I did two brand photoshoots back in 2023, at two very different price points, and the results shocked me.
Photoshoot #1 cost $6,500 and gave me… ten usable photos. That’s $650 a photo.
Photoshoot #2 cost $2,200 and gave me… 115 usable photos. That’s about $20 a photo.
Two very different shoots. Two very different outcomes.
And here’s the kicker: the difference wasn’t the photographer. It wasn’t the length of the session. It wasn’t even the number of outfits I brought.
It was the prep work I did before the shoot.
Why the First Shoot Flopped
During the first shoot, I walked in with great hair, a couple of outfits, and no plan. I figured: “I’m a designer. I know aesthetics. I’ll just vibe it out.”
Big mistake.
What I walked away with was a handful of headshots that didn’t capture the personality or energy of my brand. Pretty? Sure. But useful? Barely.
The truth is, when you’re investing thousands of dollars in a brand photoshoot, “pretty” isn’t enough. Those photos have to work, across your website, your social media, your marketing assets, your PR features.
And if you don’t prepare properly, you risk spending a ton of money and walking away with a folder full of images that just don’t feel like you.
Why the Second Shoot Worked
For the second shoot, I came in with a game plan.
I’d learned my lesson, and I was determined to get the maximum ROI out of every single shot.
That preparation made all the difference.
When the gallery came back two weeks later, I literally cheered so loudly I scared my neighbors. And the best part? I immediately batch-created months’ worth of content because I had the photos to support it.
Here are the 3 steps I took to 30x my ROI.
Step 1: Create a Shot List
A shot list is your north star. It’s a detailed outline of all the poses, moods, and angles you want captured.
This isn’t just about making sure you get “enough” pictures, it’s about making sure you get the right pictures.
Here’s the secret: your brand photos should reflect your brand energetics
- Who you are
- Who you serve
- How you want people to feel when they see your brand
For me, that meant I needed more than just polished headshots. I needed lifestyle shots, prop shots, wide shots, candid moments, photos that communicated warmth, confidence, and approachability.
Don’t trust your memory on shoot day. Write it down.
Step 2: Share It With Your Photographer
Once I nailed down my list, I emailed it to my photographer. That way, she knew exactly what we needed to capture and could lead the shoot with confidence.
This small step eliminated all the awkward “uhh, what should we do next?” moments and made the whole day feel seamless.
It also meant we could move efficiently between outfits, props, and backgrounds, creating variety instead of ending up with 25 nearly identical headshots.
To help you truly understand the difference between a good brand shoot and a bad one, I included some examples below.
Step 3: Protect Your Energy
Here’s something people don’t talk about enough: photoshoots take energy.
I’m not an actress. I can’t fake it if I’m tired, distracted, or stressed. So on shoot day, I cleared my calendar. No meetings, no calls, no rushing in between. I wanted to show up present, fresh, and confident.
And it paid off. The vibe in the photos matched the energy I brought into the room. and that’s what makes them so powerful.
The Big Lesson
A high-yielding brand photoshoot isn’t about spending the most money, hiring the fanciest photographer, or stuffing a suitcase full of outfits.
It’s about the prep work you do before you ever step in front of the camera.
Because when you plan your shots, communicate with your photographer, and protect your energy, you walk away with more than just “pretty pictures.” You walk away with a folder full of images that elevate your visibility and strengthen your brand.
Want the Shortcut?
The “secret sauce” that helped me 30x the ROI of my photoshoot was the Photoshoot Brief I created for myself, a simple, strategic template that made it easy to map out the poses, moods, props, and brand energetics I needed captured.
That very same Photoshoot Brief is now one of the assets inside the Brand Starter Kit at Digital Brand Kit. And it’s not alone.
The Brand Starter Kit also comes with everything you need to launch a cohesive, high-level brand from day one:
✔️ A complete logo suite
✔️ Business card + email signature templates
✔️ Social graphics
✔️ Brand book + style guide
✔️ And yes, the Photoshoot Brief that will save you thousands in wasted photography costs
If you’re ready to stop winging it and start building a brand that looks incredible and works for your business, go check out the Brand Starter Kit here.
