personal branding for a chef, health coach, and green goddess Rachel
Photos from the photoshoot of Rachel Shapiro, a South Florida personal chef, nutritionist, gardener, and green goddess.
“I was so nervous, I wanted to cry and call you to cancel the photoshoot” Rachel confessed to me when we met at the location of her photoshoot - her friend’s gorgeous AirBnB where we got a permission to photograph.
Facing the camera is a very vulnerable and scary process. Even though I am mostly on the other side of the lens, I can relate, because sometimes I need to have my photos taken too. I talk about it in more detail in this story.
I was able to convince Rachel that it will be ok as she showed me around the gorgeous space that we had at our disposal.
portraying different aspects of herrself and her business
Rachel prepared four different outfits to show the different facets of who she is and what she does.
Chef. For her role as a chef, we photographed in the kitchen, Rachel wearing her chef coat. I brought fresh veggies and fruit and some kitchenware that matched Rachel’s brand. I also brought flowers that my husband had gifted me the day before (he rarely gives me flowers so it was a big deal. And perfect timing too! :))
Health coach, nutritionist. In this role Rachel wore a brown dress and we decided to photograph with a basket of veggies outside. There are a few shots of Rachel next to a grill and some headshots near a tree to show Rachel’s connection to Mother Earth and all things natural.
Mindfulness coach. Rachel wore yoga pants and a sports tank the color of her logo and we photographed next to the pool.
Conscious dancer, Goddess. Rachel wore a flowy silky dress and I photographed her with a bouquet of fallen yellow leaves against the backdrop of bamboo, dancing.
Chef branding photos
“I forgot my pants!” she exclaimed as she was changing into her chef outfit. The good thing was, she was standing behind the counter and it is not visible in the final photos that she is not wearing pants :)
These kitchen shots took the longest time to prepare for. Rachel set up the fruits and veggies in a basket and I laid out other things on the counter. The important thing with branding photos is that you don’t want clutter. Since we were photographing in a real kitchen, there were notes and magnets on the fridge, a toaster oven and black kettle on the counter. We were going for a clean and classy feel, so we removed all unnecessary objects from the shot. I am very happy with how these chef photos turned out!
We created a variety of images for Rachel to use in her social media marketing and for her website and we were both very pleased with the results of our work. To learn more about Rachel Shapiro and what she does, visit her website www.integroushealthsolutions.com
You are so much more than just your business! Research shows that we choose to do business with those people we see as similar to ourselves and those we like. Give your audience a chance to get to know you and thus better relate to you and LIKE YOU! Show them the many facets of your personality - what do you like to do in your free time, what is your family life like, how you contribute to your community - through visual story-telling of personal branding photography. Together we will select which stories to choose for your personal branding shoot, I will guide you through picking outfits (or we can employ help of a professional stylist who can help revamp your wardrobe and take your branding and confidence to a whole new level!) and together we will come up with the best locations for your photos. Then, after a few hours of photographing, you will have two, or even three, months’ worth of visual content for your social media platforms and for your website and online marketing. Contact me today for a no-obligation free consultation about what photos will be most beneficial for your business, or browse my personal branding photography gallery. I look forward to helping you elevate your business!
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personal branding photoshoot for a sex educator and mompreneur
“I will be honest, I feel a little anxious about our photoshoot today.”
That is the text message I receive a few hours before I head out to photograph Mary-Reid’s personal branding photoshoot.
Personal branding photoshoot for a mompreneur and sex educator Mary-Reid.
“I will be honest, I feel a little anxious about our photoshoot today.”
That is the text message I receive a few hours before I head out to photograph Mary-Reid’s personal branding photoshoot.
Phew. I am glad she said that. We were able to talk about it, put that anxiety to rest, and once I got to her house, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work - creating several sets for her personal branding photoshoot right there in her house.
Mary-Reid is a somatic sex educator, mom entrepreneur, who offers online and in-person classes for women, children and families. To get to know her and how she can help you, please visit her website https://www.theeroticalchemist.com
Somatic sex education is the practice of being in deep presence with clients and in body, mind and spirit. Using touch, breath, and movement clients are supported to access and inhabit their erotic selves, voice their desires, exercise choice and voice, and experience pleasure. Somatic sex education is a powerful tool for anyone, whether the goal is to rewire trauma response or simply experience new sensations. For more info on somatic sex education or find a somatic sex educator in your area, visit somaticsexeducators.com
After the initial phone consultation, to better understand Mary-Reid’s brand, I asked her to complete a personal branding photoshoot questionnaire. Answering a series of questions about her brand, colors associated with it, and what message she wanted to convey to her ideal client was a good starting point for us in preparing for her shoot.
