Happy Spring!
We're finally getting some warm weather and I'm loving it! I'm getting to spend lots of time outdoors with my couples and wedding season will be here before we know it. During this slower, colder season I decided to take on a branding session for one of my favorite local businesses. Papaya Branch Boutique is a local women's clothing store- they are currently online only and you can check them out on Facebook or through their app!
This was an exciting opportunity for me because I've been shopping at Papaya since I moved to the area 5 years ago. Every job interview and date night outfit has been from them. For me, an outfit helps express who I am- I'm naturally pretty quiet and observant so I love getting to wear fun clothes to show my playful side. It's been exciting to see the business owner, Laura, take this from a tiny space to a huge retail location.
What is Branding photography?
It's pretty simple actually- branding photography is capturing your brand to help market to your ideal clientele. These photos are used to promote and market your brand. Your brand is essentially you and what it's like to work with you. Pretty important when trying to market to your clients!
Why is branding important?
As mentioned above, branding is showcasing you and your business. You want to visually show customers who they are working with and why they should work with you.
With Papaya Branch, their specialty is women's clothing in all sorts of styles and sizes. It's pretty inclusive, which is wonderful. As a bigger gal myself, I could never shop with my friends because stores didn't really carry plus sizes with the smaller sizes. Shopping in a store that caters to all sizes provides a wonderful customer experience- obviously! I've been a customer for 5 years after all.
Every session looks different, especially depending on the business. For this clothing boutique, we wanted to focus on getting a group shot, some behind the scenes, and some close-ups of certain products for the website (think accessories, shoes, jeans, etc).
Knowing that was the focus, I was able to curate a gallery specific to their needs. I kept a list on my phone of what Laura needed to make sure I captured all her needs.
The Process
Every process of branding looks different to fit each individual need, but this session looked like this:
- 20 minute consultation- this included meeting other employees and a tour of the business.
- 15 minutes in outfit 1 for all models. Outdoor shooting right outside their building.
- 10 minute outfit change and some behind the scenes shots.
- 15 minutes in outfit 2 for all models. Mix of outdoor and indoor shooting.
Since I already knew this business and the location pretty well, I didn't scout locations for this session. I'm in downtown Port Huron almost every day just because I live close by, so I did have the advantage of going into this without prepping beforehand as much as I normally do. Usually I do research on the business and your mission as well as scout any outdoor locations a week before the session.
After the session was over, I went home and immediately backed up the photos. Editing these took me 3 days (because it's not wedding season yet). I always guarantee 20 photos minimum for hour long sessions, but if I have more I absolutely hand those over at no extra charge. This session I had about 75 photos in all, but I also provided them with different edits and cropping. I did this because Papaya Branch uses graphics over some of their photos to show specific products (like jeans and shoes). So, I did my normal edits and then on a few I left them uncropped for those special graphics.
Interested in showing your business?
This was such a fun opportunity for me and I love seeing these on social media being used to promote the business! It's also fun for me to share and promote your business to others! There's nothing like supporting each other! If you're a business owner and interested in getting some branding photography, please reach out! These are not your everyday, sometimes boring headshots. This is a chance to really show you and your business. Don't be scared by all the color in this session- this is how Papaya Branch is! I make sure to match your tone while capturing these photos for you. I'd love to work with you! You can inquire by filling out an inquiry form on the contact section of my site.
