How to Plan the Perfect Branding Photoshoot (Step-by-Step Guide)
A branding photoshoot is one of the most powerful marketing investments a small business owner or service professional can make. But walk in unprepared and you’ll walk out with a gallery that doesn’t work. Walk in with a plan and you’ll leave with 60+ images that fuel your website, social media, and marketing for the next 12 months. Here’s exactly how to plan a branding photoshoot — step by step.
Step 1: Define Your Brand Goals and Target Audience
Before you think about outfits or locations, get clear on who you’re photographing for. A therapist in Little Rock building a warm, approachable online presence has very different visual needs than a corporate consultant in Dallas projecting authority and expertise. Your audience determines everything: the mood, the color palette, the settings, and the poses.
Ask yourself: What do I want someone to feel when they see these images? What three words describe my brand? What does my ideal client look like — and what kind of imagery would resonate with them?
Step 2: Choose Your Photographer
Not every photographer is experienced in branding work. Look for someone with a portfolio that includes branding sessions for service professionals — not just weddings or family portraits. A branding photographer understands content strategy, knows how to capture variety across a single shoot day, and brings a pre-session planning process that sets you up for success.
Merrick Multimedia specializes in branding photography for entrepreneurs, consultants, healthcare professionals, and creative service providers across Dallas, Fort Worth, Little Rock, and throughout Texas and Arkansas. Book a consultation to discuss your session.
Step 3: Build Your Shot List
A shot list is your photoshoot roadmap. Work with your photographer to define the specific types of images you need. A well-rounded branding session typically includes:
- Hero portraits — Polished, on-brand portraits for your website homepage and LinkedIn profile
- Lifestyle shots — You in natural action: working at your desk, reading, on a call, in conversation
- Detail shots — Your tools, books, coffee, workspace details that add texture and personality to your feed
- Environmental shots — Wider angles showing your workspace or a meaningful location
- Content-specific shots — Images framed for specific platforms (square for Instagram, horizontal for website banners, vertical for Pinterest or Stories)
Step 4: Plan Your Wardrobe
Most branding sessions include 2–4 outfit changes to create variety in your gallery. Choose colors and styles that align with your brand palette — and avoid busy patterns, logos, or anything that will look dated quickly. Solid colors in your brand palette, well-fitted pieces, and layering options (jackets, cardigans, scarves) give your photographer the most to work with.
Bring more options than you think you need and steam everything the night before. Wrinkles are far more visible in professional photos than in real life.
Step 5: Select Your Locations
Variety in setting creates variety in your gallery. Most branding sessions use 2–3 locations: your actual office or studio, a complementary outdoor space, and sometimes a styled interior (a coffee shop, library, or rented studio space). In Dallas and Little Rock, there’s no shortage of architecturally interesting backdrops that can add context and personality to your images without stealing the show.
Step 6: Plan Your Content Strategy Before the Shoot
The photographers who get the best results are the ones who arrive knowing exactly where every image will be used. If you know you need a LinkedIn banner, a website hero, and 30 days of Instagram content, brief your photographer accordingly. This content-first approach is what separates a productive branding session from a collection of pretty photos that sit unused in a Dropbox folder.
Pair your branding session with a short-form video package and walk away with a full visual content library from a single shoot day. Merrick Multimedia also offers commercial photography if your needs extend to product or service imagery. Let’s talk about what your brand needs.
Frequently Asked Questions: Planning a Branding Photoshoot
Most branding sessions run 2–4 hours, depending on the number of looks and locations. A longer half-day session (4–6 hours) allows for more variety in outfits, settings, and shot types, which translates to a larger and more versatile gallery.
A typical branding session delivers 40–80 fully edited images, depending on session length and the number of outfit and location changes. Merrick Multimedia provides a clear deliverable count at the time of booking.
A mood board is helpful but not required. Your photographer can guide the creative direction during your pre-session consultation. If you have examples of visuals you love — whether from competitors, peers, or simply images whose feel resonates with you — bring them. They’re useful starting points even if you don’t want to replicate them exactly.
Yes. We specialize in branding photography for service-based professionals, entrepreneurs, and businesses across Dallas, Fort Worth, Little Rock, and surrounding markets in Texas and Arkansas.
A great branding session starts with a great plan. Contact Merrick Multimedia to begin the planning process for your branding photoshoot in Dallas or Little Rock.
