What to do before a personal branding shoot (so the photos actually work)
- Alex Tkanova
- May 11
- 8 min read
Most people show up to a branding shoot hoping the photographer will "figure it out."
They pick an outfit the night before, show up on time, smile when asked and walk away with images that look professional but don't actually do anything.
The photos are fine. Technically correct. Safe.
But they don't close the gap between who you are and how people see you.
If you want images that work (images that translate your authority into visual proof) you need to do the work before the camera comes out.
Here's what I see all the time as a brand photographer working with professionals in Amsterdam.
What actually matters before the shoot?
What's a waste of time?
And how can you show up prepared, so the photos prove what you already know about yourself?
Quick Prep Checklist:
Use this as a quick check. Details below.
✓ Clarity session: who you are now, not who you were two years ago
✓ Positioning brief: what you want people to understand in 3 seconds
✓ Visual reference images (not poses - tone and energy)
✓ 2-3 outfit options that match your brand, not a trend
✓ Hair/grooming appointment 1-2 days before (not same-day)
✓ No new skincare experiments the week of the shoot
✓ Sleep, water, and time built in so you're not rushing
What happens if you skip the prep?
You get generic brand photos.
Technically fine.
Professionally lit.
Nicely composed.
But they don't say anything specific about you.
You end up with photos that look like passport pictures - correct but forgettable.
What that looks like:
Photos that could be anyone in your industry.
You pick the "least bad" image instead of the one that actually works.
Six months later, you're still using your old headshot because the new ones don't feel right.
You can't explain why the photos aren't working, they just aren't.
The problem isn't the photographer.
The problem is you showed up without a brief.
And when there's no brief, the photographer guesses.
You get their interpretation of "professional" - not a translation of your positioning.
Step 1: Get clear on who you are now (not who you were)
This is the part most people skip.
They assume the photographer will "make them look good."
But looking good isn't the goal.
Looking like the person you've become is the goal.Ask yourself:
Who are you now - not two years ago, not in your last role, but today?
What do you want people to understand about you in the first 3 seconds?
What's the impression you're trying to make that your current photos aren't showing?
Example:
"I'm a leadership coach who works with senior executives. I want to look warm but authoritative - approachable without being soft. My current LinkedIn photo makes me look like I'm still in corporate HR."
That's a brief.
That's something a photographer can execute.
"I just need new headshots" is not a brief. That's a guess.
Step 2: Bring visual references (but not poses)
Don't show up with a Pinterest board of 47 poses.
Your photographer doesn't need to know what your hands should be doing.
They need to know the energy you're aiming for.
What to bring:
3-5 images that capture the tone you want (professional, editorial, warm, bold, understated)
Images of people in your industry whose visual presence you respect
Photos that show the impression you want to make - not the pose you want to copy
What NOT to bring:
Stock photo poses with fake laughing
"Top 10 LinkedIn poses" articles
A mood board with 6 different aesthetics (pick one direction)
Why this matters:
Visual references give your photographer a target. Without them, they're shooting in the dark and hoping you'll recognize yourself when you see it.
Step 3: Wardrobe - match your positioning, not a trend
This is where people overthink and under-prepare.
They spend two hours scrolling "what to wear to a photoshoot" articles and show up in something that doesn't feel like them.
THE RULE: wear what you'd wear to the most important meeting of your career, but make sure it's actually yours.
Not what you think you're supposed to wear.
Not what everyone else in your industry wears.
What you would wear if you were showing up as the most confident version of yourself.
Practical guidelines:
Bring ONLY 2-3 outfit options (not 8 - that's decision fatigue)
Solid colors over patterns (patterns distract; solid colors focus attention on your face)
Avoid brand-new clothes (wear them at least once before the shoot so they feel like yours)
Check the fit (tailoring matters more than the price tag)
Consider your industry context (coaches can be softer; consultants need sharper lines; creatives can push boundaries)
Consider your platform (if this is primarily for LinkedIn, follow LinkedIn's photo best practices on framing and background)
What to avoid:
All-black everything (unless that's genuinely your brand)
Logos, busy patterns, or anything that screams "I grabbed this last minute"
Clothes that don't fit your current body (get them tailored or pick something else)
Your outfit should support your positioning and your personal brand.
Step 4: Grooming & self-care*
(!!) Do this 1-2 days before, not same-day
People panic-book a haircut the morning of the shoot. Don't.
Timeline that works:
Haircut: 3-5 days before (gives it time to settle and look natural)
Hair color: 1 week before (fresh but not too fresh)
Grooming (nails, brows, etc.): 1-2 days before
No new skincare experiments the week of the shoot (your face might react badly)
Day before basics:
Sleep (you can't Photoshop exhaustion convincingly)
Water (dehydration shows in your skin and eyes)
Light meal before the shoot (low blood sugar makes you irritable and unfocused)
Time buffer (rushing kills your energy)
You want to show up as the rested, prepared version of yourself and not the stressed, last-minute version.
