Episode 520: Your Face Is Part of Your Platform: How to Plan a Branding Shoot Without the Overwhelm, with Tenneil Register

Every writer has that one headshot. You know the one — taken three years ago, maybe four, in front of a bookshelf that isn't even yours anymore. And it gets dragged out for everything: the website, the newsletter, the podcast guest appearance, the book launch graphic, the conference program. It's tired. And honestly? So are you.

In this episode of Writing at the Red House, Kathi Lipp kicks off a four-part series on planning and executing your own branding photo shoot. Joined by returning guest Tenneil Register, Kathi digs into why one photo will never be enough, and why the photos you need aren't about vanity — they're about hospitality.

Why This Matters for Writers Who'd Rather Not Be Seen

Here's the hard truth Kathi names right out of the gate: social media is just about everything right now, and there's no way around needing good pictures. Even if you don't feel like it. Even if you'd rather hide behind your words. Readers want to see the face behind the writing before they'll trust the words on the page.

And there's a bonus that most writers don't expect — a branding shoot doesn't just get your face out there, it helps you get comfortable with your face being out there. As Tenneil puts it, that's half the battle right there.

What Listeners Will Walk Away With

• Why a single headshot can't carry website banners, social posts, newsletter headers, media kits, and book launch graphics

• How many photos you actually need to build a working library (hint: it's more than you think, and less than you fear)

• The one brainstorming question that unlocks the right location for your shoot

• Why your messy, chaotic, full-of-people home might not be the problem — and what to do instead

• How to turn travel, conferences, and even a trip to Disney World into a photo bank opportunity

• The deal breakers that turn a gorgeous location into a terrible one

• Why your photos need to match the reader you're serving

Photos as Hospitality

The reframe at the heart of this conversation is a beautiful one. Tenneil describes multiple poses in multiple settings as "a gift of hospitality for our readers to say come in." For writers in the Christian space especially, readers need to feel at home with you before they'll lean into your words. Your photos are the front porch.

Kathi and Tenneil also walk through the practical side — testing a location for comfort, understanding how lighting actually works, planning for weather backups, and building in a little B-roll video while you're at it. Because the goal isn't a perfect photo. The goal is a library of images that lets you say, "I'm not just my headshot. I'm also an auntie. I'm also a floral designer. I'm also a writer."

Start Here

If the idea of a branding photo shoot has been sitting on your someday list, this is the episode that moves it to the this-year list. Grab a notebook, brainstorm ten locations, narrow it to five or six, and listen in. Part two is coming next.

Please note that the Photo Shoot Branding Guide will be posted on the Writing at the Red House facebook group on Tuesday.