My first "official brand photography" session. I get it now!

"I get it now! Having my first ‘official’ brand photography session in Charlotte, NC with my friend and mentor Amanda Richardson [Brand Photography], I became intimately acquainted with the build-up and anxiety that comes from planning a successful outcome. But the results we captured were exactly what I needed to take my own business to the next level.

Let me share a few things I learned throughout the process and how it will benefit you in the long run!

Trust the process. I was nervous to get my own photos done, but knew it was necessary! Of course, I kept thinking, “oh when I lose another 10 pounds, I’ll schedule my session.” And this is something I hear from my clients too; it made me really stop and consider how daunting getting in front of the camera can be.

At the same time, I trusted Amanda to know and understand exactly how to pose me in the most flattering ways and make me feel empowered before, during and after the photo session. Really getting to know your photographer prior to your photoshoot makes a huge difference.

Get your hair & makeup done, unless you are REALLY good! I’m not a girlie girl so the thought of getting my hair & make up done was not appealing, but Amanda assured me that I’d be way happier with my final images if I did. Her professional hair and make up artist had me look on Pinterest to see what sort of colors of makeup and pick out some inspiration for hair. Having this detail (and a little bit of pampering) truly built my confidence leading into the photoshoot.

Be yourself & tell the truth. Get personal. Use personal items to help tell your story. I am a photographer with a big personality. I often wear mismatched socks, I’ve never met a stranger, I love a good meal, or some dark chocolate with a good glass of red wine. I also share dōTERRA natural solutions and love helping people feel better. Amanda strategically captured all of this — And I’m so grateful!

Have fun. It’ll show in your photos. Amanda took me to places in Charlotte, NC where she knew my personality would shine. We spent the entire day shooting and made it to Optimist Hall where there was a brewery and inside market then Camp Northend, which has an outside movie theater, plus other strategically selected locations to capture behind-the-scenes action shots of me “doing my thing!”.

Relaxing into your shoot will take about 20 minutes, but once you get used to having the camera pointed at you, it will just be like hanging out with a friend all day.

Amanda gifted me a beautiful video from our day together so you can see what it was like too! ENJOY.

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