Seeing is Believing: How Brand Photography Helps My Clients (And Me) Realise My Business’ Worth

Why do so many of us small business owners undersell ourselves? 

Maybe it’s a cultural thing with folks from this corner of the world, but I’ve always grown up with the idea that celebrating ourselves publicly is ‘bragging’ and putting ourselves out there is ‘showing off’. It’s not surprising then that when I first became a self-employed brand and graphic designer in 2023, I found this to be one of the toughest mental obstacles to overcome in my business.

I knew I had to shift that mindset if I wanted to build a business that was sustainable. A business that appealed to my ideal clients; one that they could trust when it came to choosing who to invest in for their brand design.

As I mapped out the stepping stones to help get me there, I knew that getting good quality brand photography was essential to building my own brand. I’d been making do (why do we make do with so many things in our lives?) with a few lovely (but lacking any personal context) professional pics from 2 years ago, selfies taken on the days when I felt camera ready (few and far between), and - embarrassingly - bits and bobs of stock photography (yes, so last decade). 

Apart from anything else, I’d changed my hair colour and style from bright blonde to copper red, so my old photos were already obsolete from that point of view. But more importantly, they didn’t reflect the business owner I’ve become and my brand (or my) personality. 

The final straw came when I started planning my new email newsletter and wanted to really present the best - but authentic - impression of me. As a designer, I know how important visuals are to making that impression. I needed range of photography that aligned with my values, vibe and aesthetic. Images that would sit cohesively alongside my own branding and client work. Photography that would create an emotional connection with my audience. 

I’d met Donna through the awesome outdoor networking group The Outsiders (side note - I can’t recommend this group highly enough if you’re a small business owner local to Edinburgh - do check it out). We clicked straight away with our love of being outdoors, dogs, and of course working in the creative industries. When I got to know Donna more, I was impressed by her photographic skills (both brand photography and her incredible landscape photography) and felt our values were really aligned too. She felt like the right partner for me and my business for the project I’d been avoiding for 2 years.

We decided to go for both an indoor and an outdoor shoot to maximise the range of images and show both the work and non-work side of me. Once I was booked in, Donna’s clear and thoughtfully planned strategic process was seamless, guiding me through a super thorough strategic review of my business, allowing her to gain a real insight into my brand values, my target audience and my goals for the business and for the photography. All the kind of things I ask of my clients when undertaking a brand design project with them, but ironically the kind of questions I don’t always give myself the permission to spend time thinking about for my own brand. It was incredibly insightful and enlightening pondering these and sharing something that felt right. I realised just how much my business had evolved over the years. That feeling fuelled my desire to keep growing, knowing my brand photography could support this.

Next Donna created a Pinterest board so we could to share and discuss visuals that felt aligned to the look and feel I wanted to achieve, then gave me and shared helpful guides for what to wear (and what not to wear!) and how to feel more confident on the day. No stone was left unturned in her planning.

All of this preparation meant that the shoot itself was able to flow so easily. It felt like a really relaxed, collaborative approach. Donna brought the perfect balance of patience and energy; it never felt rushed or stressful. We had time to chat and share ideas, even experiment a little.

I was excited to see my photographs when Donna sent them through and delighted with the results - not only because they were exactly what I needed for my business, but also because Donna had taken the pain out of the admin-y bit. Every image was delivered in ‘high resolution’ (for print or when you need a bigger, sharper image online) and ‘low resolution’ (for general online use) AND strategically categorised into different folders according to how how and where exactly I might use them. What’s more, she provided a highly detailed guide alongside the image gallery, showing me exactly how to use the images based on how they’d been categorised.  Soooo helpful! 

Through her well crafted process and her professional photography skills, Donna has really captured the warmth, trust and passion for discovery that I believe my brand embodies.

And the best surprise? Going through the process and looking at my photos has helped me appreciate how far I’ve come. I’ve been able to realise my business’ worth and shake off those long-held limiting beliefs. 

So when I share my photography, instead of being embarrassed or feeling like I’m bragging, I’m know I’m going to feel good.

Doesn’t every small business owner deserve that?