Personal Branding Photoshoot: Penny Goffman
This photoshoot is proof that almost anyone with an Instagram account can benefit from a Personal Branding portrait session. Penny Goffman is a Greenwich mom who’s been featured in the media for her fashion business and is now working as a community organizer and chair in fashion for HeyMama, a community that brings together working mothers to provide each other with support, connection, and collaboration at every stage of their life and career.
While Penny no longer runs her fashion business, she’s still actively involved on Instagram with her personal account: @thatpennylife_. She posts a mix of candid iPhone shots and professional images to create a social stream that’s curated and relatable at the same time.
Our job during the photoshoot was to move quickly (Penny had a very limited amount of time) and capture as many looks as possible during the 2-hour shooting window. We used our time wisely to plan out the specific locations and pair them with outfits while Penny got hair and makeup artistry done on-site by Haus of Pretty’s Lauren.
One of the benefits of having the Studio in Saugatuck, which is one of the most beautiful commercial neighborhoods in Westport, is that we can utilize the surrounding area for some great locations. From pretty brick to calming water areas with docks, we had a lot to choose from and the challenge was really selecting the right outfit/look for each area. This is where color really comes into play. We had to make sure Penny coordinated with the background colors but also stood out in the images. We also stopped by one of my favorite places, Kneads Bakery Cafe, for some great coffee photos and Provence-inspired baguette shots which were part of Penny’s vision that we were able to make into reality.
The second portion of the photoshoot took place in the Studio for a speed round of portraits in front of a simple background. We stuck to a very simple color theme for these to create imagery that’s bold and powerful for Penny’s HeyMama social media posts.
Below is a small selection of my favorites out of the 85 final photos from Penny’s Personal Branding photoshoot.. followed by some behind the scenes shots to give you a little peek of what the experience is really like.
