visual branding photographer | Robyn Graham Photography

ss 0.8 f 22 ISO 160 – long exposure to capture motion

When I first began posting on my photography blog almost five years ago someone wrote to me and said “just make sure you keep it fun so you don’t get burnt out or lose the joy”. Such wise words. As I moved from being strictly a fine art photographer and taking on portraiture clients, headshot clients and visual branding clients life began to have overwhelming moments. Not only because of the photography, but because life is so busy with three kids, a dog, a husband who travels and just in general. At times I get a little lost, and feel I’m in the dark. In addition I sometimes feel my creativity is hiding amongst the chaos and I am grasping for an anchor to ground me in my work again. During these times I question if my work is fresh and stimulating, I struggle with implementing my project ideas and prioritizing, and just feel overwhelmed. These are times of self-doubt and questioning and I have to work hard to convince myself that my work is my art and if I like it, I should present it, not hide it ~ that someone will like it. I tend to look to closely at, and analyze too much, the number of social media likes instead of finding peace in the fact that I was moved by my creation and my clients like what I create for them.  The above image summarizes, in part, how I feel about my photography. The ~ Color ~ edit correlates to feeling overjoyed and in awe at how I see the world and capture life one image at a time. The ~Black and White ~ edit of this image is posted on Monochromia and represents when the phantom of failure strikes and I am intimidated and unsure of the direction I am or should be going, wandering aimlessly. All of these feelings occurring while the world is aflame with passion and excitement around me.

Which image speaks more to you and your life right now, at this moment ~ The color edit or the black and white edit? Do you wander?

I can’t wait to read your thoughts.

Part of building and maintaining a strong on-line presence is having a professional head shot. Your head shot is the first impression for people looking at your website or social media pages.

The second impression is often your website – the style and content, which should include pictures of your product or service.

You know how very hard you work and how much effort goes in to building your business and brand. I personally would be very sad to hear that you lost clients or opportunities because your website didn’t represent you in the best possible light.

The photography on your website and social media platforms should represent you and your brand and be geared toward your specific audience.

When I work with clients for head shots, product shots and/or visual branding I meet with them to discuss their business, their goals, and their brand. Once I have a feel for my clients’ needs the creativity begins to flow. The shoots aren’t just one-dimensional. I focus on getting images that are going to best represent my client for the audience they are trying to reach. These details include location, backdrops, color and style of clothes, and more.

Visual branding is a significant contributor to the on-line presence of any business. Developing and maintaining a strong on-line presence is pertinent to establishing a strong client base and building a lucrative clientele. It is also critical to standing out above the rest ~ your competitors.

You not only need professional photography on websites to lure clients, but you also need to be able to post about your business, your services and your products to your social media sites. When I work with my clients, I give them ideas for posts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Having knowledge of the social media world enables me to shoot creatively for a purpose and talk to my clients about using the images I am taking to market their business.

The images I am posting today are from one of the head shot/visual branding shoots I did this summer. The business is “Bright Eyes Vision”. The owner and principal optometrist is Heather Miller, a third generation optometrist. Her mother, Susan Miller, is working alongside Heather seeing patients and helping with the day-to-day operations of the office.

This is just a small sample of all of the images taken during the visual branding shoot. I’d love to hear your thoughts as to whether or not you think the images tell a story and will help Heather create a vibrant and effective website and on-line presence.

If you are looking to create a website, improve your current website, need photography for marketing materials or need a head shot, contact me today to schedule your session.