Personal branding photo-shoot tips: outdoor locations

“Nature is a painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty.” – John Ruskin

One of my favourite things about personal branding photo-shoots is getting to shoot in stunning outdoor locations. Our precious earth is the most beautiful canvas upon which us photographers get to paint the most glorious pictures with light.

I always recommend making at least one of your locations an outdoor space as it will give you so much more variety within your final bank of promotional images. But it needs to feel right for you and your brand; whether that’s a busy city backdrop, a gorgeous garden, a beautiful woodland, or the salt and surf of the coast, there are so many options to choose from.

So where should you start?

1. Think about the practicalities of your business

Do you use the outdoors as part of your work? I’ve photographed lots of coaches who like to bring ‘walking coaching’ into their practice. I’ve also worked with many a dynamic duo who’s favourite way of constructive thinking or problem-solving is by going for a walk in nature.

2. Think about your core values

What matters to you? Are you (or your business) passionate about the environment and sustainability?  Or do you value a few moments of quiet in a beautiful space to think, dream, plan, read, journal, walk, run, do yoga, or meditate? 

3. Think about what you want your shoot to represent

Along with the practical pieces of your photo-shoot like how you work with your clients, your shoot can also represent things like how you want your clients to feel after working with you. This might be a sense of empowerment, relaxation, freedom…. Or [this] is what’s possible for your clients - growth, expansiveness, space, confidence… Using the richness, vastness, and vitality that comes with being outdoors is a really effective way to communicate these ideas.

When you’ve thought about these different themes, think about what sort of outdoor space will best suit you and your brand. When it comes to choosing locations, speak to your photographer about what kind of locations you’d like to include in your photo-shoot and ask their opinion. If you’re very set on using one particular location, take some photos (or find it on Google Earth) and share them with your photographer - they’ll know whether it looks like possibility in terms of space / light / background etc.

And if you’re looking for some inspiration, here’s a selection of my favourite green spaces… 🍃