Ever wondered what a brand shoot with me is like? Take a look...

If you've never had brand photos before, the thought of committing to your first shoot may be a little daunting.

So here's a flavour of the vibe on a shoot with me, a snippet from my session with visual designer Jonna Adams a little while back. No editing, no groovy soundtrack, just a sample of how it was.

How I help people relax for the camera

What you may not realise is that Jonna was super nervous before we started shooting. She was scared she would freeze up in front of the camera and end up with photos where all she would see was her flaws.

Clear direction and lots of encouragement

From the very start, and throughout, I gave her clear directions on how to pose, what to do with her face, hands, legs, hair, everything! I also gave her loads of encouragement and goofed around (as I do) to keep the vibe fun and laid back. Jonna loosened up within about ten minutes and started to pose effortlessly and naturally.

Plenty of planning and preparation

One of the things that made the shoot feel so easy was the planning call we had beforehand. Jonna completed my Brand Photography workbook where she thought through who her audience is, which aspects of her work and life she wanted to capture, through to which locations, outfits and props we would use.

Our planning call was also a chance for Jonna to ask me anything that was on her mind - from which outfit to choose, to I would direct to her and help to calm her nerves. This meant that on the day everything was clear, and Jonna could relax into the shoot.

Telling your story

My clients consistently want to be portrayed as they really are, to be able to tell their clients and followers the story of who they are. They don't want stale, tired shots that you see everywhere (*coughs* overhead shot of laptop).

As Jonna works she draws, reads, crochets, dances and then goes outside to be inspired watching trains passing by, so we captured that in the photos. By capturing her doing things from her everyday routine, it felt natural, with barely any 'posing' needed, and distracted her from any worries about how she was going to look

Take a look at some of the photos from our shoot to see how it turned out.

Here's what Jonna had to say about the experience of working together:

"Sarah listened carefully to my concerns and took seriously my needs and hopes making sure I felt comfortable.

The photoshoot was fun and efficient. I received continuous guidance and much needed reassurance from start to end.

The photos were delivered way before deadline and I was amazed by the quality of the photos. I'm so glad we did this!"

Ready to invest in your own brand photos? Click here to book a call with me, with no pressure at all to book. Not ready yet? No sweat. Why not join my VIP email list and get a nifty €100 credit towards a photography experience with me?