Personal Branding Portraits for Albany Pet Photographer

I was so honored when Marlana of Marlana Krupp Photography reached out to me to capture new branding portraits for her! Marlana is a fine art pet photographer and wanted to do a branding session to show her working with her four-legged clients. This was SUCH a fun session because I got to watch her do her thing - and see some sweet dogs, too.

For Marlana’s session, we captured a mix of headshots and candid, action portraits of her interacting with her clients and their dogs at one of the local parks here in Saratoga Springs. She primarily works out in nature, so incorporating that into her branding portraits was essential! I loved getting to see her work. I also wanted to be sure that we captured her fun, laid-back personality to help show what a pet portrait session with her is actually like. I found it fascinating to watch her capture the dogs' attention with a dozen different toys, and even a rope necklace filled with different noisemakers like duck calls, crinkly paper balls, squeakers, and whistles. I can relate - sometimes getting kids’ attention is like that, ha! Like with all of my branding portrait sessions, it was important to really understand these parts of Marlana’s brand so that we could create images that are totally about her and her brand!

Marlana plans to use these images on her website and social media, and to start blogging for her SEO, which I’m thrilled to hear! These portraits give her endless options for creating content to attract new clients, in addition to her own portraits that she creates of her furry clients. It’s one of the reasons I believe so strongly in personal branding sessions! You need to be able to showcase your work, but also who you are and what makes you unique for your clients.

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What to wear for your headshot portrait session - Saratoga Springs headshot photographer

Headshot portrait sessions are about more than just taking a good photo to share online. Headshots should share your style, personality, and should be a reflection of who you really are. When you start to select outfits for your headshot portrait session, there’s a few things to consider. Remember to choose outfits that make you feel confident and amazing - and spark joy. Today, I’m sharing my top tips for what to wear for your headshot session!

A few general guidelines to keep in mind when selecting outfits for your headshot session:

Bring a few different looks, and we can narrow them down at the studio. I’d rather you have more to choose from than feel insecure about something you wear. So, here’s some of my favorite outfit ideas…

Opt for form-fitting outfits for a slimmer look!

Avoid chunky knits, boxy tops, or loose blouses that will make you appear wider on camera than you really are. Choosing form-fitting outfits will help you appear slimmer on camera.

Textures are your best friend!

Lace, ruching, and interesting fabric details all photograph beautifully. They provide a little more of an interesting factor to your portraits, so don’t be afraid to lean into them!

Choose longer sleeves if they make you comfortable!

Consider long sleeves or 3/4 sleeves, and avoid cap sleeves and sleeveless styles if you're not 100% confident with your arms. Remember, the goal of these portraits is to capture images you love and want to share to promote your business online!

Bring tops with flattering necklines.

Scoop, v-neck, cowl neck all photograph beautifully. I love when my clients bring outfits that really play with their outfits like this.

Add layers to switch up your look!

A form-fitting cardigan or a blazer can change the look of your outfit instantly. It’s also a way to incorporate parts of your typical outfit - like a jacket or lab coat - into your portraits.

Plan for a variety of colors.

Many clients opt for something light, something dark, and something bold. See what I mean about bringing lots of options? There’s a better chance for final images that you’ll love!

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A Personal Brand Session with Lifestyle Coach Patti Butler

I recently had the opportunity to work with Patti Butler, a certified life coach in the Albany area who specializes in women’s empowerment. I first met Patti four years ago when her daughter was born, and during the stillness of 2020 I watched her shift her online presence and grow her new online coaching business, Empowered on Purpose.

When Patti reached out to me and inquired about personal branding portraits for her new business, I was so excited to hear about her big plans and all of the changes she had in store for the upcoming months for her business.

My favorite memory from our first phone call was when Patti told me that a branding session with me had literally been on her vision board ever since she got started with her coaching way back in 2020. She had printed out my logo and stuck it up there right with her other big dreams and motivators. As a fellow mama and entrepreneur who loves cheering on other women business owners, that made my heart so happy and grateful to hear.

Patti absolutely rocked her branding session. We captured multiple looks with a variety of outfits, rooms, and props to really showcase her personality and the heart behind her brand. After her session she had dozens of gorgeous images to use to elevate her online presence and connect with her followers through her website, social media, newsletters, and so much more!

Enjoy this interview to learn more about Patti’s business and the inside scoop about her branding session, and read to the end to see where you can follow along on her coaching journey!

What made you want to do a personal branding session?

