Behind The Scenes of a Creative Brand Shoot

One of the best parts of being a brand photographer is getting to work with the creative and passionate people behind local and small businesses. Every client brings their own style, story, and energy to the process—and helping them bring that to life visually is truly the most fun part of what I do!!

Here's how a brand session with me will go:

First, we'll start with a creative meeting. I'll ask you all kinds of questions having to do with you and your brand, and together we'll come up with an overall concept and a shot list. In this stage we'll talk about a shoot location- maybe it's best to shoot at your physical place of business, or maybe there's a specific location that will capture the essence of your vibe perfectly. The location will determine what you'll wear, what props we may want to include, and other details of that nature.

We will aim to capture a variety of images, which can include:

• Portraits of you, in multiple outfits and scenarios relating to your business/product/service

• Big picture shots, like your place of business

• Detail shots of your product or service that create visual impact

Let me show you with an example:

My client Brittany was launching her own line of hand-sewn, eco-friendly bamboo cotton, multi-functional beanies that could be worn as a hat, a headband, a neck tie, or as face mask (for all that California dirt bike dust and the all too frequent fire-related smoke!)

Hailing from Sonoma County, California, Brittany is all about that Nor Cal life. She's a free spirit, fashion design major, outdoor lover, with a natural sense for entrepreneurship.

Once we had a clear image of her brand we decided on multiple shoot locations to cover all of our bases.

1. First, we shot in the Redwoods nearby, to capture Brittany's personality as the brand owner

   

   

   

   

   

We knew images like these would be used in places like the About portion of her website, on her Instagram, and in various marketing materials.

NOTE: I always keep an eye out for the little moments and details that help tell the full story of your brand. It was important to capture this shot of Brittany's hands for multiple reasons:

A picture like this speaks volumes. It points to the intention, artistry, and deeply personal connection Brittany has to her work. The meaningful crystal and hand-hammered metal jewelry pieces reflect her spiritual nature, which quietly threads itself through her brand in both style and energy. Every product is sewn by Brittany herself, in her own home, on her own machine. That makes this simple capture feel essential to understanding who she is and what her brand embodies.

2. Next we shot Brittany and some friends modeling the beanies to show how they could be used in every day life, knowing these images would be used on her Instagram to promote the product and drive people to her website to purchase. Again, we shot in a cozy, local town tucked within tall trees to keep the overall feel of the photos consistent.

   
   
   

   

   

3. We then shot individual photos of each beanie in each color way to be used as product photos for customers purchasing from her website. We chose to shoot outdoors in natural sunset light to create a warm and inviting experience for her site visitors.

This is one of my favorite kinds of shots—an in-between moment that says so much. She’s not just posing with her product, she’s adjusting it, interacting with it, shaping it with care. It shows the heart behind the brand, the hands-on creativity, and the pride in her craft. Moments like this remind people that there’s a real human behind the work—and that’s what makes a brand feel personal, relatable, and worth remembering.

4. Lastly, we took detailed close-ups of each beanie to show customers the color range. We shot inside with clear, natural, window lighting to ensure correct color representation for her online shoppers, and so they could see the fabric and construction quality up close.

I love this detail shot, honing in on the unique cork label with an etched evergreen tree-- a nod to the inspiration for her brand which was aptly named 'Everbean'

And there you have it! I hope that helps give you a glimpse into how we brought this brand session to life. Every detail was intentional, and every image tells a little piece of the story.

Now trust me, you don’t need to be a model or have everything figured out to have great brand photos. You just need a story worth telling—and I promise, you have one.

If you're ready to create something like this for your own brand, I’d love to collaborate.

Book your session here!

xx Rachel