Branding sessions are about not just telling your story; it’s also about bringing your clients and customers into that story and into your world.
I’ve been offering two tiers of branding photography for awhile now, and I thought it might be a good time to talk a bit about the difference, and how to know which is right for where you are right now.
I offer full sessions and mini sessions, and either way it’s about sharing who you are and inviting your audience in. We choose a thread and follow it start to finish. Full branding sessions give the story of your brand. Mini branding sessions tell the story of a single product or offering.
Full Sessions
Strategy and Visioning
Full branding sessions start with a strategy meeting (thanks to covid, these have been by phone for a couple years now, but we’re almost ready to go back to real, live coffee shop meet-ups!). I want to hear all about your Why. I want to know your goals and dreams for the future. I want to learn about your ideal client.
Together we map out a plan to tie these things together to create a visual journey through your process, start to finish.
Awl Together Leather is a new queer- and women-owned leatherwork shop focused on providing top-quality, accessible leatherwork in a welcoming environment, while also nurturing new leatherworkers who don’t fit the traditional leather mold (read: straight, white, male, over forty). This meant we needed to capture their wide range of services, their intentional space and grounding in the community, and their own personalities.
Session Planning
We pick a location that best represents your work, and decide if we should add a second location.
Ariss and Tess spruced up a gorgeous studio in East Van and would be using the space for client work, retail and workshops. It’s full of natural light, glowing hardwood floors and so many incredible old sewing machines and cobbling tools. It was the perfect place to capture all the different facets of the business.
And since their neighbourhood is such a big part of their brand, we added a second location on the Drive. The Britannia Community Centre just around the corner was perfect for some environmental portraits.
Final Product
A few weeks after your sessions, you’ll get an online gallery with your images. They’ll be separated into categories for ease of use, and available for download already sized for web. Print size is available if you’d like to adorn your space with photos of your beautiful work!
Mini Sessions
For the mini brand shoot we follow the same process, just with a narrower scope. We choose one thread of your business – one product, one service, or YOU as the face of your business – and build the narrative around it.
If You’re Adding Something New
Domestic Intervention’s mini branding shoot is a great example of this. When she booked her shoot, weaver Corrina Hammond had just placed a set of new hand-woven dresses with a new high-end retailer. She wanted to share the exciting news while also showing off the new garments.
Weaving is all about impeccable craftsmanship using beautiful natural materials. With that in mind we chose the beautiful backdrop of Queen Elizabeth Park in bloom and focused on texture, movement and setting. The colours of the dressed played against the colours of the flowers and foliage. Close-cropped shots of the fabric itself (modelled by Corrina herself!) drew attention to the immense care and attention to detail that went into the pieces.
Headshots = branding photos
Headshots also fall into the category of mini branding sessions. Nobody likes to hear it, but I bet you know by now that people love to see your face. (I’m not always great at showing mine, but when I do I always get a boost in engagement.)
I always ensure you get a variety of shots in your session so you can regularly put your face on your social media. Not to mention keeping the About Me photo on your website fresh.
It’s good practice to have a branding session yearly. It ensures you’re on top of the content you need to keep your marketing fresh, show your face to your audience and make sure your brand imagery is growing and shifting with your business.
There you have it! Questions about which package is right for you? An initial consult is always free, so don’t hesitate to give me a shout.
Want to read about why I’m committed to shooting your brand on film? Here’s the latest in my Why Film series.
