Creating Curiosity: How to Reach the Small Business Owner with Revby | Boston Brand Photographer

This month I get to spotlight a shoot where I had the pleasure of working with the team of awesome individuals at Revby. Revby is a small business technical assistance provider, and business, marketing, and market research consultancy based in Boston, Massachusetts, and makes it their mission to create a real, human connection with each and every client they work with. As a small business owner myself, I was excited to help them level up their content and give their personal branding the look they were striving for. 

They came to us during a rebrand, looking for original content to highlight their team and how they work together to create a personal experience from one small biz to another. Revby being a smaller team allowed us to focus on the size of their agency, and how amazing it is for clients to get a personalized experience that works for their unique business.

Going into the shoot I also knew one of their main goals to connect with their audience was not just curiosity, but also inspiration. They want the people they work with to have confidence and to be able to approach their small business with energy and motivation for success. We were able to showcase the fun but hard-working dynamic of their group, the images make you feel like you’re sitting right down in the office with them.

We wanted to focus on their team as a whole, and how they collaborate for each client, with their Back Bay, Boston office as a backdrop. I was so excited they wanted “personality” headshots, those are always a blast to do, especially with a team that has so much personality to show. (They had really fun inspiration photos) It’s images like these that really show off the people behind the brand, and the warm, friendly faces you’ll get to know by working with them

I love working with teams and capturing the unique dynamics amongst every group of people, and I can’t wait to work with them again in their branding journey.

What does a typical day look like at a brand shoot? | Boston Photographer

As a personal branding photographer in Boston, I can help elevate your business by highlighting your values, personality, and style. As a small business owner, it's essential to have high-quality photos that showcase your brand and products. Having on-brand photos spread across your website and social media has the ability to draw in prospective clients and customers. A branding session can be anywhere from one hour to a full day. That's where a personal brand photographer comes in. We plan, we prepare, we find the perfect location, we book hair and makeup, we choose amazing on-brand outfits, but what does the day of our brand shoot actually look like?

In this blog post, we'll give you a sneak peek into the process. From scouting locations to setting up equipment and directing poses, you'll get an inside look at the steps involved in creating stunning images that capture your brand's essence. So if you're considering hiring a personal brand photographer or simply curious about what goes into a photoshoot, keep reading! Here is exactly what to expect, broken down into 6 steps:

1. If you’ve booked hair and makeup, they will arrive first, about two hours before our scheduled start time. Now is the time to communicate and show them any inspiration images, and your outfits for the photo shoot.

2. We’re here! Emily and her assistant will arrive at the time we’ve scheduled for arrival. We’ll spend about 20 minutes scouting the location and setting up lighting if necessary. Once you’re ready, we’ll go over your wardrobe and come up with a plan for which outfit to shoot in front of which backdrop. In addition, we’ll chat about the feel you want to capture in each image and how to best direct you during the shoot.

3. We’ll start shooting. During the shoot, Emily will give direction on how to pose, where to look, and what kind of energy to bring. We may try several different positions and angles until we get just the right shot. And don’t worry if you feel a little awkward at first – it’s completely normal! The important thing is to relax. You don’t need to know what to do in front of the camera, Emily will direct you, and no matter how “unphotogenic” you are, you will start to loosen up and even have fun in front of the camera… and it will show in the photos!

4. There’s no rush. Emily will have her shot list and timeline, which we’ve outlined ahead of time, with plenty of wiggle room for breaks, wardrobe mishaps, hair and makeup touchups, etc.

5. We’ll shoot a lot. A lot. Of images. We’ll stick to the shot list, but also leave a lot of room for spontaneity and creativity (after all, isn’t that why you hired us in the first place?). Headshots, lifestyle, process... We’ll also usually try to capture as much behind the scenes photo and video content as possible, we know you’ll want to post all about the day (the glam and… not-so-glam moments).

6. We may finish early. We may finish a little late. There are so many variables that contribute to our timeline - weather, lighting, comfort level, did a squirrel eat our perfectly styled prop bowl of nuts? We try to stick to our schedule, but being flexible is always a good idea.

That’s it! Of course, each shoot is different, with varying elements, but that’s the gist of the day of our photoshoot. As your Boston personal brand photographer, I will work with you to capture the feel you want in each image, directing you on how to pose and bringing an energetic vibe to your photo shoot. There's no need to worry if you feel a little awkward at first - I'll guide you through it! We'll follow our shot list and timeline, but also leave room for creativity and spontaneity. And don't forget, we'll capture behind-the-scenes moments too! Let's have some fun and create next level images for your website, social media, and promotional materials. Bottom line, if we are prepared (and we will be) it’s low pressure, and lots of fun.

How Working with an experienced Brand Strategist Can Elevate Your Photo Session (Part 2) | Boston Photographer

If you started on Part 1 of this post, let me pick up where I left off… Enter my dream client, interior design entrepreneur extraordinaire, Ms Rachel Reider of Reider and Co. She is doing a complete rebrand with Kris, and they need next level content to show off what this team is all about. Oh, have I mentioned her amazing, powerhouse (all female) team of 6?

Example of a client shot list

Again, I can’t stress enough how beneficial it was to have Kris on the brand strategy/art direction side of this. After diving deep into the Reider and Co brand and the direction they were going, Kris and I came up with a shot list together. Here is an example of a shot list I would create for every brand photoshoot. It includes inspiration photos, locations, and specific shots we know are a priority.

For this particular shoot, we wanted a heavy focus on the team dynamic. Day 1 included two versatile locations - one in a Back Bay, Boston condo, and the other in a suburban Wellesley home. Our main focus was really powerful team photos, headshots, as well as a peek into all of the many things that happen behind the scenes as they are working with their clients. This was one of my favorites, shot “tableau style” to highlight the all inclusive experience the team provides from start to finish.

Day 2 was on location at Rachel’s studio in the South End of Boston (two blocks away from my condo, perfect!) Our main focus was to show the day-to-day, behind-the-scenes team in action: the start of the process, the sample selection, the team meetings. All of the things we don’t think about when we see the finished product.

All in all, it was a successful brand shoot, and I am THRILLED to see these images on Rachel’s gorgeous new website. Kris did an amazing job. This is what happens when women are in charge.

Check out the Reider and Co brand new website here

Check out the very talented Kris Kennedy of Loudhouse Branding website here

Of course what would a great photoshoot be without gorgeous hair and makeup, by Paula Roderick-Voisembert