How to Plan for a Brand Photo Shoot: Your Must-Have Checklist (Part 1)
This is the real work—
the intention, the purpose, and the heart you pour into your business every day. Ready to capture it all?
You did it! You made the amazing decision to invest in a brand photo shoot…. congratulations! This is a massive, exciting step toward making your mission clearer and your impact bigger.
If you’re anything like the changemaker business owners I work with, that initial excitement might be followed by a moment of genuine uncertainty about how to proceed. You might be thinking, "How do I actually prep for this? I need these branding photos to truly capture the heart of my cause, but I don't know where to start!
That is totally okay, because this is where the magic happens! With a simple photoshoot checklist and pre-planning, preparation stops feeling daunting and becomes an essential step toward success. My goal is to help your purpose-driven brand turn its impact into powerful, story-driven visuals. This guide is Part 1 of 2, sharing easy-to-follow brand photoshoot tips so you feel totally confident that the end product will shine a spotlight on your beautiful work.
✅ SECTION 1: Strategy First (Let's Get Clear on Your "Why")
The truth is, the most amazing photos are built on a rock-solid foundation of strategy. Before we talk about what you’re wearing, we need to revisit the heart of your brand.
1. Define Your Authentic Brand Voice
Your visuals are a promise to your audience. We want them to feel totally aligned with your genuine impact. This is the first, most crucial step in how to plan a photoshoot.
What’s your core message? If you had one sentence to tell someone why your business or nonprofit exists, what would it be? Clarity here makes every visual choice easier.
Who are you talking to? We need to make sure the content acts like a magnet, attracting the right clients and supporters who believe in your mission.
How do you want people to feel? Do you want them to feel inspired, trusting, or ready to join a movement? Knowing the emotional reaction we’re aiming for guarantees the visuals will land with your audience.
2. Determine Your Content Priorities
We need to be intentional about where these new photos will live.
Is this for a new website homepage? Your email list? An Instagram campaign? Map it out!
Prioritize your shots. Do you urgently need to showcase your product? Your unique process? Or do you need those candid lifestyle branding photos that build instant trust? Focusing on the top three will maximize the value of our time.
3. Create a Visual Mood Board
This is the fun part that guarantees we're on the same page! This is something I often do for clients, but you are more than welcome to take a crack at it yourself.
Gather reference images or videos that capture the mood, lighting, and composition you love. I want to see the vibe you’re going for—this is your visual branding guide!
Sending this inspiration ensures we immediately understand your brand’s aesthetic, so we can start the creative process with a shared vision.
Intentional Spaces & Visual Details
It’s time to talk about the fun stuff: the visual details! Choosing a unique backdrop, like this incredible indoor space, instantly communicates your brand's personality and values.
🎯 SECTION 2: The Visual Details (Bringing Your Purpose to Life)
Once we have the strategy locked down, we can move into the fun, tangible preparations that will help you feel natural and confident in front of the camera.
4. Choose Intentional Outfits
Your wardrobe should feel like an extension of your brand’s identity—it helps tell your story!
Select 2–3 outfits that reflect your brand’s colors and your unique personality. Variety helps us create different scenes.
Keep patterns and logos minimal. We want the focus to be on you and your powerful message.
Do a quick fit check: Make sure the outfits look great in full-body, close-up, standing, and sitting shots.
5. Bring Meaningful Props + Tools
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don't just tell your audience what you do—show them! Props are amazing visual anchors that give instant context to your work.
Bring objects that tell your story: Your laptop, a favorite notebook, a signature tool you use every day, or a meaningful product.
These tools of the trade help us create natural, dynamic moments that immediately connect your audience to your mission and process.
This concludes Part 1! We've set the stage for success. Next time, we'll dive into the final logistics, location scouting, and must-have checks for a flawless shoot day.