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Sarah Louise Haile

Small Business Photography South Wales - Virtual Assistant Photoshoot - Branding Photographer Cardiff

In this blog post I’ll be giving you a glimpse into my approach to work as a branding photographer in Cardiff. I’ll be sharing Donna Elliot’s session and diving deep into some of her images and how the subtle choices we made effect the images potential marketing impact. But first let me introduce you to Donna! Donna Elliot is a virtual assistant based in Brecon who specialises in working with neurodiverse business owners. I’ve seen her work and not only is she incredibly knowledgeable on helping those with neurodiversity but she is passionate about it too!



I always begin a branding session with the dreaded headshot! I’ve been a branding photographer in Cardiff for years now and I know that this is what my clients fear the most. I’ll hold my hands up and admit that yes, it usually does feel a little awkward staring right down the lens of the camera and trying to decipher how much smiling is too much smiling for a headshot? So we approach it like the removal of a plaster, get it over quick and with as little pain as possible. Because once we’ve crossed that one off the list you get to relax knowing the worst part is over. And here’s my little secret, I will likely grab another headshot later on, once you’ve realised that working with me actually feels fine and you’ve somehow relaxed in front of the camera!All that being said, Donna was actually one of those unicorn clients who nailed the headshot perfectly first try!



My top tip as a branding photographer in Cardiff is to include your working space in your images. This helps your clients understand what it looks like to work with you and is a chance to showcase your expertise. In the shot below you can see that Donna is presenting herself as a professional, organised person, not just through her outfit (which can we take a second to admire how cool she looks in it!?) but through her office space also. On the board behind you can see she has drawn out a diagram called ‘the solve it grid’. A technique she uses to help those specially with ADHD get through tasks they may be struggling with. This shows she understands that neurodiverse folk often need to approach things differently than their neurotypical counterparts. This is something her potential clients will be so excited about, I can attest to this as someone with ADHD!



Halfway through our session I suggested Donna change into another one of her outfit changes. As a branding photographer in Cardiff I always recommend my clients have several outfit options. One reason is because we get to express other sides of ourselves that we would like to portray to our clients. So Donnas first outfit showed that she is a professional woman, who absolutely has her stuff together and will be able to help you do the same! But her second outfit shows that she is still an approachable, friendly, caring person who will guide you calmly through the process of working together.



It’s also important to have options if you intend to use your images for social media purposes. Yes consistency is key when marketing on social media, but that doesn’t mean you have to have images that all look identical. The truth is that if your images are too same-y people will switch off from you and potentially start skipping straight past your posts. And of course you want your images to be doing the exact opposite of that!




I hope this gave you some insight into a session with me. I hope it also showed you that when you choose to hire a professional branding photographer you’re getting access not only to their artistic eye but to their ability to paint a picture to its absolute fullest! If you would like to work with me please reach out here.


You can also keep in touch by joining my commercial mailing list, where I share more of these sessions plus lots of marketing tips I learn along the way.


To see more of my work check out this branding photoshoot surrounded by sunflowers! It was truly unforgettable!



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