Branding Session for Art Therapist in Rochester NY

Therapy that doesn’t feel or look like therapy.

Sounds pretty good to me right now. Sarah wants those who come to her website to know that therapy doesn’t always happen in a sterile office environment.That’s exactly what it felt like walking into Spotted Rabbit Studio.

Brand photography isn’t always about a clean, tidy office space with white everything and perfectly manicured to do lists. This space felt down to earth, real, surrounded by art and supplies. It felt like creatives work there, and they do - but it’s in a way that helps others grow and feel more confident.

And all of that needed to be translated to images for their new website, so that’s what we did.

How can we help you show up for your business?

How You Can Help a Small Business in Rochester this Season

1) Buy Local:

Money in the community, stays in the community. It’s as simple as that. If you don’t feel comfortable going into their store or location, see if they have an online option, or give them a call to make a curbside purchase.

2) Give a gift certificate:

Have a favorite restaurant you love? Or photographer perhaps? (Yes, that was a shameless plug). Same ways to buy as #1 applies here too!

4) Get Take Out, and Tip:

I know restaurants are currently open, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods. If it’s applicable and you’re able to do it, tip well. Service workers and small family run restaurants need your love.

3) Use your Voice:

Small businesses don’t just grow because of social media. Refer them, share your experiences, be their cheerleaders. And yes, you can do all of those things on social media too. Tag them in your posts, and let others know about them.

4) Engage:

It’s not enough for a business to have followers online, they need engagement too. Comment on their posts, like them, share them, and do it regularly if you’re able. Reach out to them and see how you can be helpful.

5) Leave a Review:

Have some love to share about a favorite business you worked with this year? Give them a google review. You have no idea how much this helps people find and trust a local small business.

Some of this is so simple and even free, so please give your favorite local businesses your love. They/we appreciate you so much and they need you more than ever before. If there’s any way we can help you in this season, please reach out. Let’s keep small business alive together!

Rochester NY Brand Photography for Consultants

After her personal brand session was complete Jessica said “Your process helped me take a more thoughtful and intentional approach to my brand.”

She also said “We laughed, we posed, my hair got frizzy…you made what can feel like a completely unnatural and awkward experience fun.”

That’s high praise coming from a business and personal development consultant. It’s also exactly how we want you to feel about your personal branding session.

She’s the Owner and Chief Transformation Officer of ApPROach Consulting. We recently caught up with her to review her personal branding photography session. We asked her five questions that might help a business owner decide if this is a worthy investment. Here’s what she said:

What do you do, and why did you choose to invest in your personal brand?

“apPROach Consulting is a strategic planning and business development consulting practice that serves individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations.  I believe that a great strategy for building your business is through creating a personal connection between the business owner and the client.  This is something that can be uncomfortable for business owners.  In my business development classes we spend a lot of time talking through how vulnerable it feels to put your words and your face out there.  Showcasing products and services is usually much easier.  I wanted to put my philosophy into practice by using my personal image to connect with my own customers and demonstrate the value to other business owners.”

Did you learn anything about yourself?

“Completing the personal branding questionnaire in advance of the photo shoot was a great opportunity to reflect on how I do business, engage with clients, and project my values through my services.  It is important for every business owner to pause and evaluate their values and their vision regularly.  Lori and Erin’s personal branding questionnaire is a tool I will revisit in the future to assess my brand as my business evolves.”

What did you enjoy most about your session? 

“Being photographed is usually an uncomfortable experience for me, like most people.  Lori and Erin made a typically awkward and unnatural photo shoot feel fun and exciting.  Because we had met and discussed my business and my goals in advance of the photo shoot, I felt connected to them both and at ease.  They truly partnered with me on my personal branding journey.”

How are you using your images? 

“I have featured my images on social media, approachconsultingllc.com, and I’ve updated my profile pictures in the many online meeting tools we’re all using these days (Teams, Zoom, GoToMeeting, Webex, Hangouts, etc.)  I have received great compliments on the updated images.  The new images capture my essence so much better than the traditional headshots I used to use.”

Would you recommend Lori and Erin Photography?

“Not only would I recommend working with Lori and Erin for any photography service, I would recommend stepping through the personal branding process with them to any business owner or organization.  The same way strategic planning helps align a person or team around goals and priorities, completing the personal branding questionnaire helps to solidify the image you have for your business.  Lori and Erin can take your vision for your business and help you craft the visual content you need to connect with your audience.”

We focused on more than updating her headshot. We planned, we worked together and created stories in images that she could use to connect with her audience.

And it wasn’t hard, in fact - it was fun for all of us. So if you want to learn more about your business, show up in front of your clients, and have fun doing it - we’re ready for you.

