All About Branding Photography

In the midst of the Covid 19 Pandemic, I’ve found myself focusing a lot on my brand and how I can still create during such a trying time. Something I was working on before this all happened was creating a new experience for Madalyn Yates Photography. As you know I am a wedding AND branding photographer and I have given all my attention to wedding photography since the beginning but I’ve found a new love and that is Branding Photography! Now, before you freak and wonder if I am stopping weddings let me tell you, that is NOT the case! I absolutely love being a wedding photographer and it’ll take a lot for me not to specialize in that! Being that wedding photography has it’s seasons, I wanted to still serve people in a creative way and the more photos I started doing for small businesses, the more I grew to really love serving in that capacity! It is an exciting experience!

With all that being said, I wanted to share about branding photography and how it is different than a portrait session for your small business!

Have you heard the saying, “your brand is more than just your logo?” Well, a branding portrait experience is so much more than your headshot. Having experienced this myself, investing in a branding session is so essential for you and for your business. As a photographer or I guess I should say someone in the industry, we always think we can do a trade or just grab a friend who also is a photographer to grab some photos of us. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a time and place for that to happen but darling, your branding experience is not the time.

Typically when you’re having a headshot done, it’s with a solid backdrop, one very business-like outfit, and either a soft smile, cheerful smile, or a “this means business” face. In some cases, they may allow you to choose one other backdrop for a more relaxed candid photo but after that, it’s over. You may walk away with 3-5 photos that will last you about one month, maybe.

By investing in a branding portrait experience, you start by having 1-2 calls with me. During those calls, we really dive deep into your WHY and everything that brings you JOY about your business. Once we’ve really fine-tuned your why & talked through logistics, we will begin to create a mood board – let the fun begin! You will create a board on Pinterest and I will ask you to pin anything that brings you happiness; color palettes, floral arrangements, locations (local and destination), outfit inspiration, other branding photo inspiration, posing ideas, anything & everything that catches your eye! Once you have a start on that, you’ll send me an invite so I can see what your vision is and the overall mood for your branding session will be!

The time between our calls and the actual session will consist of creating a wardrobe by being inspired by a Pinterest board that I share with you in addition to your mood board that you’ve created, deciding on locations, and still figuring out your why & how we can use these photographs to further your business.

These photographs will be a full assortment of content; I will have you in work mode by sitting behind your laptop, I will have you sipping on your favorite beverage while being inspired by reading your favorite book or magazine, I will have you creating laughter to have those genuine portraits to share with your clients, the list goes on and on! In addition to the fun, lifestyle approach to the portraits, we will take those headshots just so you can use when you’re applying for a publication or just needing one for a profile on LinkedIn, etc.

So back to the beginning when I said a branding portrait experience is so much more than your headshot. Can you see why I say that? These portraits will share with your clients & potential clients about YOU and what makes you happy! They will welcome people to know more about you and your personality.

Are you ready to Bring Your Brand to Life? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Inquire here!