I am so excited to start this new blog series recapping the work I’ve done with my brand clients! These will be a little different than the normal session recaps because, well, brand sessions ARE different. 

While the end result are still photos, the purpose of brand photoshoots is to create images that will drive some type of result – whether it’s explaining a service offering, showing off a product, promoting a sale, or simply furthering your personal connection with your audience. 

We spend a LOT of time working through strategy and direction before we ever pick up a camera and pose.

I’m excited to share some insight into the thought process behind brand shoots while also introducing you to some really amazing businesses.

if you want more images you’ll have to follow along with them to see how they’re used 😉

First up: BRIDAL BARRE

Bridal Barre is a boutique barre fitness experience for brides and their best friends to celebrate while also feeling confident and strong. They serve clients all over North Carolina (specifically in the Wilmington and Charlotte areas) with private events complete with sassy playlists and curated workout flows for bachelorette parties, girls weekends, or in the mornings of their wedding weekends.

I absolutely LOVE Sara and Taylor and it is always an honor working with them. I wear the “official BB photographer” badge with pride!

Creating Balance…in more ways than one

Not only do I personally love attending their events, I also love their approach to branding and marketing. They have focused on creating a fun, girly vibe that resonates with the “girls night out” feel but also bringing in an element of confidence from movement. 

While talking through their messaging, it was very important to them that they mastered the balance between prioritizing health while also treating yourself – something that’s been hard to manage in the world of “sweating before the wedding.”

This means making sure that we aren’t leaning too heavily into either option when it comes to their brand photos but making sure they’re both represented…because ALL of it is necessary to feel great. 

We did this by having a mix of Rosewater, popcorn, and cupcakes, weights and yoga mats, and ways to feel amped up and ways to relax.

Filling In The Gaps For Specific Offerings

One of their main goals for the upcoming year was to book more private events. 

When reviewing their website content, it was apparent that they had little to no visuals for what this would actually look like for a bride or bridesmaid who is interested in booking. 

Unfortunately it is often difficult to create content for service offerings because working with your customers IS your end product. While they’re at the event, they’re leading the class and it could potentially disrupt the experience to try to set up a way to film or photograph it (it can be done but still stressful…).

It’s always really helpful to plan brand shoots not just around “needing new content” but identifying SPECIFIC gaps you have in your images.

(Psst…I help with this!)

For them, photos of the private event experience were a huge photo gap, so we booked a location that is a popular bachelorette weekend rental in downtown Wilmington and invited models who are representative of their typical client. 

We made sure to include multiple different scenarios, like having a small room, needing to workout inside due to weather, and utilizing an outdoor space. Sara and Taylor usually work separate events so we had both of them “lead their own event,” which was awesome because this content also provided images that showed movement and girls hanging out together. 

All in all, with only a half day shoot we were able to create a TON of content that they’ve used for website updates, partner collaborations, newsletter updates, promotions and sales, and daily Instagram posts. 

Follow along with Bridal Barre here:

Website

Instagram