The importance of personal branding photography in growing your side hustle

When we started our businesses 12 years ago, we both started out running side hustle photography businesses. We wanted to know everything and learn as much as we could. We learned about lighting, posing, and sales - but no one ever really stressed to us the importance of having a strong personal brand.

Now that we are more established as photographers in Rochester, I often wonder how much faster would we have grown, if we had known way back then?

To all of you out there making your dreams happen, hustling your way to where you want your small business to be - We’re here to tell you that you need brand photography. And here’s five reasons why:

1 First Impressions

Plain and simple: If you look fresh, polished and professional, you’ll grow faster. Show up for yourself, and your brand. What is the first impression you want to give your audience?

2) Grow Up

I’m not trying to insult you, I mean as a business. Brand Photography is about more than what you look like in a headshot. A session with us is a process. We dive into learning about your ideal client. We brainstorm and plan. Along the way, you might learn something about your business. You might grow in ways you never considered before.

3) Stop Their Scroll

People have short attention spans. In the time it took you to read this sentence, someone has scrolled through Instagram twice. How are you going to catch their eye? Engaging images can do that for you in a way that your selfies can’t.

4) Be the Expert

Quality images create a mindset that you are the expert in your field. Ultimately, this mindset raises the perceived value of your work - and that’s the goal right? Do what you love AND make more money?

5) People Buy Who You Are, Not What You Sell

Once you have their attention, how are you going to keep it? Constantly selling your product is one way to turn a customer off real quick. People want to know the person behind the product. Even in a pandemic world (maybe more so), people want to connect to real people. They want to invest in you before they trust what you’re trying to offer them.

Now, we know you don’t have a professional photographer following your every move. That’d be weird. So occasionally selfies and phone photographs are fine.

But if you want to level up your side hustle, step up your visual brand. Connect with your people, but do it in a way that conveys the story of your business that you want to tell. You are the face of your brand, and it’s you that your audience wants to see.

So now that you know why, what are you going to do with the information?

Branding Photography for Therapists in Rochester NY

Before her branding session, Laura told us that people fascinate her. She told us that she loves their stories, and seeing something in it that they didn't see.

Same! Our style of personal brand photography is very much the same. We loved looking at her brand, and hearing her stories to see something she hadn’t thought of about her brand.

And then, we took those stories and created images to support them. For example: As a therapist, she believes that life is messy, and we’re all a little bit broken - like a chipped coffee cup. But, even though the cup has a chip in it, it still works and still functions as a coffee cup.

So we incorporated some of that idea into the imagery. We included some mess, some learning and growing, and her favorite chipped coffee cups.

We combined it all together to create both updated headshots, and stories she can use on her own platforms to show people who she is and what she believes.

The images don’t have to be neat, tidy picture perfect scenes if that’s not the right story. Because real life includes chipped coffee cups and messiness.

Personal brand photography is all about connecting to your audience. So show them your real you, and you’ll attract your ideal clients.

We Are Open Project: Business Photography in Fairport NY

The world shut down. Businesses on pause.

Throughout it all, we kept asking ourselves “How can we help the small businesses in our community?”

The answer was obvious, but we had to wait until our phase allowed us to open. So while we waited, we brainstormed the “We are Open Project.”

The goal was to showcase small businesses in our area on our social media outlets to show the community that these businesses are here, and now that they are able to open again, they would benefit from the community’s support.

We were so pleased with the businesses we were able to meet and photograph. We visited local pottery shops, consignment stores, urgent care and even churches in Fairport.

Just because these businesses are open now, doesn’t mean they don’t have new guidelines to follow that complicate business as they once knew it. The challenges will continue on as they maneuver them all. So they need our support.

This project was one of the ways we knew we could be helpful in a difficult time. We hope that our photographs will shine a little bit of light on our local businesses - and that you’ll check them out too.

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Sweet Charity

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First Congregational United Church of Christ

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Studio East Dance Company

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Lulu Taqueria & Bar

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Nancy Woolver, Financial Advisor

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RV&E Bike & Skate

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Firehouse Wood Works

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Blissfull Balance

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WellNow Urgent Care

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Lift Bridge Yarns

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Created By Us Pottery

The "We Are Open" Project: Branding and Small Business Photography

With the current emphasis on supporting small, local businesses, we want to help you show up in a way that resonates with your clients. You know what they want to see? You. The real person/people behind your business. 

Let us help you build the relationships that build your business. 

Inspired by others in response to Covid-19, we’re launching a special effort to help spotlight our local, family run businesses by supporting and celebrating them with photography. 

We call it the “We Are Open” Project.

There are a few ways to be involved, based on how your small business is doing right now.

I: Your business is thriving!

This is fantastic! Book a branding package with us and we’ll help you take it to the next level with a bonus strategic planning session on how to use your images on social media. AND if you book, we’ll donate a micro session to a business in need.

II: Your business could use a little love.

