What is a Branding Session?

Branding sessions can be very valuable to an artist or small business. As a maker, if you’ve ever:

• Been stressed about planning your Instagram feed
• Felt that your business has developed in a new way, and want to showcase that
• Needed more content to share to social media

Then a branding session may be for you! Branding sessions can create a cohesive style, and contribute to product sales. There is so much content to be had from booking a branding session for your project!

I like to think of a branding session as a one stop shop: benefitting artists, creators, makers, and artisans from every sector and walk of life! When clients book a branding session with me, it typically is split up into three parts:

• Headshots/photos of the creator
• The “process” that goes into making their product!
• Their “what”: aka, the finished product!

These three parts can offer a lot of variety for social media, but this is not a “one size fits all” situation! Every brand is different, and some might need more or less of any of those parts. I like to do at least two really in-depth phone calls to help determine what it is you need out of a branding session. It is my job (and passion!) to communicate your values and story effortlessly. My approach is never to just show up and begin taking photos. When designing your branding session, I love to get the big picture!

• What is your “why”?
• What lead up to this, when it comes to your business?
• What are you making?

I am passionate about hearing your “why” and listening to your needs. Your brand/business is your baby, and I want to tell your story through the branding session photos!

During our first call, I get a sense of your needs and help you develop a vision for the shoot, narrow down locations, figure out if you need models/props/etc.! For our second thorough phone call, we chat after booking to get more of your story, and to identify priorities and shot ideas. My goal is for you to feel like you have received value out of the shoot!

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The meat of a branding session for me is the “process” portion: there can sometimes be a gap between seeing the final result up against the process! How do we communicate the process without giving everything away? That helps show value, variety of skills, the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, and the passion/attention to detail that many artists have. The “process” portion of a branding session can really relax the maker because you are in your element: it really starts to feel natural!

We can get the most out of your time by treating your branding session like a cooking show! Having some finished items, some items prepped, for a variety of stagings and scenes. It is totally worth your investment if we can stage different parts of your process! Make sure your space is tidy, but don’t worry too much about everything looking perfect because we will gradually move things around as we create your scenes. As long as you have your materials prepped, the shoot moves efficiently! And you will have content for a while, how worth it is that?! Heck yes!

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My approach to headshots is utilizing movement. We can use different backgrounds in a studio, or venture out into nature. It’s up to you! Wondering what to wear? Bring along 2-3 different outfits: something professional for headshots, and you can wear what you usually wear when you’re producing your products so it feels natural! Different outfits can make it feel like various different shoots in one! All about that content for YOUR brand. Don’t worry about feeling awkward: I like to use guided movements, and during the “process” stage, you will naturally feel more comfortable because you’ll be in your element!

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Being able to really tell your important narrative of your brand, art, or passion project means everything to me! There is something to be said for people getting invested in your story! When we share snippets of what goes into your brand and products, people find it compelling and really get to know you. Seeing the person, process, and products behind the brand is everything!

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