Tip: When brainstorming ideas for visual stories when preparing for a personal branding shoot, think of all the different roles that you play on a regular basis. In Mary-Reid’s case it was:
self
mother
wife
sex educator
spiritual teacher
Then look at each relationship and think of how you could portray each of those roles in photos, there can be more than one way to do that for each role.
Based on Mary-Reid’s roles, we decided to focus her visual stories on the following areas:
Mary-Reid’s ideal clients are moms with kids of any age, most likely kids under the age of 12. Being a mom herself, Mary-Reid wanted to show this major role of her life in her photos, so one of the stories we wanted to focus on was her life as a mom - photos with husband and kids.
As someone whose goal is to teach women to get in touch with their sensual selves, discover or re-discover what feels good, and give themselves the permission to experience pleasure, to learn self-love, Mary-Reid’s next story focused on sensual photos of herself. As a main prop for these photos we used a lush red rose and she wore a cobalt blue baby doll.
The other part of her role as a sex educator involves various tools - sex toys, yoni eggs, etc. It was a really fun to photograph this segment because Mary-Reid allowed her playful and silly self shine through in these images.
Also, as an educator, someone who reads about and studies sexuality, we created some photos with books and of her journaling.
Life as a wife - a few photos with her husband, who brings out her playful, spontaneous, silly self, as well as a few sensual shots with him. As you can see, many of these photos are so alive and so real because Mary-Reid didn’t have to pose - one look at her husband and she dissolved into her natural self, just reacting to his admiring eyes, goofy jokes, and his touch. It was also thanks to her husband Tom that we had such beautiful props for our shoot - majestic big red and pink roses that he had given her for Valentine’s Day the day before.
As a goddess advocate, Mary-Reid does goddess card readings and energy work, so it was imperative for us to include some photos of her meditating, playing with her goddess deck, and with her spiritual props and symbols. We set up this shot in front of the fire place, Mary-Reid adorned the place with crystals, a gigantic pink shell, pink roses, saged the place and did a card spread. As I was trying to lie down on the floor to get a lower angle, which was quite a challenge because of my eight-months pregnant belly at the time, I started laughing and said that I would give birth right there. “It’s a good thing I’m a doula, too”, she laughed.
Just as the advice she gives to other busy moms to take the time for self-care and restoring one’s inner balance, through her photos Mary-Reid wanted to show how SHE does it. We were thinking of photos in a nearby park where she would be walking or perhaps journaling in nature. However, we did not get to that part because we spent quite a bit of time setting up the sets and then shooting inside the house , but we did take some beautiful photos outdoors right in her front yard. Those photos turned out to be very close to the images we had envisioned. We created some images of Mary-Reid hugging a tree and playing with a bouquet of red roses - the nature connection that almost every goddess yearns for. The portraits with the vibrant red roses that she had gotten for Valentine’s Day from her hubby were a perfect prop! The images with them just highlight Mary-Reid’s own juicy, vibrant, blossoming personality and stepping into her divine feminine power to unfold her business and take it to the next level. These images show how she embodies the Goddess.
Another part of the shoot that we skipped was photos of Mary-Reid in a place that she likes. She mentioned a small French cafe that she likes to visit from time to time. Mary-Reid showed me the most beautiful black leather crop jacket embroidered with red roses and I am dreaming of photographing her in a lace dress paired with that jacket sipping on a cup or glass of something.
Overall, we created a variety of images for Mary-Reid to use in her social media. And we managed to do all of that in just one location: her house and front-yard, in a matter of few hours. Mary-Reid did her homework well and before I arrived at her place, she’d had all her clothes picked out and hanging on a rack, and all her props and goddess books spread all over the dining room table.
It was lots of fun photographing Mary-Reid and as a huge fan of her work, I sincerely wish her well and hope her empire gains strength rapidly and empowers many women.
