Creating a relaxed and natural personal branding session
When Trish contacted me for a personal branding session, she mentioned that being photographed was not something she particularly enjoyed. For me, this was an important part of planning the session. Rather than focusing on traditional poses, I wanted to create an environment where she could feel comfortable and gradually forget about the camera.
Creating natural moments
We used the patio and the greenery in my garden to create a relaxed, homely setting. Instead of asking Trish to simply pose, I introduced small activities and situations that gave her something natural to do.
We photographed her reading a book, sitting on the patio with a cup of coffee and holding her glasses. Conversation also became an important part of the session. As we talked, Trish became more relaxed and I was able to capture some of her warm, genuine smiles without them feeling forced.
Some of my favourite images came from these unplanned moments. In one photograph, Trish gently bites the end of her glasses while looking to the side. It gives the impression that she is in the middle of a conversation and creates a much more natural expression than a traditional posed portrait.
Bringing in the professional side
We also created a second set of images in the studio, using a laptop to introduce a more professional working environment. This gave us another side of the session and images that could be used when a more business-focused portrait was needed.
The aim was to create a collection that felt like Trish: warm, approachable and professional, without making the photography feel overly formal.
For me, the session was a good reminder that personal branding photography does not have to be about posing perfectly for the camera. Sometimes the best images happen when the person feels comfortable enough to forget that the camera is there.
