Every Personal Branding photo session is different, which is why it’s so important for me to work closely with my clients to figure out exactly what they need for their business!

For Cassandra Pulos, that meant photographing for 3 businesses that she runs: a bath and kitchen renovation company (Pulos Designs), Everyday Crafting, which features handmade products that she creates herself and Lifestyle Details, a company focusing on selling curated and local products for interior styling.

We scheduled her day around product photography (since that was the priority), interior shots, and squeezed in portraits that really showed Cassandra’s personality and also gave a sneak peek of her crafting process. She’s currently in the process of updating her websites, so she needed lots and lots of web and Instagram-ready content from the shoot.

But like all my clients, she also feels a bit awkward in front of the camera (I can 100% relate!). That’s why it’s so important to work with a photographer who’s the right fit for your needs. For some people, having posing direction and styling isn’t necessary, in which case you can go ahead and hire anyone who knows how to use a camera and can be sure that you will get some good photos in the end.

But for people like me and Cassandra, we need that extra direction. We feel a little silly and somewhat self-conscious when we are being photographed, which is why having someone on the other end of the camera who can tell us what do to is so important. That seemingly small detail (hiring a photographer who knows posing, can give direction, and can put you at ease) is the difference between ending up with a bunch of photos you don’t really like or a set that you’re super excited to use online.

And isn’t that really what this is all about?

If we don’t show up as our best selves online, we can’t efficiently communicate to potential new clients. We can’t build our Instagram following. And we can’t grow our business as quickly as we know we can. And just about anyone can take one look at your photos and tell whether you’re a professional-quality or not… whether you’re taking your business seriously or if it’s just a hobby.

Photography has become one of the most important visual ways to tell your story, show your personality, and attract customers.. and it’s been such an incredible pleasure working with small business owners like Cassandra to bring that vision to life!

A small sample of all the awesome products we photographed during the session!

And Personal Branding portraits!