What is "Branding Imagery"

These days Brands require much more than just a headshot to represent themselves online. Branding Imagery is simply a way to show your brand in a visual way. Every brand has a story to tell and that is how you connect with your ideal client. And I will help you tell that powerful story! Branding imagery is a way to show your client what you are all about! The client can then relate to that and it draws them into your company. Sharing your brands story and values is truly a way to increase engagement and stand out from other brands. It is so important that the companies I work with represent themselves online in an authentic way…it is such a powerful tool to help your client trust and connect with your company.

Every brand is different and that’s why I take the time to talk to my clients about their company and how they want to represent themselves online. My Branding Questionnaire is a great tool for diving in and tell me all about your story. I want you to leave our session together with a huge library full of images to use and pull from whenever you go to post online.

Examples of possible content are: hobbies, passions, family life, services, interior, exterior, products, candid portraits, you at work, interacting with your clients, your skills…the list goes on!

We will work together is discuss all of the possibilities to create imagery for you that represents your brand to a tee! You will come out of our photoshoot with an entire library of images that you can’t wait to share with your audience.

Posing

Sitting? Standing? Arms crossed? Where do I look? Do I smile?

All of these questions and concerns can leave you, as soon as you start working with me. I’ve got you! A client recently asked me “How did you learn to pose people’? And I loved this question because yes I went to school for photography but it wasn’t until I started my career that I really started to understand how to pose people.

I work with real people not models, so you aren’t supposed to know how to pose. That’s my job and I’m pretty good at it if I do say so myself. Over the years while working with different people I have learned a few things and one of the most important skills that I have developed is how to get to know someone quickly and observe how they move their body.

It’s all about reading body language and listening to body language. Noticing when a person is uncomfortable or feeling awkward and quickly moving on to something else. Or noticing when someone is really slipping into a groove and feeling confident and holding that pose a bit longer. Then I build off of that pose and move onto the next, while keeping in mind the lessons I have learned about your body language!

I do this over and over again until we find a few poses that really work for you and your figure. I love to sit on the floor for my headshots, and in general really. It just my thing, I feel comfortable there so you will notice a lot of my poses for myself are on the floor! But if you aren’t a floor person, maybe you want to perch on a stool or get cozy against a couch. That’s why I love working at studios with multiple furniture options so my client and I can explore all of the options and pick the best fit for them. We’ll figure out together what works for you. Comfort is one of my main focuses and achieving that level of comfort and calm confidence comes from letting go of the reins and following my voice. I promise, I’ve got you.

Wardrobe

This is a big topic for all of my clients. What to wear! And I promise to walk you through this process. There are a few tips and tricks I tell all of my clients and I wanted to take the opportunity to share them!

1. Five outfits: Think of your wardrobe options as complete outfits head to toe. Break them down into 5 categories. Formal - Business Casual - Colourful & fun - Cozy - Basic. Each business and brand has their own vibe and asthetic. What would work for some might not work for others. But we will figure out the best fit for you and your top 5 outfit choices. The formal outfit could be a structured dress or a tailed suit. Business casual tends to be a blouse and blazer or a button up shirt and jacket. Colourful and fun is something to show off your personality and your style! A cozy outfit works well for those in the wellness industry for instance. Leggings and a big sweater give off a comforting and relaxed tone. Lastly is the basic look, my personal favourite! Jeans, sneakers, and a white t-shirt is a great look for your social media library. A basic outfit like this really brings focus to your face. Take pictures of each complete outfit it will make the pack up for the shoot super easy.

2. Dont buy a whole new wardrobe - Yup I said it. It’s time to go through your closet and pick out some of your favourite things to wear, but are in good condition! You definitely can buy a few new things if needed. When I did my headshots I bought all new clothes. It was a disaster. I was tugging at them the entire time and just didn’t feel right and it showed in my face! There is a sense of the comfort that lived in clothes brings.

3. Bring lots of options - Some outfits just work better than others and you won’t know until you have them on and I am taking your photograph. A recent client Richelle brought 6 outfits and it was until she put on her favourite leather jacket and heeled boots that she really started to shine. Her whole demeaned changed! She lit up and really started to show her true self. It is important to think about how you want to come across while also complimenting your shape.

4. Bring additional piece to elevate your look! Bringing shoes, jewelry, and accessories (hats/glasses/scarves) can elevate your outfit while also giving your target audience a chance to see some personality through your style.

5. Keep your brand colours in mind. During our first vision discussion we will talk about your brands colour pallet. These colour will help us navigate your wardrobe options. Think about where these images will be showcased, probably on your website! So you don’t want to clash with your own website.

6. Don’t look in a mirror. I know I know this sounds strange. But just try it. Put on a full outfit and before you look in the mirror, close your eyes and just think about how you feel in the clothes. How they fit, how they feel. Is it comfortable? Can you move naturally? If the answer is yes, check yourself out in the mirror! If the answer is no, try another outfit! My motto is “Fit good, feel good!”