The Elevating Art of Consistent Brand Photography

Well Happy New Year Friends!!!!! it’s my first blog of 2024 and it’s a GREAT one! Featuring one of my all time favorite clients the one and only Coach Dar! She’s a favorite not only because she’s consistently invested in me for years to create her content but also because of the person she is! Being on set with her is fire! She trusts me and my creative process and she finds joy in it! Even thought half day shoots can be so tiresome and wearing she always has a huge smile and she truely is ALL in it for the WHOLE day! I just love working with her and calling her friend!

Another really fun fact about this fabulous woman is that her birthday just so happens to fall on her favorite person’s birthday… Jesus! Yup that’s right her birthday is Christmas Day! Maybe that’s why she’s so magical. lol.

Let’s get to the point of this blog!

If you are new here and missed it, I am Tracy, a 42-year-old photographer with two decades of experience behind the lens and the proud owner of The Fully Alive Agency, an umbrella company for my three businesses:

a photography company (Fully Alive Photography) ,

event planning business (Fully Alive Events)

and creative & strategic branding agency (Fully Alive Creative)

Today, I want to take you on a dive into the world of brand elevation through the magic of regular photoshoots.

One key ingredient to maintaining a consistent and authentic brand is working with the same photographer over the years. Specifically if the photographer has experience as a branding expert and can help on the pre-production, visuals, creative guidance and direction!

I’ve been SO fortunate to collaborate with the incredible Coach Dar for almost four years now on building the elevated brand she truly is from the creative side of the industry. Trust me, it’s a game-changer. There’s an unspoken language between us, a visual shorthand that comes from understanding her preferences and style implicitly. And if you missed other blogs we have featured Coach Dar you can check out last winters shoot for her top selling book cover and author headshots for “The Art of Bouncing Back.” Check out that shoot HERE.

Find An Expert In Their Field

As a photography veteran, I’ve honed my expertise in light, color tone, and the art of capturing the essence of a brand. Our shoots are meticulously planned, with pre-production being the unsung hero. Every shoot we try something a little different and new to really level our clients up. For this shoot we even played with extreme studio lighting for some really interesting shots that I’m in LOVE with!

For our branding clients our goal is simple(ish) to help our clients level up and be at the top of their game while remaining down-to-earth and relatable to their audience. These seemingly opposing forces can coexist beautifully with the right creative minds and a shared vision and plenty of communication and time to build the brand! These shoots just keep getting better EVERY time!

In the beginning we started Dar with one of our monthly memberships and we met every month to create more casual content with some beautiful places that she loved.

This helped her gets lots of content that was VERY diverse without having an entire day multi-location shoot and it is budget friendly to start slowing growing the content you need. Now that we have truly figured out her needs and every year as she elevates and grows we have honed in on what she needs content wise which tends to be a big 1 or 2 half day brand shoot just in time for her birthday and the new year!

Remember, this journey takes time, effort, and strategic planning, but the results are nothing short of magic. Coach Dar’s brand has flourished, and her content has become a force to be reckoned with.

Also…building a personal brand identity isn’t just about the photos and what you wear; it’s about curating a whole look and feel.

So I want to take a moment to talk about the IMPORTANCE of working with an experienced stylist as well as a creative director/brand agency/photographer situation lol. The stylist on the creative team ensures every element is in sync from head to toe. It’s not about “clothes”; it’s about crafting an identity. And there is no better craftswoman than Risa Kostis herself. So a HUGE thank you to Risa for helping Dar level up in the style department year after year. She always looks so fly with Risa at the helm!

So, here’s to crafting compelling stories, capturing the essence of brands, and, most importantly, having a blast along the way. Cheers to the art of bouncing back AND leveling up Dar!

The Elevating Art of Consistent Brand Photography

Learn more about my small business branding & editorial content photography.

Get inspired for your branding shoot on my pinterest boards!