Photo Shoots in Amazing Locations: Martha’s Vineyard Spotlight with Jill | Boston photographer

The first time I chatted with Jill, she opened up to me about her passions, her business, her life. She wanted to plan her personal brand shoot where she lived, in Martha’s Vineyard, and she had already put more thought and planning into this session than any other client I’ve had. She was working on her brand with Jordan Duvall from Ignite Your Soul Brand and her art direction guide was 20 pages long. 20 pages. Now this could have made me run in the other direction, but it was perfect. Strategic, intentional, and very very well thought out. She had a vision for her images, and I couldn’t wait to help her bring the vision to life.

We had an amazing location and A LOT on our shot list the day of the shoot, so we set up a strict timeline to help us stay organized. It certainly takes a village sometimes and I was so grateful to our team of amazing women - My assistant Gwen, Paula with hair and makeup, as well as styling, and Jill’s two best friends for being an extra set of hands wherever they could (and the perfect hype women as needed).

It was important for us to show Jill’s spiritual side. She offers intuitive healing and guidance to help women become their authentic selves. Her clients choose her because of her open, nurturing, and compassionate nature, so that was an element that we had to make sure we captured throughout the day. She also does akashic record readings (which I had to google it after our first conversation!)

We ended at the beach at sunset - our grand finale after a long day of shooting. It was the perfect magic to wrap a full day. Beautiful sunset, wind in our hair, waves crashing. All said and done, it was a 14 hour day (which I don’t do many of anymore with two toddlers at home), but so worth it.

Personal Brand Sessions, What The Heck Are They?

What IS a Personal Brand session? Personal brand sessions start with a consultation to get to know your brand story. Sessions usually include headshots, lifestyle images to capture you in action, as well as details that cater to your specific business. Because the session is so customized to suit your brand, the types of images we create will vary from one business to another... which is totally the fun part!! We are telling YOUR unique story

Who is it for? Short answer - anyone who is representing their brand. Small business owners, solo and entrepreneurs, creative professionals, public figures, coaches, teachers, the list could go on and on...
 

Why do I need it? 🤔Strong images give your brand a personality, they show people who you are as a business and what it’s like to work with you. We live in a visual world, and if people can’t see you, they don’t know if they can trust you. I know it’s not easy being in front of the camera, but if you are the face of your brand, YOU need to be involved in the story!
 
What can I expect? You can expect a personalized, customized experience, that clearly communicates your brand story. We start with a questionnaire and consultation to get to know your brand, this is your chance to throw out any ideas, requests, must haves, or definitely-nots. I love the brainstorming process and once we know where we are going, we can start looking at location and wardrobe options. Hair and makeup is always recommended and helps you look and feel your best in front of the camera. It’s always my goal to make you feel comfortable throughout the shoot so we can capture your true personality and of course THIS WILL BE FUN!!

What can I do with my images? This list could be 10 pages long but let’s stick with the basics for now. 

1. Social media in all its glorious forms! Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In. Social media posts that include an image receive 120-180% more visibility and engagement.

2. Your website - Blogs, home page, about me, landing pages, sales pages, contact, etc.⠀

3. Marketing pieces - Business cards, brochures, mailers, or other printed marketing materials.⠀

4. Press releases, speaking engagements, email signature, anywhere you have the opportunity to show people what it would be like to work with you⠀

I bet you can think of at least 10 more that apply to your specific business. I’d love to know what you can come up with for your business!

What types of images do we create? I know you don’t want 30 versions of a formal headshot... BORING! Of course this varies with every brand, but I love to mix in some lifestyle and “working” photos so that people can truly visualize what it’s like to work with, and just be around you. If you offer products, we’ll get some really great product shots. If you have your own workspace, I love to shoot there and incorporate the vibe of your space

Once I’ve experienced and loved everything about our photoshoot, when can we do it again? YES I hope that’s what everyone says, but honestly, our need for content these days can be overwhelming and it can be so hard to keep up with. Again, everyone has different needs, but we can come up with a plan to shoot weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly to keep your content fresh and consistent!

Personal_Brand_Photography from Emily O'Brien on Vimeo.