CONTENT CAPTURE & PHOTOGRAPHY
The backstory
Jolene knew she needed new photos. As a busy founder she had built an incredible business, but didn’t really have any images to reflect her true self. Each month, she was scrabbling for selfies to share with her online audience.
We see it all the time with founders, the business is epic, the impact is powerful, but the DIY visuals… well they just don’t cut it anymore.
So we stepped into the perspective of Jolene’s ideal clients and created a brief and photoshoot to truly capture her essence.
We planned where she actually needed images and what they needed to do. Photos for her website pages. Evergreen content for Instagram. A set of professional headshots she could use for podcast appearances and collaborations. Images that would feel consistent across platforms and still be useful months from now.
From there, we planned a shoot that would give her a versatile image bank. One she could dip into any time without overthinking what to post or whether the photo “fits.”
The brief
Jolene’s work is deeply personal and highly skilled. She supports children, teens and adults with trauma-trained therapy, autism and ADHD support, nervous system regulation, breathwork, somatic therapy and holistic approaches.
Her photos needed to reflect that.
We wanted the images to feel calm, safe, grounded, warm, professional and unmistakably Jolene. We also needed the set to work across multiple uses. Website placements, social crops, space for text overlays and clean headshots suitable for media.
The lighting was impeccable, Jolene was a natural. We had three hours (and we made it count!).
How we planned it
We planned the shoot around two things.
First: the audience. What would help someone feel trust when they land on Jolene’s page. What would communicate safety and steadiness quickly. What would feel reassuring and natural.
Second: usage. We mapped what images were needed for website sections, which ones would work as evergreen social posts and what Jolene needed for professional headshots.
Tash led the photography direction. Light, composition, consistency and the detail that makes an image feel polished but still alive.
Lynnette coached and directed gently throughout. Keeping the energy calm, helping Jolene feel comfortable, having a giggle and capturing extra b-roll/behind-the-scenes content alongside the main shoot.
Why we shot at Jolene’s home and workspace
Jolene works from home in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, so we photographed her where her work actually happens.
It gave us real textures, real light and a setting that already matched her brand.
We also planned for the light. Which rooms were bright at 8am in the Spring (we took a look on Google Maps to get the direction of the house and mapped it out). Where we could get warmth without harsh shadows. Where Jolene felt most settled.
We arrived early….and boy, was that morning glow worth it!
What the shoot looked like
When we plan a photoshoot, it’s strategically mapped out with Tash making sure she has a logical shot list. But the majority of our clients never realise that we are guiding them through a methodically planned shoot – and that’s just how we want it!
Our aim is to make sure our clients feel comfortable and that they can be themselves (which isn’t always easy when there’s a camera pointed at you). And that is exactly what happened when we worked with Jolene; she didn’t feel the need to ‘perform’, she could be herself and have a laugh.
With gentle direction and cheerleading, which we are fabulous at, we had a wonderful morning and captured some brilliant moments.
Across the morning we captured:
- professional headshots for media and podcasts
- warm portraits for website and socials
- working-style shots in her space
- detail shots (hands, tools, textures, environment)
- evergreen social images with space for text
- behind-the-scenes moments and b-roll
A personal note from Lynnette
I brought my dad’s camera with me to capture the behind the scenes photos. I inherited it when he died. Using it on shoots like this is so personal for me. Each time I click the shutter, I feel privileged to have a great bit of kit to help people be seen properly. It’s a small way of keeping him close and I know he’d be proud of the pictures I take.
A personal note from Tash
I love capturing someone’s personality through photography, so being able to create shoots that feel comfortable, enjoyable and accessible is a MUST in my book. Spending the morning with Jolene and Lynnette was like chicken soup for my soul – the warmth and buzz of the atmosphere was beautiful to work in. That energy shines through in the photographs, which truly reflect Jolene’s personality, and I couldn’t have been happier delivering her final gallery.
The result
Jolene now has a full library of images that reflect the nature of her work.
She has photos she can use across:
- professional headshots for collaborations and media
- her website
- Instagram and evergreen content
- service updates and blogs
- newsletters and future marketing
If you’re thinking about a shoot
If your visuals don’t reflect where your business is now, a brand shoot can change how it feels to show up online.
You don’t need hundreds of staged photos. You need a set that looks like you, feels like your work and gives you options you can actually use.
If you want support planning a shoot like this, we’ll help you shape it so the day feels calm and you walk away with a library that works.
We also make it fun!
Three questions to help you decide
If you’re still circling the options, these questions should help you narrow things down.
1. Do your current photos still look and feel like your business?
Businesses change quickly. Your services evolve, your confidence grows and the way you want to show up shifts.
If you’re still relying on old headshots, cropped holiday photos or the same handful of images you’ve been using for years, it may be time for a fresh set that reflects the business you’re running now.
2. Are you constantly scrabbling around for something decent to use?
If every website update, social post or newsletter starts with “what on earth can I use for the image?”, a planned content session can make life much easier.
A good shoot gives you a varied library to draw from. Headshots, working shots, details, behind-the-scenes moments, website imagery, social crops and useful video clips.
3. Would having a proper bank of content make your marketing easier?
Think about what’s coming up over the next few months.
A new website? A campaign? Speaking opportunities? More social content? Email marketing? A new service?
If you already know you’re going to need good photos and video, planning them together means the content can actually support what you’re trying to achieve.
You don’t need to arrive knowing exactly what needs to be captured. Working that out with you is part of the process.
Still not sure? You’re in good company
Most people don’t come to us with a perfectly planned shot list, six outfit changes and a Pinterest board organised by lighting angle.
Usually, it starts with something much simpler:
“I think I need better pictures, but I don’t really know where to start.”
That’s completely normal.
You might know your current photos feel dated, don’t reflect the business anymore, or simply aren’t giving you enough to work with across your website, social media and marketing.
You may know you need fresh content, but have no idea what to wear, where to shoot, what kind of images you need or how much variety would actually be useful.
That’s where we come in.
We’ll help you work out what your business needs, where the content will be used and what will give you the most useful mix of images and video.
You don’t need to arrive with the answers. Planning that with you is part of the session.
Let’s work out where to start
Tell us what feels missing from your current content, where you need to use it and what you wish you had more of. We’ll help you work out what kind of shoot would be useful, what’s worth capturing and how to make the session work hard for your business.
You don’t need a finished brief before you get in touch. We can work that out together.