Step 5: Understand what "strategy first, photoshoot second" actually means
At OLBRAND, we don't start with "what do you want to wear?"
We start with:
Who are you now?
What do you want people to see?
What's the gap between your self-concept and your current visual presence?
That conversation becomes a brief.
The brief defines what we're shooting for - images that translate your clarity into visual evidence.
What this looks like in practice:
Without strategy:
You show up. We shoot. You get photos.
You pick the ones where you look "least awkward."
Six months later, you're still not using them.
With strategy:
We talk first. You articulate your positioning.
I translate that into a visual brief. You show up prepared.
We execute the plan.
You walk away with images that work because they were designed to work from the start.
The difference:
One is a photoshoot.
The other is a strategic process that produces images as the output.
Common mistakes people make (that waste the whole shoot)
❌ Mistake 1: "I'll just wing it"
No brief, no preparation, hoping the photographer will magically capture "the real you." Result: generic images that could be anyone.
❌ Mistake 2: "I'll bring 8 outfit changes"
You spend the whole shoot changing clothes instead of settling into your energy.
Result: 8 mediocre looks instead of 2 strong ones.
❌ Mistake 3: "I need to look like [insert LinkedIn influencer]"
You're trying to match someone else's brand instead of showing your own.
Result: photos that don't feel like you.
❌ Mistake 4: Booking a haircut the morning of the shoot
Your hair looks too fresh, too stiff, or worse - you hate it and spend the whole shoot self-conscious.
Result: every photo shows tension.
❌ Mistake 5: "I'll figure out my positioning during the shoot"
The shoot is not a coaching session.
If you're still figuring out who you are, you're not ready for strategic photography yet.
🔍 Your pre-shoot preparation checklist (2026)
✓ Clarity on who you are now and NOT who you were two years ago
✓ Positioning brief: one sentence that describes what you want people to see
✓ Visual references: 3-5 images showing tone and energy, not poses
✓ 2-3 outfit options that match your personal brand and feel like you
✓ Grooming appointments booked 1-2 days in advance
✓ No new skincare products: stick with what you know works
✓ Sleep, water, light meal, time to rest: show up as your best self
✓ Mental shift - this is a strategic process, not a "smile and hope" session
Is your current visual presence still working for you?
I see this all the time when photographing professionals and business owners in Amserdam or Amstelveen: people forget how quickly their brand evolves.
Six months pass, your positioning changes, you go independent or get a new title and suddenly the photos that once felt "fine" are actively working against you.
That's why I created a simple self-check:
One page. Takes less than 2 minutes. Gives you an honest answer: keep your photos or refresh them.
It's not fluff. Just straight-to-the-point questions like:
Do your current photos show who you are now?
If you didn't know this person, would you trust them with [your level of work]?
Does your visual presence match the authority you've built?
If you feel even a little hesitation, that's usually a sign it's time to update.
Because your photos shouldn't just look professional - they should represent who you've become.
👉 Download the free Visual Brand Audit checklist and see if your current photos are still doing their job.
What happens when you show up prepared
When you do the positioning work before the shoot, everything changes.
You don't spend the session hoping the photographer "gets it."
You show up with a brief.
You know what you're there to create.
The photographer executes the plan.
The result:
Images that translate your authority into visual proof
Photos you actually use - not ones you pick because they're "the least bad"
A visual presence that matches who you've become
Confidence that your first impression is finally working for you.
Ready to stop guessing and start showing up with a plan?
If your current photos feel outdated, generic, or like they're not doing the work you need them to do - the problem isn't the camera.
The problem is you showed up without a brief.
At OLBRAND, we don't do "smile and hope" photoshoots.
We run a strategic process: clarity first, brief second, camera third.
You arrive prepared.
We execute the plan.
You leave with images that prove what you already know about yourself.
📍 Based in Amstelveen. Working with professionals across Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
📸 Book a strategy session + photoshoot or DM me on LinkedIn to see if this approach is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don't know my positioning yet?
Then you're not ready for strategic photography. Do the positioning work first — clarify your niche, your differentiator, how you want to be seen. Once you have that, the photoshoot translates it into images. The shoot is the output, not the starting point.
How far in advance should I prepare?
Start thinking about positioning 1-2 weeks before the shoot. Book grooming appointments 3-5 days out. Finalize outfit choices 2-3 days before. The day of the shoot should be calm and focused — not scrambling.
What if I'm not "photogenic"?
You don't need to be photogenic. You need to be clear about who you are and confident enough to show up as that person. The strategy session handles the first part. The photographer handles the second. Photogenic is a myth — prepared is what matters.
Can I do this prep on my own, or do I need help?
You can start on your own using the checklist above. But if you're stuck on positioning or unclear about what impression you want to make, that's where the strategy session at OLBRAND comes in. We don't skip that step - it's the entire foundation.
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