How to Shoot Beautiful Branding Photography with Allie Siarto
The Lansing Studio is popularly used as a backdrop for professional headshots and personal branding shoots for a wide range of industries—from real estate teams to cookie decorators and more.
Recently, we sat down with award-winning photographer, Allie Siarto to chat more in-depth about how her creative approach to personal branding sessions and tips she has for capturing photos your clients will love.
How do you approach branding sessions? What goes into your planning and preparation for a shoot?
Allie: “My branding clients start with a Story Session Questionnaire to get them thinking about their audience and brand. Once they fill that out, I create a mood board to design the session style, colors, and props, and I send them a styling quiz that matches outfits to their style, size, and colors. I also share my favorite hair and makeup artists with them so that they have everything they need to get amazing photos.”
What types of clients do you typically work with?
Allie: “I typically work with small business owners who are either launching new businesses or taking their businesses to the next level. I also work with bigger organizations to take headshots and to get them a set of personalized "stock photos" that they can pull from for their marketing and presentations.
The above images are photographed by Allie Siarto at The Lansing Studio.
How long is your average branding session? How many photos do clients typically get?
Allie: “I have a few set options, and I also offer custom packages. I usually start with a phone call to direct clients to the session length that best fits their needs:
Headshot session; 15 minutes; 4 retouched photos
30 minutes; 10 final retouched photos
60 minutes; 25 final retouched photos
Two hours; 50 fully retouched images + ten additional images with basic edits (no retouching)
Four hours; 100 fully retouched images + any remaining images with basic edits (no retouching)
Additional digital images can be added on to any session.”
*A note you may find helpful: A common question we get from studio renters is, “How much time should I book for myself?” While this totally depends on what you’re shooting, Allie typically books 1-hour (sometimes more depending on whether she has more to shoot or has back-to-back sessions).
What's your secret to helping your clients feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera (even the ones that may be super shy)?
Allie: “Everyone starts out feeling a bit nervous, so I demonstrate absolutely everything that I want them to do so they can see what it looks like. As we get into it, I can always see them relaxing, and by the end, they almost always tell me they've had a lot of fun.”
The above images are photographed by Allie Siarto at The Lansing Studio.
What tips do you have for shooting in a naturally lit space? Do you use any light modifiers or supplements?
Allie: “I love that The Lansing Studio has two huge V-flats that I can unfold and use to direct light. Depending on the background, I'll sometimes bring in my own lights to create more dramatic lighting. For example, if I'm on a dark background, I might put a light 45 degrees behind my subject to give them a hair light.”
What are your tips for maximizing the studio space to achieve as much visual diversity as possible?
Allie: “A lot of a person's unique personality and style shine through in outfits and props, so we spend a lot of prep time making sure that we get these right. My clients sometimes joke that they feel like they're moving in.
They'll bring books, flowers in their brand colors, a laptop, items from their home offices - all kinds of things to style the scenes. I also love using the mobile clothing rack to hang everything up so we can easily pair outfits with "scenes."
What do you love most about shooting in The Lansing Studio?
Allie: “It's just such an impressive space. I love that I can boost my backdrops and lights up in the tall space, the natural light is always beautiful, and I use the plants and furniture all the time.”
Meet The Photographer
Allie Siarto is an award-winning editorial-style photographer based in East Lansing, Michigan. She established her photography business, Allie Siarto & Co. Photography in 2010 and primarily focuses on brand photography, senior grad photos, and (her newest service offering) divorce photography.
In Allie’s eyes, photos shouldn't be stressful or awkward - all you need is a little guidance to achieve beautiful natural-looking images.
Connect with Allie:
Instagram: @alliesiarto
Website: alliesiarto.com
