles get after something as silly as a photo shoot, so any extra flexibility you can add by a quick yoga flow will only benefit you.
GET A NEW HAIRCUT / COLOR IMMEDIATELY BEFORE YOUR SHOOT
Now is not the time to experiment with a whole new look. This is also NOT the time to try a new hairstyle. I’ve had clients do this and then not like their photos because they are not used to seeing their hair like that.
TALK SMACK ON YOURSELF
I don’t want to hear about how you hate your hips or your arms or you smile or fill in the blank. I want to hear about how you LOVE your legs, etc. A great attitude will go a long way in having a fabulous and upbeat experience! HOWEVER...if you really feel the need to discuss the thing that bothers you the most about your body, just let me know by saying “I love my ___, but my biggest insecurity is my ___”. I will be extra careful to play down your perceived flaws...but I will ALSO make it my challenge to take the best damn image featuring your ____ so you have a new-found appreciation for it. ;)
STUDIO PHILOSOPHY
ONE MORE TIME for those in the back, YOU ARE AMAZING TODAY NOT 15 LBS FROM NOW, NOT POST-PLASTIC SURGERY. YOU ARE AMAZING TODAY AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SHOW YOU!
WHAT ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT?
It happens all the time…a client’s photo shoot is a few days away and she begins to panic. I get a terrified e-mail in the middle of the night begging for me to talk them off the ledge. They want to cancel, they just haven’t had the time to prepare, you name the excuse, I’ve heard it. So let me be proactive here and tackle the most common trepidations I hear, so that maybe you won’t be hyperventilating in the middle of the night on the day before your session. This will be easy and fun! All you have to do is mirror me. I guide you through the entire process.
POSE ANXIETY
This one’s easy. You don’t have to know how to pose…not even a little bit. I will walk you through every step of the way. I will get into the poses myself and have you mirror me. If we didn’t get it right on the first try, I’ll gently redirect you. It’s not YOUR job to take amazing photos, it’s mine. And I’m pretty competitive about taking amazing photos.
I’M NOT PHOTOGENIC
If you’re thinking that all of the women featured on the pages of my website and social media are models, you’re sorely mistaken. I have NEVER….EVER had a client who didn’t love their photos. You don’t have to love EVERY SINGLE ONE of them, but you will love most of them. And you will be shocked that you could love photos of yourself this much. Photogenic just means you are comfortable in front of the camera. This is my job and it is my superpower. So trust me, show up and I will show you that being photogenic is a mindset and that posing, camera angles and good lighting take you a long way. I’ve never met a person who I couldn’t capture beautifully. That includes you.
RETOUCHING POLICY
We retouch to enhance your already natural beauty. We will do the basic touch ups on blemishes, teeth, eyes, hair, etc. We will also reduce fine lines and wrinkles, if you want. We aim to keep everyone looking natural and like themselves. So no worries. You can let me know how much retouching your prefer.
WHAT TO EXPECT
A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE YOU SHOOT, you can expect to get a confirmation from me, just making sure we are on the same page about your makeup start time, shoot start and end time, and location...and I’ll also ask if you have any last minute questions!
ON THE DAY OF YOUR SHOOT, your hair and makeup will be done by a member of our glam squad unless you’ve requested a natural beauty shoot. You should have your face clean and moisturized, and your hair dry and ready to be heat styled when you arrive. Make sure to wear loose-fitting clothing or a lightweight robe while getting makeup done and let us know in advance if you have any skin allergies at all. While you’re getting lovely, I will take a peek at your wardrobe selections and start putting together looks so we can hit the ground running when you’re done with your hair and makeup. Once you’re done with makeup, you can get into your first look.
ONCE THE SHOOT BEGINS, you can expect me to give you tons of encouragement and direction. I will not expect you to supermodel pose throughout your shoot. I will show you what to do, and encourage improvising whenever you feel comfortable. I will say things to elicit laughter whenever possible, too...so be prepared (or, actually, don’t. It’s better that way.)
The poses generally aren’t very comfortable and your shoot will give you more of a workout than you anticipate. But I assure you, I know what I’m doing. Get a good stretch in the morning of your session, and the evening after your session. A couple of ibuprofen might need to happen for those lower back aches, but it will all be worth it!
YOUR SHOOT TIME will FLY by. That’s a good thing!! That means it wasn’t awkward or boring. Just the right amount of fun! We do run a tight ship at the studio in regard to our schedule, so you’ll most definitely be out on time but never early.
AT THE END OF YOUR SHOOT, we will help you pack up your things, we’ll get you scheduled for your photo reveal appointment so you know exactly when you’ll be seeing your images, and we’ll collect your final balance if you haven’t already paid online. We’ll also give you a high five because, GIRL, you rocked it.
WITHIN 3 WEEKS of your shoot, you will have your photo reveal and ordering appointment with me so that you can see all of your images and order anything you’d like. You should be prepared to place your full order on the day of your photo reveal and ordering appointment. Most clients find themselves upgrading their albums and adding images, and also purchasing a piece or three of wall art.
AT YOUR PHOTO REVEAL appointment, we’ll relax upstairs in the loft and show a slideshow of your images and then we will dive into viewing your entire collection of at least 30 images but typically closer to 40. You’ll have the opportunity to see all of our available products. If your package included studio credit, we’ll explain your options to use the exact credit or to apply your credit towards your desired products. We know you’re going to love your images, and these reveal appointments are so much fun. We can’t wait to share your photos with you!
HOMEWORK
AHH, I bet you didn’t think you’d ever have to do homework again, did you? Think again, beautiful!
CREATE A SECRET PINTEREST BOARD
I want you to head on over to Pinterest and create a secret board called “(YOUR NAME) Boudoir”. Follow me, and then invite me to join your board that you’ve named “YOUR NAME PHOTO SHOOT”, and I want you to spend some time pinning images that speak to you. See my tip on this up above in the “Planning” suggestions. Don’t put too much thought into your pins, I just want to get a general idea of the aesthetic style you’re drawn to.
If you don’t have a Pinterest account and don’t feel like creating one, then just email me a sampling of at least 20 different images you’ve found online that you like.
JOIN MY FACEBOOK GROUP
Be sure to join the JHP FAM to interact with past clients and share your excitement about your session!
ANY QUESTIONS?
Please don’t hesitate to ask! I’m here to help! If you have more questions or need more guidance you can book a zoom or call below.