Call me Coda Brand
You don’t have to ask me twice to photograph a session when there’s a dog present. Even better, there were 5 dogs!
Caroline and I worked together before the session to decide things like wardrobe, colours, location and scenarios to best pair with her website. We talked about different website styles and how the images would work depending on a light or dark aesthetic.
My rule of thumb is to try to keep the imagery neutral and not match exact to brand colours so that the images are more versatile in future should you want to add graphics and branding on top of the photos.
Portraits
Portraits make up one part of my brand sessions. These are photos that are slightly more formal where you’re looking at the camera (but not necessarily depending on your brand and what you’re going for). I like a mix of looking and some candid style portraits and in this case, we did portraits with Caroline’s dog, Coda as well :)
We had 2 locations, one indoors in Caroline’s home where she does a lot of her board and train, crate and place training and conversing with clients remotely. And the second location being on a trail that she frequents when doing any structured walk training.
Communicate what you do
The second part to a brand session is the storytelling element. We discuss what kinds of scenarios make sense to capture for your brand and business. In Call me Coda’s case, we showed Caroline on a call on her laptop, showing that there are options to converse remotely. We also showed Caroline working with dogs without owners present which is part of her board and train program.
Include other People
Having other humans as part of your session creates more dynamic photos and communicates that you are an approachable and friendly person. People want to work with you.
Brand Photography best practices
Hire a photographer who aligns with your brand’s style and values
Make sure to spend more time on the “Why”. Why are you taking these photos? What is their purpose? Will they go on a website? Where on your website? This ensures you get the shots you need, and actually use them to benefit your business
Always have a shot list to follow along so you can be efficient and maximize your time
Have wardrobe picked out and pick different variations that could work in different seasons. This extends the use of your images into different seasons and you’re not wearing the exact same outfit in every photo making them more versatile
Ask friends or family if they’d be willing to be a part of your photo session
Have fun! Owning a business can have its stresses, but you started it because you’re passionate about it. Enjoy the process of growing your business and sharing your expertise with the world
Motion Video
Caroline wanted to show more personality in a first impression and one of the best ways communicate this that photos can’t is through videoWe shot some slow motion clips of her walking the dogs on the trail for her website banner to give viewers a bit more insight into who she is and what the experience would be like when working with her.
Check out her website www.callmecoda.com