When you are planning a branding shoot you can go one of two ways. We can pick a nice location, choose beautiful outfits and get some nice photos or... we can think about what we are trying to say with the photos.
Because this shoot - with Natalie from We Are Making the Rules - was never about just “content”.
It was about a message.
Natalie’s work sits right in the middle of all the noise around diet culture - the constant stream of rules, expectations, and quiet pressures that creep in without you even noticing.
The “you should be doing this”, the “you shouldn’t be doing that”, the subtle suggestion that you could always be a slightly better version of yourself if you just tried a bit harder.
And her whole approach gently questions all of that.
It creates space to step back and ask, what if we didn’t listen to all of that?
What if we trusted ourselves a bit more instead?
So when we planned the shoot, it didn’t make sense for the images to feel overly polished or controlled and right at the heart fo what we planned was about how we could represent those messages with the images we created.
Why we mixed street photography with branding
This is where the planning got interesting.
Instead of keeping everything controlled and curated, we planned a mix of
- street-style images in and around Natalie's offices in London focusing on imagery that challenges the norm.
- paired with softer, more intentional branding shots
Within the branding shots we also looked at ways to demonstrate those mesages - crossing out rule words on a note book, throwing the "rules" in the bin etc so that when Natalie comes to talk about ehat she does, the imagery will do a lot of the hard work for her. Which is what a well planned branding photogrpahy shoot will do.
The street photography also matches Natalies zine style Instagram feed which blends those protraits, images and messages seamlessly.
Planning a shoot like this always comes back to one thing
It's always about the message before everything else. Then we get creative and match those messages to images that fit your brand and values perfectly.
That's how you get images that look different to everyone else's - even people doing and selling very simlar things to you. That's how you stand out and create a recognisable, powerful visual presence.
Your images then naturally also attract the right people, make your content feel conisstent - not repetative - and give you confidence to show up.
If you’re planning your own branding shoot…
Instead of asking "What should I wear?" ask first "What do I want to say and who do I want to say it to?".
Once that's clear the location, outifts and stylking fall into place and the shoot feels much more like you. That's where branding photography does it's job properly.
So if you want a shoot that’s more than just a set of pretty images - one that actually reflects what your business stands for - that’s how I approach things and I would love to help.
Enquire below to book a branding photography session in Kent and beyond.
I would love to work with you to tell the story of your brand.
Laura