10 Prop Items I recommend bringing to your Brand Session
We all know that most business owners can’t do their jobs without a few trusty tools. Whether you are a realtor, a content creator, a consultant, or a dog groomer, here are my TOP 10 recommended items to bring to a brand photo shoot.
1. Your Business Cards
Your business cards are one of your most valuable business assets. They allow individuals to get in touch with you in such an easy way. If someone wants to get in touch with you after meeting you in person after an event, then they have an immediate resource to you. Therefore, converting a individual you met into a warm lead that much quicker.
2. A computer/laptop
Literally every entrepreneur needs a computer. No matter what you do, you need a computer to communicate with your clients, send emails, update your website, do your business accounting and create content. Every entrepreneur can benefit from a few shots with a computer to show “behind the scenes”.
3. Notebook
Notebooks are a great prop because they allow us to get creative. Need to write something motivational related to your industry? Write it quick and we can find a creative way to capture it, to help your brand stand out.
4. Pen/Pencil
Sometimes we need to write a note for your shoot. But also if you have some pens with your logo on them, that makes for another fun set of shots.
5. Smart Phone
Every entrepreneur has and uses a cell phone. We can capture shots of you on the phone, capture a shot of you holding up your phone with your Instagram or Linked In Profile. We can use it to capture extra BTS shots for your business. We can capture shots of you on a “Facetime call” with a client. There are so many different ways we can use your phone.
6. Books in your field
Books in your field, especially books that are your favorite, are a great prop to add to your branding shots. There are so many different shots we can capture with your books, especially if they are books that you reference for your clients.
7. Packaging or Client Experience Items
Branded items that enhance your Client experience, like gift bags, items that help your client and pertain to your industry are a fantastic prop for your brand session too, as it helps your clients see deeper into what they should expect when working with you.
8. Client resources
Resources that you have for your clients are another great item to include in your brand photo shoot. For example, me as a photographer, I would get my Welcome Packet & Styling Guide printed for my next brand shoot. I’d bring my touch up kit, (with items like a lint roller, or a pair of tweezers) so that my clients know that I have these items handy so they don’t have to stress about it.
9. Products you sell
If you have a product that you sell, then bringing these items are crucial in your brand session. Especially if you have a Shopify Store, Etsy store or other online storefront. Updated, fresh, colorful images of your products are a great way to increase your product sales and build trust with your clients.
10. Other tools of your trade
Other tools of your trade or industry are also crucial to your brand session. If you are a hair dresser, bring your brushes, and scissors. If you are a real estate agent, bring your “We said yes to the Address” signs. If you are a flower farmer, bring your flower pots, and some flowers. If you are a Nutrition specialist, bring fruits and veggies, and some cooking tools.
Headshots are just you. But Branding is you + your environment, your tools, your client experience items, and the things that keep you in business. Branding photography is showing all the different angles, perspectives, and the behind closed doors work that you have to do every day to keep your business actually running.
Your brand photo shoot should be about more than just taking a few updated headshots. The right props and business essentials can help tell the story of who you are, what you do, and what it feels like to work with you. From business cards and laptops to client resources, products, and the tools of your trade, these 10 items can add personality, context, and variety to your branding photos. Whether you are a realtor, consultant, content creator, photographer, or service provider, bringing pieces of your everyday business into your session can help create photos that feel authentic to your brand and give you more versatile content to use across your website and social media.
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