Fits and Vibes – The Secrets Behind Getting Badass Brand Images of Your Team
You did it. You booked the photoshoot for your team. Now it’s time for everyone to get ready (a process that can sometimes feel like wrangling cats.)
You’re thinking, “Let’s all do jeans with tops in our brand colors. Or maybe we’ll all wear kickass business suits. What about black bottoms and white tops in our individual styles?”
Before you go any further…let’s hit the brakes, kiddo.
I know – believe me, as a brand photographer, I know – there’s a very real tendency to think everyone should wear the same type of bottoms or the same colored tops. It makes sense. Your team should match, so you should all dress alike. Isn’t that what teams do?!?
Yes and no.
Team styling is a delicate balance. A fine line. A symphony of style, if you will. One wrong note can throw the whole thing off.
The one thing you don’t want is to get your photos back and instantly notice that the vibe is clunky and off-balanced. Maybe people got lost in the mix, or everyone just looks clumped together and…kind of cheesy?
When that happens, you’ll turn to your photographer and ask, “What went wrong?”
I don’t want that for you. You don’t want that for you. And the good news is that you can avoid that entirely with a little insider info.
In this piece, I’ll cover everything you need to know about styling and posing for team photos to make the results effortlessly professional yet relatable to your audience. Let’s go.
Rogue Wardrobe Mishaps For Teams and How To Avoid Them
I’ve often seen team members go rogue (especially in large groups) and dress for themselves instead of for the brand. The truth is that your team members want to represent your brand well and contribute to elevating your image.
But they will need (and appreciate) direction to align with wardrobe elements such as color, style, mood, level of skin coverage, and types of wardrobe pieces (so that you can create an appropriate mix).
Planning ahead will help your team feel more confident going into the shoot and create a more stylish, personable, and professional image.
If everyone is wearing black jeans and blue tops, your team members' images will clump together, and the image as a whole will feel very bottom-heavy.
Planning ahead also means avoiding a situation where your team wears mostly business suits while one team member shows up in jeans, stilettos, and a crop top!
When it comes to styling a team photo shoot, here are the best steps you can take to plan ahead:
1. Choose someone to oversee the team's outfits to ensure cohesion and appropriateness (if needed).
Remember: your brand trumps any team member's personal choices. If you’re planning to capture photos that will elevate your brand and inspire brand recognition, the most important thing is across-the-board alignment.
2. Work from a combined color palette that aligns with your brand colors.
You can even extend your brand color palette to add in a few complementary colors. Try infusing the choices available with darker and lighter shades of each color or a few colors *close* to the brand colors to give your team more flexibility.
3. Focus on alignment, not matchy-matchy.
An aligned look is balanced and cohesive. While you want to mix up the colors, textures, and types of pieces each person is wearing, you also want to look like you go together. Try mixing up the types of pieces each person is recommended to wear. This can help break up clumps in an image and allow the eyes to travel across it better.
4. Continue to hold space for individual personalities.
I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. All of the above doesn't mean that team members can't differentiate themselves from one another or infuse a bit of their personality into their fits. Please do! Showcasing your personalities and unique styles is a great way to engage the viewer. Coordinating simply means that there should be a consensus on what the team wants to convey with their group photo.
What to do if you have a dream team that doesn’t need micromanagement…
Now, I know. Teams come in all shapes and forms. Your team may be one where you can really trust each other, and you know there’s no need for wardrobe micromanagement. You know they’re going to dress appropriately and do their best to represent your brand well.
As a brand photographer, I’ve learned that even—and perhaps especially—dream teams appreciate at least a coordination chat ahead of the shoot. It allows them to feel more confident about their selections.
So, do your team and your brand a favor and have a chat.
Your Best Bet For Perfect Styling?
When it comes to styling for your brand photos, your best bet is to find a photographer who provides detailed guidance in this area. A good brand photographer will equip your team with a style guide or tips before your shoot; a great one will personalize it just for you and your team.
That’s why, as part of my story-driven, results-getting experience, I always ensure my clients receive team style guides that include a mood board, color palette, personalized tips, and guidance for their brand, as well as links to actual wardrobe pieces that can make the whole process easier.
You can learn more about the experience I am committed to providing my clients here.
Posing With Your Team: What To Expect
There seems to be this popular idea that everyone in a photo needs to be crowded together, smiling and looking straight at the camera. But does that kind of image tell your audience anything about you or your business? Probably not.
1. Candidness
Interactions are a great way to get natural-looking photos! In between photos, it can be really helpful to engage in conversations, tell a few jokes, and laugh with one another. A light, fun atmosphere is really the best way to capture genuine expressions. Just remember, when the camera is on you, try to smile and keep talking to a minimum. You don’t want to ruin a bunch of photos with weird mid-talking facial expressions.
2. Group Spacing
While you need to get close enough to make the photo feel friendlier and more genuine (and so you all fit in the frame), you don’t always have to be squeezed up on each other. We want to play with space. We can use space to create more authority, reflect power dynamics, or give off more professionalism. By playing with the space between you all, we’ll be able to create variety in your images to convey different feelings and/or stories.
3. Individual Spacing
I also guide my clients through the steps of playing with space within their own bodies, sometimes called “in-body vs. out-of-body posing.” For instance, creating triangles with our limbs and torso can make our poses feel more dynamic and slimming.
4. Levels
In team shoots, we use a variety of groupings that break everyone up into different levels/positions. By experimenting with positioning team members at different heights and angles, we ensure that everyone is shown and further add interest to the photos.
5. Personalities
Yes, it's totally okay to highlight all the different personalities through posing! You don't need to be cookie-cutter versions of each other, and it's actually usually a lot better when you aren't. Let your photographer know the different personality types on your team, and we’ll better be able to help capture their unique traits by suggesting poses that reflect those personalities or their roles within the team.
6. Posture
This one is a biggie (and I say this as someone who has terrible posture!) I can personally vouch for the difference maintaining good posture makes. It is so super important, but here’s some good news: you can practice ahead of your shoot! See the next section for quick and easy posture practices.
Quick-and-Easy Posture Practices You Can Try Right Now
Let’s practice good posture right now. Stand (or sit up) tall, roll your shoulders back, and try to relax them a little.
Do you feel as though you’re exuding confidence yet? Perhaps you do – but, actually, it doesn’t matter if you don't feel confident yet! The key here is to fake it until you make it.
The person who sees the image is never going to know that you were faking confidence... but they'll definitely notice how you look timid or disinterested if you do that instead.
Another thing we’ll do for posture is create separation between our necks and our heads to remove double chins and add length. You can also practice as you read on.
Try pretending a string is attached to the top of your head, lightly pulling it up and away from your shoulders. Now try to bring your forehead out and tip your chin slightly down. If you have a mirror nearby, notice how this has created a slimming effect, making your face the star, and removing any hint of arrogance. That’s the look we’re going for.
You’re doing great, already.
Want Step-By-Step Help For Your Team?
As an Austin, Texas-based brand photographer, I’ve walked hundreds of teams through the process of getting story-driven, results-getting brand imagery.
I’m proud to provide a photography experience several levels above the book-and-forget-it styles of branding photography. Please check out my story-driven, results-getting experience, and let’s help you get the step-by-step help you need to present your team in the best light.
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