You are so much more than just your business! Research shows that we choose to do business with those people we see as similar to ourselves and those we like. Give your audience a chance to get to know you and thus better relate to you and LIKE YOU! Show them the many facets of your personality - what do you like to do in your free time, what is your family life like, how you contribute to your community - through visual story-telling of personal branding photography. Together we will select which stories to choose for your personal branding shoot, I will guide you through picking outfits (or we can employ help of a professional stylist who can help revamp your wardrobe and take your branding and confidence to a whole new level!) and together we will come up with the best locations for your photos. Then, after a few hours of photographing, you will have two, or even three, months’ worth of visual content for your social media platforms and for your website and online marketing. Contact me today for a no-obligation free consultation about what photos will be most beneficial for your business, or browse my personal branding photography gallery. I look forward to helping you elevate your business!
redhead power - a personal branding photoshoot for a store/cafe owner in boca raton
The truth is, I have been DREAMING about photographing this girl for a while. One look at her and you will understand why: a cascade of fiery red curls, super-long lashes and a beaming smile. But the one time that I actually got my lucky chance to work with her was when she NEEDED photos.
The truth is, I have been DREAMING about photographing this girl for a while. One look at her and you will understand why: a cascade of fiery red curls, super-long lashes and a beaming smile. But the one time that I actually got my lucky chance to work with her was when she NEEDED photos. I guess sometimes we think that having our photos taken for the sake of pleasure of it is a guilty one and should not be indulged… I don’t know what Olga’s case was and won’t speculate - I am just SO THANKFUL for the opportunity to photograph her, period. : )
“I needed to have some photos done and the first person I thought of was you,” was like music to my ears when Olga called me. When she explained that she was looking for some images of her working as well as a few shots of her on the beach, her favorite place for relaxing and recharging her batteries, we decided to classify her photoshoot as a mini-personal branding shoot with two locations and scheduled it as a sunrise session on the beach, followed by a session at her workplace.
Olga is a manager and partner of a Russian & International Market and Lublu Bakery & Cafe in Boca Raton. In case you have never visited those place, I suggest you do. From a full assortment of Russian foods to delicious prepared hot and cold items and sweet treats in the cafe, this is my favorite meeting place with friends and clients because I can have a double enjoyment from it! In the beginning of this pregnancy I would make special trips to the Russian store to indulge in a bowl of hot borscht. It would save me from constant morning sickness and make me feel so much better! Me being Russian and all, I LOVE their prepared foods, so if you are adventurous enough to try new ethnic cuisines, definitely visit the Russian store.
Here are the photos we created for Olga, and I am thrilled with them! I am starting with the work photos first, even though they were created last.
A few images of Olga walking from the car to the store and finding a minute to enjoy a coffee with croissant before the day begins.
Personal branding photography is not only about work - it is about showing you from different angles, including how you relax and what you like to do you in your free time, as well as images showing your personality. Because of that, Olga wanted some photos on the beach, a place she frequents on weekends and where she likes to relax with her husband. In the photos below you get to see the playful side of this serious store and cafe manager.
Showing your human, non-professional-life-side, can help create important connections with your existing and potential audiences.
Olga and I are both very pleased with the photos we created and I am so happy to have had a chance to finally photograph this goddess at work and at play.
Explore other images in the personal branding photography gallery and reach out to me if you would like to brainstorm some ideas for your personal branding session. I would love to help you create engaging images that will help you connect with your audience ♥
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personal branding for a goddess
“Do you want to end this year with a bang?” I ask Lina having December 31 at 4 pm in mind as a date and time for her personal branding photoshoot. “Sure”, she says, and I have a feeling it will be a memorable one.
“Do you want to end this year with a bang?” I ask Lina having December 31 at 4 pm in mind as a date and time for her personal branding photoshoot. “Sure”, she says, and I have a feeling it will be a memorable one.
We meet at the South Inlet Park in Boca Raton, where I know we will have trees and vegetation as well as the ocean and huge rocks as beautiful backdrops for her photos. (What I do not know is that we will get carried away and will “play” in the woods until it gets dark…. I get carried away every time!)
Lina is a tantra healer and she needed photos for her new website and social media. Our personal branding for this spiritual entrepreneur focused on only one story including several different outfits. Her entire photoshoot experience is summarized in the video below.
And here are a few of my most favorite photos from Lina’s session:
To get to know this goddess and her business, please visit her website https://www.aluravida.com/
If you are a spiritual or creative entrepreneur, I would love to work with you! Please reach out to me if you need professional photography for your website or social media - let’s create magic together!
personal branding photography - tantra healer's photoshoot on the beach
If you are an entrepreneur, a solopreneur, you are your own brand. The tone of your messages, the clothes you wear, the images you put out on social media all communicate to the world about your brand.
Personal branding photography is images that market YOU and show to your potential clients what it feels like to work with you. A consistent personal brand image that speaks to your ideal customer builds trust and is a foundation of a successful online marketing campaign. Personal branding photogrpahy is more than just a headshot, it goes beyond that, and shows off the various facets of your personality in different settings, not just traditional “work” environment.
