I adore working with other photographers and creatives to create stand out images for them to use on their websites, social media, and marketing. By having photos of you in your element to share with your market can only elevate your business and what you are promoting. I believe that when entrepreneurs, creatives, and artists take the time to capture their authentic selves, people who were once interested in their work, are now interested in more than that. Those potential clients and customers see the creator behind the work and connect even more to what you’re putting out there. I had a blast working with Brandy Kimble of Brand B Photography on her photographer personal branding session!

Brandy and I have some mutual dance friends in common but we hadn't met until after Brandy had booked me for updated shots for her website. She voiced to me that she was nervous to be in front of the camera, as she spends most of her time behind the lens. By the end of our initial Zoom call, we were cracking jokes, couldn’t stop giggling, and shared some honest and wonderful moments! In the meantime between planning Brandy’s personal branding session and our initial contact, I had gotten in front of her camera for Ashleyliane Dance Company’s professional company photoshoot. I felt that this only made our experience together far more comfortable, as we both had to be vulnerable in front of the other’s camera. Brandy and I instantly hit it off and have since discussed working together in the future again, hopefully soon!

For her personal branding session, Brandy and I went to Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis. If you haven’t been to Laumeier before, you need to check it out. It’s a gorgeous, wide-open and walkable park with tons of giant sculptures spread out amongst the trails, hills, and trees. I have never seen another outdoor sculpture park to this scale and it really is a gem in St. Louis that I often take for granted, having grown up visiting this park often. Brandy and I shot at this awesome, somewhat hidden away location off of one of the hiking trails. This artwork is titled “Pool Complex” by Mary Miss. Read an excerpt about this work:

“[‘Pool Complex’] includes existing historical artifacts in [Mary Miss’] contemporary site-specific sculpture. Once the site of the Hedenkamp family’s Orchard Valley Estate, she converted the abandoned 1929 pool into a newly built and landscaped environment, bringing the past into a new social context. Miss highlights the ruins of the estate while we explore her pavilions, platforms and staircases surrounding the pool. With the renewal of this dormant structure, and the purposefully evident aging of her own site work, the artist brings attention to the context of history and the continuum of time.”

Brandy wanted to convey to her audience her laid back personality. When she works with her clientele, she wants them to feel her sense of ease and ability to make people feel calm and comfortable. Brandy told me that she isn’t afraid to get her feet dirty and is often caught lying on the ground to capture the shot (a girl of my own heart). And of course, we did just that! Well, not the lying on the ground part, but getting her feet a little dirty. I loved that Brandy wanted to go barefoot for this shoot, because when I first met her, I immediately felt that calm, laid back essence about her and it felt completely natural for her to be barefoot for this shoot.

Check out Brandy’s photography website here and scroll down to see some of my favorite images we captured from her personal branding session!