We feel you! Things have changed for everyone in the last two months. But, it is important to keep showing up! Book a micro session with us to get some fresh images and let folks know You Are Open!

III: Your business is hurting.

Times are rough, and though you know fresh photographs could help market your business, you just don’t have the funds right now. Nominate yourself or another small business to win a free micro session!

What is a micro session?

Lori and Erin Photography will create a portrait of you and your family outside of your place of business. You can hold signs, products, or whatever represents this time for you. 

We will be spotlighting each business who participates with a short interview on our blog, Facebook, and Instagram. These are quick sessions and include digital files that you can use on social media.

There is only a limited time to take advantage of this opportunity!

So if you’d like to take part in this project, please contact us with any questions or to get on the list! We’ll start preparing for your session so that as soon as it is considered safe to do so, we are ready to create your photographs!

Let us help you put your best face forward and get real, timely visibility for your services.

Business Branding Photography in Rochester NY: QL Therapy

Maryellen Dance is not your average therapist. She’s motivated to help people, and to change perceptions about self care, mental health and going to therapy. She’s also full of life, excited and self proclaimed as brash and loud.

She came to us knowing she needed to update the portraits on her website, but along the way we helped Maryellen that she has SO much more to say and show her audience. In her discovery meeting, we discussed the idea that going to therapy should feel like you’re just having a conversation in the kitchen over a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine.

We worked with her on a variety of looks and stories, but this them was the starting point to helping her tell a story in a visual way. If you’re in the market for a down to earth, professional, knowledgable and fun therapist - you should check out Maryellen and her team at QL Therapy and Wellness, and tell them we said hello!

Personal Branding Photography in Rochester NY for Health Coaches

Brooke came to us with a very simple goal for herself and her business: to be viewed as a credible and established professional in the field of mindful eating. She knows who she is and exactly who she wants to help which made planning her brand session in Rochester a piece of cake - or, cookie in this case.

Did she have to have all the answers about her brand before she came to us? No, but it helped push her images forward to exactly what she was hoping to achieve. We used food (cookies, donuts and salad) as props and found a space that gave us both a kitchen setting and clean, modern office in one at Metro CoWork.

I loved planning images that she could use not only on her website, but as social media photography as well. It’s been amazing to see her grow and show her expertise using the images we created together. If you’re looking for a down to earth professional who can help you ditch stress about food - give Brooke a call or check out her website at newmindfuleating.com.

And if you’re interested in chatting more about how you can elevate your own brand through photographs, get in touch!

Rochester Branding Photography for Podcasters: Pursue You with Mandy Friend Gigliotti

Mandy is a ray of sunshine on any cloudy day. Her dreams have always been big, but to me, her heart has always been bigger. She’s a leader in the world of real estate, owns a daycare, partners in her husband’s chiropractic office and also runs her own coaching/training business… you know, on the side.

But her latest calling has brought her into the world of motivation and encouragement with her podcast: Pursue You. Her goal as she puts it is to encourage you to pursue YOU so that you can give the gift of your best self to your family, community and business.

This creed is what brought Mandy to us, to capture some branding images for her podcast cover and her website. We incorporated some of her speaking events, and some headshots that felt approachable and warm.

If you haven’t yet listened to the Pursue You Podcast, you should! Here’s a link to it, so you have no excuse not to, right?

Here’s a peek at our work together, and how she’s using her images regularly!

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Are you ready to tackle 2020 and uplevel your branding photographs?
Ask your questions today!

Personal Branding Photography Rochester NY: Jardin Terrariums

When we first talked about photographing a personal brand session with the amazing, Kathleen from Jardin Terrariums we knew it couldn’t be basic. She wanted to show that what she offers is the opportunity to play and have fun with nature, in a creative way.

This was not a last minute, “let’s just shoot whatever we think works” kind of session. We spent time planning and brainstorming together. She knew she wanted new website images, as well as the ability to use them on social media. And we knew, we couldn’t shoot this in an empty studio space - it had to be natural and meaningful.

So what better place than the garden backyard setting that she dreamt up Jardin Terrariums in. We created a garden party, complete with guests to show every step of creating a terrarium.

Take a look below and see some of the work we created together, as well how they were used on Jardin Terrarium’s website.

If you think you’re ready to level up your image - get in touch!

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Personal Brand Photography for Photographers: Rochester NY

Branding Photography has been an exciting challenge for us. Building this area of our business has taken time and a lot of planning. Thankfully, we haven’t gone it alone. We’re so grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate and work together with Sarah in our own think tank of sorts.

But photographing another photographer, man that can be scary. We recently traveled to Syracuse to capture personal branding images of Sarah and her team. Our session had a few goals - but mainly we wanted to show them as fun, playful and colorful in both their office and at home.

It’s safe to say that working with them was anything BUT boring and colorless. See what I mean?