LET’S GET PROPPY
Props are an essential piece to the puzzle that is the perfect branding session! We know it can be overwhelming to look through your office or home trying to figure out what screams you and your brand, which is why we want to help you out! Here’s a few things to consider when choosing your session props…
Q: What do you use the most? If it’s something that’s central to your business, it might be important to include it in your session.
Q: What matches your brand aesthetic? Having a cohesive brand style is so important to having photos that you’ll use often. If it doesn’t match your style, you won’t share it!
Q: What story do you want to tell? Some business owners want a more personal touch to their sessions, while others want to keep things focused and professional. The props that you bring will impact the story you want to tell
Think of our studio as a blank (but very stylish) canvas that you need to paint with the colors of you and your brand’s aesthetic. The props and pieces you bring in to spice up our space will help the photos to stand out and show off your true style. That’s why it’s important to think outside the box a bit when it comes to the props you choose!
Some very common props for branding sessions include laptops, coffee mugs, books, iPads, and tools of your trade. While these are great stock photos for practical posts, we also recommend getting creative with your ideas to really stand out from the crowd of competitors.
When the Pink Door team shot our very own branding sessions, things got pretty wild. Sure, we’re a bunch of creatives, but a lesson can be learned on thinking outside of the box while still staying true to your style. Whether it’s a piece of fruit that perfectly aligns with your brand colors or a knick knack on your desk that perfectly summarizes your personality and passions, pack it up and bring it to your session! We’ll help to style our sets to include the best of your brand.
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YOUR DREAM BRANDING SESSION
Planning for your branding session can seem overwhelming, but when you break it down, it’s not so scary! It may feel like you need to fulfill every current trend or show off every aspect of your business, but we actually don’t recommend it. Zeroing in on the key pillars of your business and brand is super important when planning your branding session.
Where to Start
Forecasting your upcoming goals, events, and plans for the coming months will help you decide what type of photos will be most useful to you. We recommend doing a session once per quarter to make sure things stay focused and organized.
Picture the promotions, advertisements, and holidays that will be coming up in the next 4 months. Those are the hallmark inspirations for your upcoming session!
Once you have an idea of what kind of photos you’ll need, finding the right tone and style you’ll need to achieve the vision will come easily.
Pinterest Planning
Pinterest is a great place to start when planning out your branding session! In fact, before your session, your photographer may create a Pinterest board for you to help plan out your session. Based on what we know about your brand following your questionnaire and a little social media sleuthing, we’ll put together our vision for your shoot.
This board will cover style choices from posing, to set decor, to outfit inspo, and beyond. You’ll be able to collaborate with your photographer to make sure you both have a clear idea of your session vision. The board will help guide us through your session for the most effective session possible!
When you’re creating your board, feel free to start by pinning whatever your heart and mind desires. See a picture of a tiger that caught your eye? Pin it. How about that picture of a girl with a towel on her head? Pin it. A random graphic with a color combo you love? Pin. It.
PIN. IT. ALL.
Anything and everything that you feel describes your brand gets saved to this board. Think of it as a brain dump to get all of your ideas and dreams out there visually. We’ll be able to narrow down what you really want as your session approaches. You may find that your pins all fall into a couple major categories, this will really help when it comes to solidifying your major pillars!
And bless the web designers that added the sections feature to Pinterest 🙌🏻 Once you’ve got a solid board, you’ll be able to separate those pins into sections based on the main pillars you’re able to identify. A few section ideas: colors, outfits, aesthetics, locations, etc.
We also recommend doing a little stalking of our Blog, Instagram, and Pinterest accounts to give us an idea of your inspirations (especially if you plan on shooting at our studio). Getting familiar with our sets and their potential will help a ton with set design and posing later!
Once your shoot date arrives, we’ll be super familiar with your inspirations and ideas and ready to make them a reality! If this still feels like quite the load, just remember that we are happy to take creative control as you’re comfortable!
Here’s a little example of our long-time client Lindsey’s branding session, mixed with photos pulled directly (and indirectly) from her session vision board!
READY TO PLAN?
Visit the link below to schedule your 1:1 phone consultation with our team! This call will be your gateway to all of our session, pricing, and scheduling details!
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WHAT TO WEAR AS A STYLISH STYLIST
As a female owned, operated, and focused photography studio, we shoot with tons of hairstylists every year. Safe to say, we have plenty of hairstylist outfit inspiration to share!
As a hairstylist, you’ve got to balance looking good with feeling comfortable. A task that can be pretty exhausting day-in and day-out. Not only that, but you also work with chemicals and tools that could easily ruin the pieces you’re wearing.
So whether you’re an experienced stylist looking for some fresh inspiration, or a new stylist wondering what the dress code may be – you’re in the right place!
What to Wear
Accessories are going to be your best friend as a fashion-forward stylist. But not ALL accessories are created equal for your line of work. Performing a service that requires lots of movement and hand-work, rings and bracelets can be frustrating to style with. That’s why we recommend playing up the belts, necklaces, and earrings! Pieces that will add extra flare to your outfit, without slowing you down.
With the right accessories, you’re able to keep your outfits more comfortable and functional! Vintage graphic tees are a fav of ours. Since even if you get a stain or two, they’ll blend perfectly into the rugged band tee vibe. We also highly suggest a high-quality pair of leather pants! This one may be surprising, but a good pair of leather pants are actually a super comfortable and chic choice. Since they can be easily cleaned and are usually lined with a stretchy material, you can do it all!
