A Glimpse into a Branding Session
Calling all business owners and entrepreneurs…this blog is for you! Today I’d like to talk a little bit about branding sessions. If you’re running a business and have an online presence, a branding session is an absolute must to promote your business. Professional photos are what your potential clients and customers see when they search for you online and it’s essential those images accurately communicate your product, messaging, and vibe. This blog will focus on a branding session with Debbie Field, owner of Madame Stitch. We’ll address the 3 big outcomes a branding session with EK Photography should produce through the lens of her session.
What does the brand represent?
When Debbie first reached out to me about a branding session, she explained she was interested in new photos for her crochet design and tech editing business. She described her ideal client as “the busy crocheter who wants simple yet elegant designs” and “the crochet pattern designer who wants her patterns to be as professional as possible.” Her responses told me we needed to convey approachability, professionalism, and creativity in her photos. I knew right away a studio session featuring a variety of both neutral and bold backgrounds and unique furniture pieces would be the perfect foundation upon which to build her session. We settled on a session at The Fox and Finch Studio in Fountain Hill where we could feature Debbie creating and using both her crochet and tech products in a relaxed, yet elegant atmosphere.
What feel do you want the photos to have?
Debbie described her brand as “accessible, stylish (elegant), and mindful.” She said, “when someone looks at my photos, I want them to see someone they want to be friends with.” Knowing this, I suggested Debbie wear clothing that was casual yet classic and professional. During the session we featured Debbie working at her laptop as well as crocheting to clearly paint a visual of what her brand is about as well as help potential clients see Debbie as approachable and knowledgeable about her areas of expertise. Finally, Debbie modeled a number of her pieces at the end of her session both to show off her work as well as how it can be worn by consumers.
How will they be used?
This question is really important to keep in mind when planning a branding session. Though it’s common for branding photos to be used online, if the client plans to feature most of the photos on a social media platform such as Instagram, I purposefully shoot vertically because that alignment meshes well with the platform. Debbie intended to use her branding photos throughout her website and had specific requests for horizontal shots that would be featured as banners across sections of her pages. We made sure to capture a variety of both horizontal and vertical shots in each pose so she had plenty of variety to choose from when selecting just the right photo for each place on her page.
Debbie’s session is just one example of a multitude of approaches we can take when planning branding photos. What’s most important is that you, the client, know the messaging you want your brand to convey and the feel you want your photos to have. From there we can move in any direction that best showcases you and your work. Feel free to reach out with additional questions as you get started with thinking about booking a branding photo session for you and your business!