If you are an entrepreneur, a solopreneur, you are your own brand. The tone of your messages, the clothes you wear, the images you put out on social media all communicate to the world about your brand.
Personal branding photography is images that market YOU and show to your potential clients what it feels like to work with you. A consistent personal brand image that speaks to your ideal customer builds trust and is a foundation of a successful online marketing campaign. Personal branding photogrpahy is more than just a headshot, it goes beyond that, and shows off the various facets of your personality in different settings, not just traditional “work” environment.
If you have not yet explored personal branding, there are a lot of resources out there to help you get started. I have put together a questionnaire/worksheet that helps my clients and me to hammer out the details of what would be the most important images before we even start photographing. A personal branding photoshoot requires a lot of preparation, but once it is done, the images your create together with your photographer will serve you and your brand for months and give your marketing strategy a clear direction.
Here are some things to take into consideration before and during your personal branding photoshoot. I will use the example of personal branding photoshoot for Lourdes Starshower, a South Florida tantra practitioner.
“I desperately need to update my headshots”, Lourdes texted me and we scheduled her personal branding photoshoot for a Friday golden-hour, a couple of hours before the sunset.
Here are a few things to consider when preparing for a personal branding photoshoot.
Choose a perfect location for your shoot. Lourdes wanted to be photographed on the beach. Though the beach provides a non-distracting background, I used to find it boring, but when I saw how the elements interact with each other at the location that Lourdes suggested - Boynton Beach inlet - I think I now have a new favorite ocean-front shooting location. When choosing on the location of your personal branding photoshoot, think about not only in which environment you work, but also where you like to spend time when you are not working, where you meet clients. Lourdes feels most alive, in her element, when she is connected to nature, sunlight, on the beach. In order to diversify the types of images you create, it is good to have a variety of backdrops within walking distance. In our case, we had the ocean and the rocks on one side, and then intracoastal and tall vegetation on the other, which produced two distinctly different feels of images.
Choose your outfits in accordance with what message you want to send to your audience. Lourdes chose red as color of one of her dresses, an emotionally intense color that is associated with passion, desire and love. Her second outfit was a leopard-print off the shoulder sexy outfit that we photographed in the after-glow of the sun that had already set. A wild print, suggestive of connection to your wild nature, and both outfits being dresses, embodying the divine feminine power that Lourdes teaches her female students to embrace when awakening their sexuality.
Do your research. Pinterest is your best friend! Save photos that speak to you and that are similar to what you want to evoke in your final images. Lourdes saw striking personal branding images of a woman in a red dress on a white couch and wanted to re-create that kind of feeling in her photos, but instead of the couch, she would be sitting or lying on giant rocks.
Communicate clearly with your photographer about how you want to be photographed. Your photographer might have a different vision of how to photograph you at a certain location. “I want to be sitting or lying on rocks”, Lourdes said to me when we arrived at the location. But also remain open and flexible! I asked Lourdes to walk on the beach because I wanted to get some natural shots of her, without her looking too posey and so that she would have a chance to relax, because from my experience I know that people tend to be a little stiff in the beginning of the shoot. Just like with physical exercise, a warm up is a good way to start a photoshoot.
Make a list of shots you need. You might need some shots for your website, for social media announcements, they might need to be vertical or horizontal shots, or images with lots of negative space to allow for text to be added. Your photographer will definitely create headshots for you, but it is also important to include lifestyle portraits, photos of you working and some photos of props that you can later use for your social media and blog posts.
Personal branding photography is something that best be trusted to an intuitive professional who can portray your true essence, capture that sparkle that you bring to the world. The feedback that Lourdes received on the photos from her photoshoot was "this is so you" and "this captures your exuberance" and this is the best compliment that I, as a photographer, can receive. Please contact me if you need to update your personal branding photos so you can meet the new year well equipped with an arsenal of beautiful images to promote your services and your business.
“I highly recommend Francesca Bliss. Her photography is a true co-creation because she has the eye of a visionary artist as well as the ability to make you comfortable and support you in energetically being your best. Hence, you shine authentically alive through the images she captures and meticulously edits. These are my best pictures to date and I’ve had quite a few professional photo shoots with various photographers.”
Please reach out to me if you would like to receive a Personal Branding Questionnaire/Worsheet that will help you determine what kind of images will best represent your brand - there is no obligation to book!.