Hawaii Lifestyle Branding Session: Aislinn

When I first moved to Hawaii, before my elopement and branding photographer days, I was helping plan and coordinate weddings. Sometimes, when going through photo databases of the weddings we coordinated, I would come across Aislinn with Wilde Sparrow Photography. Aislinn is a full-time family photographer whom I eventually got to assist on a few of her shoots!

Over time, I got to know Aislinn as not just a colleague, but also as someone I look up to. She played a big role in the beginning of my photography career in Hawaii.

When I saw Aislinn’s inquiry for a branding photo shoot come through my website, I was so excited! Getting the honor of having your mentor ask you to take their photos is everything. Aislinn offers incredible education resources for photographers, so I felt privileged to be able to work with her on her branding photo shoot here in Hawaii.

Wondering what a branding or lifestyle session entails? You may be on the hunt for headshots, too! First, we begin with a pre-shoot prep call as a part of your branding photo shoot package. This is kind of like an onboarding process!

What sets myself apart from other headshot photographers in Hawaii and beyond is that I love to ask a LOT of questions. The questions that I ask aren’t solely about what kind of photos you want, but also about the story of your business! One of the key parts of marketing and branding is figuring out your “why” and what sets you apart from others. If we get that point across in photos, and communicate your “why” visually, that can help people choose YOU.

Your onboarding phone call will last about 45 minutes, but don’t worry! You don’t need to bring anything or specifically prepare for our call. I want to make it as easy for you as possible – let me interview you and really get your story.

This call was really helpful in regards to Aislinn’s shoot, because I learned how much of a role her own family plays on her shoot days, so we decided to incorporate her daughter and husband into the shoot after her initial headshots.

For the start of Aislinn’s headshot photo shoot, we took to our good friend Whitney’s house for some crisp, clean content. Her recently remodeled house, with a Scandinavian feel, served as the perfect backdrop for headshots.

When we completed headshot photos, we shifted into what I consider the process portion or “behind-the-scenes” portion of the branding shoot. This is where we get to show you in your element and highlight the unique parts of how you create an incredible experience or product for your clients!

To truly capture Aislinn’s full-process, we decided it would be best for me to join her as soon as she pulled up to the parking lot with her daughter, Josie, and husband, Matt, who come to most of her family sessions to play at the beach. I wanted to tell the whole story of the entire shoot so that families who work with her can relate to her as both their photographer, but also a fellow parent!

Aislinn is SO good with kids, and loves what she does because she is passionate about family in her own life, too! Now that she has a daughter, Josie, it’s fun that she can be involved! I think my favorite part of this shoot was when Josie wandered over and sat on Aislinn’s lap at the very end of the shoot! Josie loves to make friends with Aislinn’s clients, while Matt looks on.

Armed with a fannypack of lollipops (but not before getting permission from parents!), Aislinn makes herself approachable and goes above and beyond for her clients. She even has bandaids for accidental scrapes. Aislinn truly is a master of her craft, and I feel honored to have been able to capture that and get her “why” across.

Branding headshot sessions and lifestyle photo shoots can be an amazing addition to marketing your business. You can use lifestyle session photos and branding shoot photos for your website or social media – and if you have a certain aesthetic or editing style you prefer, I take great care to make sure your content is cohesive. You want your branding session to work for YOU, after all!

For more information on what a branding or lifestyle session can do for your business, check out What Is a Branding Session?