Updates + When is the best time of year for my next shoot and brand photos?
It's been a little while since I last wrote much of a personal note on here, and since I stepped away from much personal sharing on social media, I tend to write more with my mailing list. You can subscribe here.
Life and business has been full this year with photo shoots around the UK and in Paris, I've also been training to become a coach alongside my photography work!! (coaching is an element I've brought into my shoots since the beginning, but I wanted to train in a fuller way and become accredited), some beautiful adventures including a road trip to the Scottish Highlands with my partner, camping with girlfriends, and visiting my sister who now lives in an actual castle!!
I have also moved house! Still in Brighton, and am enjoying settling in to our new place. Well... it's actually the very same beautiful flat I rented when I first moved to Brighton!! When we were looking at places, it became available on the exact week we were looking to move, so it's very exciting and a quite surreal to be ‘home'!! I absolutely love it here and the serendipity makes me happy :)
From my winter shoot with Louise Goss of The Homeworker Magazine
So, with the changing of the seasons as we move into the Autumn and Winter, and as a result of some conversations I've had recently with clients, I'm writing to…
help you identify the season of your brand and the best time of year to book your next shoot
demystify concerns about picking the 'right' time of year for your shoot, as we go into the Autumn and Winter
and share some of the benefits of having your photos taken in the Autumn or Winter!
If you’re keen to refresh and up level your website and social media with engaging new photography before the end of 2019, I have 1 spot left in November and 3 spaces in December, so email me if you’d like to secure your spot, and let’s explore your next shoot.
If you already know you want to book a photo-shoot for the new year or in the Spring, message me now to secure your date and take me up on the offer of a payment plan at no extra cost (spread your investment over the months).
I hope you find this post useful! I'd love to know what it brings up for you, so do let me know what you think.
With love,
Becky xx
What time of year is best for you shoot?
From my shoot with Midlife Coach, Hope Eaton
As we come towards the end of the year, the idea of shooting in the winter can bring up fears that your brand photos will be dull, dark and colourless - which is NOT what we want for engaging with your audience through your photos! But, the idea that winter photo shoots are going to be this way is simply is not the case. There are infinite, awesome possibilities for autumn/winter shoots and I want to share some ideas with you on how to make the most of having your session at this time of year.
All images in this post were taken during the months of November through to March to show what is possible during the colder months!
1. Your brand photography does not have to look seasonal, and can embody different energies no matter what time of year they’re shot...
We’ve all seen photos that are very seasonal being used all year round, and it can make a brand look out of date. I feel this is most true with very wintery photos as they just don’t resonate during the summer, while summer photos still make sense, are aspirational and appealing in colder months, especially with the rise of the digital nomad and working with people in the southern hemisphere.
To get the most out of your personal brand shoot, be photographed in a variety of outfits so they'll make sense all year round. You don’t want ALL the images to be in wooly jumpers, or ALL in off the shoulder summer dresses - mix it up.
The seasons will actually only be communicated in your photos:
if they are outdoors/around deciduous trees (or people with wooly hats on in the background!)
through your choice of clothing
through props or decorations that are seasonal (e.g. Christmas lights, a lit fire, etc).
If you need lifestyle images that are ‘cosy’ but your shoot is in the summer, have images taken of you in warmer clothes in a beautiful interior space (and no one has to know it’s hot outside)!
If you want images with the spirit of summer but your shoot is in the winter, we can shoot images with your happy house plants behind you, or vibrant flowers in vases, bringing colour through in artwork or props, and have you wearing lighter clothing.
From my winter shoot with Annabelle Nicoll of The Garden of Alchemy
2. Consider which qualities of the seasons most align with your brand
The seasons each have energies and colour palettes - probably very clear to you already. If it is really important to have images taken outdoors in nature (e.g. in a park, forest, garden, rural landscape), where the seasons may be obvious, I would encourage you to think about what time of year is going to most make sense for your message so that you can plan ahead for this.
In my mind, the seasons have the following associations…
Spring = new life, transformation, change, light, fertility, launching, embarking. The colours associated are light greens, white, yellow, pink.
Summer = abundance, growth and blooming, building on what is, richness, ease, fullness, and the colours are literally any bright colours, especially bright greens, pink, turquoise, yellow.
Autumn = letting go, coming home, harvest, reflecting, celebrating the efforts of the year, gratitude. The colours are oranges, peachy tones, reds, browns and deeper greens.
Winter = letting go, slowing down, stillness, calm. Because this time of year is often slower in terms of nature, it can also represent a time associated with reflection and catch up, self care and taking care of one another, cosiness, warmth. The colours are more monochromatic with blue of sky, red of berries and greens of evergreen nature.
From my shoot with entrepreneur and coach, Jude Hough
Which season best represents your brand? Is it a bit of all of them? Having clarity on the season your business most aligns with helps you to choose and plan ahead for the time of year that may be best for your next big shoot if you want outdoor photos.
However, some businesses bring in all of the phases of the year and cycles of nature, which makes them not particularly tied to any season. For these brands, images taken outdoors at any time of year will completely make sense with the aspects of their work and message.
3. You can have shoots at more than one time of the year to represent the seasons and keep your imagery fresh and interesting
If the seasons and being photographed outdoors is really important to your messaging, book two or multiple shoots throughout the year to show evolution and keep it fresh and interesting for your audience! Booking in advance also gives you the option to save up for the shoot, or spread the payments with your photographer.
It also communicates to your audience that you are regularly investing in yourself and your business, honouring the energy and development of your brand and message, and care about their experience of what you offer.
The winter can naturally be a time of year for slowing down, reflecting on what’s gone well, and for working on our plans, services and products for the coming year. At this time of year we may have fewer things to fit in than normal, launches etc, and can dedicate more time and energy to planning and getting the most out of your shoot, without compromising your time during the fuller months - and be ready to start the New Year with beautiful new shots, or shine with your new photos in the Spring!
4. But what about the light in the winter!!!??
While I tend to work with natural light, I always bring additional lighting options so that no matter the light on the day of your shoot, we can get you and the light looking stunning in your images! Soft light is beautiful and sunshine is beautiful. (in the case of actual bad weather on an outdoor shoot - we'd reschedule)
With the days being shorter in the winter, we are more easily able to get the sunrise or sunset on your shoot, as well as daylight, so it can be a great time of year for your shoot if you desire to capture these too.
From my shoot with Vee Czajkowska
From my shoot with coach, Kate Gerry