Meet The Maker! Lifestyle Photoshoot

And finally she stepped out from behind the wax & oils!

You may have seen me on the gram in my stories as i'll pop up now and then. I'm really trying at this guys!

 Things about me you probably wouldn't guess at first glance (blame my resting face):

•  I'm a creative, I can look at an old tin and come up with a million ways how to use it.

• I'm a plant mom, and slight plant hoarder.

• I'm told I'm a funny girl.

• I'm a wino, merlot is my go to. 

• I'm silly.

• I'm loving.

• I'm caring.

• I'm giving.

 

 

 

 

 

 A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of working with Kristin Tyler of  Anchor + Odysse on my very first lifestyle shoot - kinda like, meet the lady behind the brand type thing. We connected sometime ago on the inter-webs and I simply loved her vibe. So chill, yet professional, and has an amazing eye for details - yea, I was sold!

 

I've never done a lifestyle photo shoot, and over the years I've realized that I will somehow have to break out from behind the wax and butters and show my face. When I first started NaturalAnnie Essentials , as an introvert I had no interest in showing my face as I am naturally a 'behind the scenes girl' and I loved that! But from working with mentors, and listening to others I realized that I'd have to break out from behind the scenes. I also realized too that I personally enjoy seeing the people I shop with, it does makes the experience that more exciting for me when I can actually see the person behind the brand as I get to know, like, and trust them more. So why not do the same for my tribe!

The shoot went amazing! prior to that I was in constant communication with my camera genius, as for one, I was nervous as hell, and I simply didn't know what to expect- that scares me!

I asked Kristin to sum it all up for us newbies jumping in front of the camera and she was kind enough to share below:

Remember Show + Tell in class as a little kid? Well, turns out it’s still important as a business owner in this era of social media and online presence! More than half the population identifies as a visual learner, so you need to be able to SHOW people what you do, in addition to telling them through your post captions and website copy.

Here are five reasons to invest in brand photos for your biz:

1️⃣ Having a folder full of professional photos of your gifts + goods SAVES YOU TIME when planning out social media posts, blog images, and website content. No more scrambling to take a photo in less-than-desirable lighting or at 9pm when your brain is fried! Hiring a brand photographer means you can relax a bit, since they will usually help with some of the planning and logistics for your session.

2️⃣ You have a wide selection to choose from! Depending on what you're looking for, your brand photographer can take multiple photos of each product, giving you the ability to pick the perspective and style you like the best. You also can ask for a few different elements of your brand story to be showcased, whether that means different locations, or general feelings/vibes the photos give (think: calm, tropical, minimal, energetic, rustic, warm, feminine, bold, etc.). The goal of custom brand photography is to have a plethora of images to choose from that are cohesive, but also showcase your brand’s personality and make a connection with potential customers.

3️⃣ Brand photos are affordable! Typically photographers who focus on product, food, and personal brand photography will offer various packages for you to choose from, allowing you to indicate how many images you want and how much time they should spend on your session. Using free or paid stock photo bundles can be a great option for businesses for a while, but due to their lower price point, it means they’re more accessible for everyone to use, which means you are not the only person using those images online, most likely! And that brings me to point #4...

4️⃣ Your brand photos are totally unique- no one else will have them! From lifestyle shots to clean, minimal backgrounds, your products will shine in custom images that were taken just for you. Brand photographers are known for meticulously planning and shooting one-of-a-kind sessions for their clients, which means your images will stand out from the sea of stock images online. Doesn't get much better than that!

5️⃣ Branded photo sessions allow you the opportunity to be part of the session too, incorporating that human element we all look for online. It may be tough, especially for the camera-shy people out there, but it’s more than worth it to make that connection between your products/services offered and the people you’re trying to reach. A good brand photographer will pull out every trick in the book to help you relax and feel comfortable + confident in front of the camera. Fun fact- one of the Instagram best practices is posting a photo of yourself every 9 photos or so, and the occasional selfie just won’t cut it after so long! Allow yourself to own your work and be proud of it, and that confidence will come across beautifully in your brand images!

Kristin is highly recommended in my book so if you are looking to take your brand to the next level be sure to contact Kristin at her contacts below! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credits: Anchor & Odyssey Photography

xoxo,

Annie