Footwear is an obvious area that comfort must be prioritized. Platforms and clean sneakers are going to be your best friend! Platforms bring height and style to an outfit, without the discomfort of a high heel. And a clean pair of sneakers are super protective and a lifesaver for your feet! Bonus points if you opt for a platform sneaker – platform converse are our favorite 🙌🏻
Where to Shop
Depending on your focus, we’ve got some tried and true shops that are staples for our clients!
For quality basics: Aritzia + Zara
Luxury and simplicity are the hallmarks of the *that* girl aesthetic. These are the spots to find good leather pants, bodysuits, and trousers especially!
For the fun pops of style: Nasty Gal
Nasty Gal is a one-stop-shop for a little bit of everything. Accessories, pops of color, funky pieces that make people stop you and ask “where did you find this??” – this is the place to browse!
For any and every shoe: Nordstrom
Not only does Nordstrom have designers of all styles and levels of comfort, but they also have a stellar return policy. Even if a shoe looks comfy and feels good in a try-on, doesn’t mean it will last you a full day of clients. With Nordstrom, you can make sure that the styles you choose will last.
NEED MORE STYLE + BRANDING INSPO?
We’re here to help! You can browse different hairstylist outfit inspiration below by checking out some of our past Hairstylist Branding Sessions. We assist all of our Branding clients with their wardrobe selection for their session, and we’d be happy to help you too 😉
Click the button below to learn more about our Branding Sessions!
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BRANDING HOTTER THAN THE DESERT SUN
A Branding Photo Shoot in Palm Springs…it doesn’t get better than this. Especially when our girl, Katherine of Antlers and Armchairs, was DOWN to join us in the desert for her next Branding Session! 😍 Now, we’ve been shooting with Katherine since we started our branding genre in 2020, so we’ve gotten A LOT of great shots with her. But this session…might have to take the cake!
ABOUT THE ‘FITS
As an interior designer and home stager, Katherine has got a lot of creative juices flowin’. This is TOTALLY reflected in the outfits we put together for this session! Katherine is one of our Branding Session Subscription clients, which means we’re on retainer with her to shoot several branding sessions a year. With her subscription, we rent outfits for each of her sessions from Rent the Runway! This helps her to avoid having to buy new outfits for every shoot, but still have a GORGEOUS wardrobe for each of her sessions.
As you can see, Katherine’s brand is fun and outgoing just like her! That’s why we HAD to snag some super bright and colorful pieces for this session. Not only does she look tan and shredded in these outfits, but they also stood out perfectly against the desert backdrop 🌴
LET’S DIVE IN
We ventured all around the property for Katherine’s Branding session. From the rocky hills, to the open roads, she was nailing every inch of this landscape. BUT the most memorable location was probably the one under our noses the entire trip!
The night before Katherine’s session, we joked around with the idea of Katherine jumping into our pool fully clothed. Now while this may have remained a joke for most people…with Katherine, it certainly did not 🤣 Our talented hair + makeup artist, Bre, gave Katherine a little glam the night before her session and we were DIVING IN.
Now you may think, “eh, it’s the desert, how cold could it be?”
Answer: Freezing. F*cking. Cold.
We had one chance to get his shot, so the pressure was on. We got Katherine dressed in a gorgeous gown (obvious choice for a night swim), and started the count down.
3….”This is SO stupid”
2….”oh GOD”
1….”SH*T”
SPLASH
Katherine was a CHAMP. Even gave us a few Sports Illustrated worthy poses on her way out of the pool. But best believe she B-lined straight to the jacuzzi before losing feeling in all of her limbs 🤣 We checked the camera, and we NAILED IT 🙌🏻
From that first night on, Katherine’s session was a breeze. After so many past shoots with our team, Katherine is a natural in front of the camera, and it shows!
THE RESULTS
As you can see, Katherine’s personality and style just shine through these photos. We always have such a blast getting to share the day with her 💛
And now as we reminisce of this amazing trip, it’s got us DYING to go back for more. If this sounds like the trip for you, get in touch! We’ll always take an excuse to visit the desert moon 🌙
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BOSS BABES, LISTEN UP
If you ask us, branding photos are necessary for any business looking to really succeed. And we’re not just saying that because we’re a photography studio. Okay… maybe we have a little bias, but in an age dominated by social media and visual advertising, having high-quality branding photos is the bare minimum. The photos you use to represent your brand need to set you apart from the competition and show the world your unique talents and personality!
A Branding session is an experience devoted entirely to showcasing you and your business. Your clients need to know what you’re all about, and it’s much easier for them to get to know you when you represent your brand in an authentic and unique way. We work closely with you to learn everything about your vision and goals to create photos that capture your ambition and style in a fresh and effective way.
You work so hard for your business, and we’re here to help you show it off! Together, we’ll create some viral-worthy content that you’ll be proud to post and share with your audience. Whether you need some simple, professional headshots or months worth of personalized content for your poppin’ feed, we’ll get to know you and your brand to ensure that your photos are exactly what you want and need.
Branding sessions are an investment towards your business’s overall success, so why settle for anything less than perfect? And don’t forget, branding sessions are a business expense!
Your brand represents YOU, so start prioritizing your business and create the empire you deserve!
Ready to launch your business into total success? Schedule a call with us to start planning your branding session right now by clicking the button below!
