When should you book your brand photographer?
Knowing when to book your brand photographer is important to getting photos and video that are useful to your business, in the timeframe you need them. Typically you’ll want to be booking your brand photographer about 2.5-3 months before the deadline of when you need your library of images.
However, an important question that you should be asking before booking a brand photographer is this:
Are you ready for a brand session at all?
How Do You Know You’re Ready for a Brand Session?
Here’s the good news. You don’t need to have everything figured out first. You don’t need a new logo, a finished website, or a perfectly crafted mission statement.
In fact, you’re probably ready if:
- You can talk about who you serve and how you help them
- You’ve been using the same few photos for years, and you’re sick of them
- Your photos are so old they don’t look like you
- Your photos don’t feel like they fit where your business is anymore
- You’ve got something big coming up, like a new website, a launch, a new offer, or a podcast
- You’ve never had professional photos of any kind on your website
- Deep inside you feel a little embarrassed about sending people to your website
If you nodded at two or more of these, it’s definitely time.
And if you’re wondering whether your current photos have run their course, I wrote a whole post on 8 signs it’s time to update your brand photos.
What If Your Business Doesn’t Feel “Ready” Yet?
Many women feel like they need to have every piece in place before they should even begin looking around for a brand photographer.
However, a strategic brand photographer is there to help you put those pieces together, so you don’t need to figure everything out by yourself.
With my Signature Brand Sessions, we start with your business first, long before your session date. I want to know who you’re talking to, what you’re selling, and where these photos are going to live. If you can answer a few simple questions about your business, you’re ready to have that conversation. (I walk through those questions in my Deep Dive Questionnaire.)
And if you’re brand new and building your business from the ground up? A smaller session like a Power Hour can be a great first step. You’ll get fresh, useful images to build on as your business grows.
How Far in Advance Should You Book a Brand Photographer?
Here’s roughly how the timeline looks for a Signature Brand Session from start to finish:
- Booking and planning (about 6-8 weeks)…this includes the Deep Dive Questionnaire, planning call, building your storylines, finding the right location, figuring out outfits and props, and lining up hair and makeup, or a stylist if you want them
- Shoot day
- Library of visual assets delivered (about 3-4 weeks after your shoot)
All together, that’s about 10-12 weeks from booking to final gallery. A Power Hour Session may go a little faster since there’s less to plan.
Curious where all those hours go? I break it down in my blog post about how long a brand photo session takes.
“If your new website is going live on March 1, you’ll want to be booking your brand photographer by early December.”
How To Work Backward From Your Deadline
It’s fairly simple to plan when you need to book your session, based on when you need your final images and B-roll.
- Pick the date you need your library of assets in hand. Do you have a website going live, are you launching a new offer, do you have a book release?
- Count back 3-4 weeks. That’s roughly when you should be scheduling your shoot date.
- Count back another 6-8 weeks. That’s when you want to reach out and book your brand photographer.
That means if your new website is going live on March 1, you want to be booking your brand photographer by early December.
Why Does Booking Early Make Such a Difference?
Trying to book your brand session a couple weeks out is a bit like trying to get a dinner reservation at the hottest spot in town at 7pm on a Saturday. It might happen! But there’s a good chance you’re only going to get whatever’s left.
When you give yourself some breathing room with the timing:
- You get more date availability with your brand photographer.
- You’re more likely to get a location that fits your brand.
- Good hair and makeup artists and stylists often fill up with weddings and events, especially during their busy season (like Spring through Fall).
- If you’re building a new website, your photographer and web designer will have a chance to connect; this way your photos can be planned for the spots they’ll fill on your web pages.
- You’re definitely going to feel more relaxed. You’ve had time to plan your outfits, gather your props, and dream about your session, instead racing to the finish line full of stress.
That said, if you’ve got a tight deadline, reach out anyway and tell me what you’re working with. We might need to keep the plan a little simpler, or a Power Hour might be the better fit for the time we have. But I’d much rather help you figure out a smart option than have you settle for a photographer you don’t love, or someone who can’t help you with the strategy and planning.
FAQ’s: When To Book Your Brand Photographer
How far in advance should I book a brand photographer? Plan on at least 6-8 weeks before you want your session to be. That gives you and your photographer time to plan your session, find the right location, and line up hair and makeup or styling.
How long does it take to get brand photos back? You’ll get sneak peeks within about 48 hours, and your full image gallery about 3-4 weeks after your shoot. From booking to final gallery, plan on about 10-12 weeks for a full session.
How do I know if I’m ready for a brand photo session? If you can talk about who you serve and how you help them, you’re ready. You don’t need a finished website or a new logo first.
Should I book my brand photographer before my web designer starts? Book them around the same time if you can. When your photographer and web designer plan together, your photos get created to fit the exact spots they’ll live on your website.
Can I book a brand photo session last minute? Sometimes. A shorter timeline may mean a simpler plan or a smaller session, so reach out with your deadline and ask what’s possible.
What’s the easiest way to figure out when to book? Start with the date you need your photos, count back 3-4 weeks for editing to find your shoot date, then count back another 6-8 weeks for planning. That’s when you should be booking your session with your brand photographer.
Do you have a date in mind? Let’s work backward from it together. Grab my Investment Guide to find out what ways you can work with me, the costs included…and then we can hop on a Discovery Call!