Nicole has been my family photographer ever since I had my daughter four years ago. When I began this business venture I knew without a doubt that I wanted Nicole to be the one to take my brand photos. Nicole has always had a way of making me feel comfortable in the vulnerable and exciting times in my life like being a new mama and now a business owner—I knew she’d be perfect. 

Was there anything you were nervous about before your session? 

I had the same nervous flutters that most women get before seeing themselves on camera. Body image, confidence, and the pressures to look beautiful are very real, even for life coaches. The difference is that when you work with Nicole, as quickly as those thoughts pop into your head, she comforts you through her reassurance, her skills, and her amazing personality to let it all go! Working with her allowed me to tap into who I really am and leave all of those insecurities at the door.

Nicole offered a personalized branding session pre-consultation prior to the day of the shoot which covered every single detail and she brought many wonderful ideas of inspiration to the meeting. Between the pre-shoot meeting and the day of professionalism, the choice to work with Nicole for yet another lifetime milestone was effortless. 

Tell us more about your business and the women you serve.

As a certified life coach I specialize in women’s empowerment. I have found that most of my clients come to me with similar life experiences such as feeling stuck in a career that holds no connection to a deeper purpose, being overwhelmed and burnt-out, and find they have very little work-life balance. On top of that they will often express that they don’t have a clear idea of what their next step should be but know they want it to be very different then where they are now. I find that it’s quite common that my clients check all of the “boxes”. They have done all the things that are expected of them such as get good grades, have friends, go to college, get a good job (work that job tirelessly) and then maybe get married and have babies. No matter where they are on this journey, most feel that this is their life’s path. What happens is that at some point on this path, feelings of “well what now” or  “this can’t be it” or “I can’t possibility go to this job one more day” creep in. This is where they find me…this is where our relationship begins.

My job as their coach is to teach my clients tools to connect them to their purpose which will have a ripple effect of unlocking their dreams and desires that are all in alignment with their greater purpose in life. This allows for a true sense of fulfillment, happiness and joy. From here I love to sprinkle in how to attract abundance so that not only are my clients living a purposeful life but also free of the feeling that there isn’t enough. It’s a common thought amongst my clients that they have to struggle or hustle in order to achieve success. I take this form of conditioning and light it on fire—aka I show them that everything they want can come with ease.  All of the layers of my coaching program are meant to not only remove perceived “road blocks” but also feel like magic. Before they know it, life begins to look like everything they’ve ever dreamed about. 

Enter my purpose. I always knew I was meant to teach, serve and enlighten others to a happier way to live. For the past twelve years I thought that my purpose was meant to be as an occupational therapist. But then I had my daughter and realized very quickly that my worth, my time and my value was no longer serving me in the hands of an employer who saw me as dollar signs. I felt the constant struggle between being a great mom or a great employee. In my career path it was very difficult to be both. So when the world shut down in 2020, I got to work. I hired a coach of my own and did a lot of inner work which led me to the path of becoming certified myself as a life and health coach, starting my own business, leaving my full time job, and living life on purpose. Each time I lead a client to a place of empowered fulfillment living their life on purpose, I get a full body, mind and soul feeling that I am doing what I am made to do. 

Women can choose to work with me in a variety of ways. I offer an individualized coaching program where I will tailor our sessions to my clients’ exact needs. This is an expansive program and oftentimes one where my clients experience beautiful mindset shifts and achieve multiple life-long goals. I also offer my signature 12-week group coaching program called Empowered on Purpose. With Empowered on Purpose,  I teach my clients how to release fear, doubt and limiting beliefs in order to clearly connect to their deeper purpose in life.  Some of the successes my clients experience are to follow a dream of pursuing a brand new career path, secure promotions or salary raises in their current jobs, pursue dreams of writing a book or a charity start up. All of my clients will learn rituals that promote daily inspiration, growth and abundance that facilitate living a joyful life. 

Now that you have all of your gorgeous portraits back, what are you going to do with all of them?  What impact have you seen already in your marketing/social media/engagement, etc?

Now having had all of the photos for a few months, I have used them to elevate my website and social feeds. When I look at my website and content on social I not only see photos that are beautiful but photos that truly embody who I am. Nicole captured that to a tee. As a massive bonus, my social engagement spiked and I was able to have so many beautiful photos to choose from without worry so that I could focus on the inspiring content that I wanted to produce.Thank you Nicole! Can’t wait for our next photo session together in the next few months. 

What are your goals for the new year?

For me, 2022 looks to be like another beautiful year of personal and professional growth and expansion. I am  SO excited for my next launch of Empowered on Purpose for 2/22/22 (woohoo universe for that date) and am accepting applications for this program right now. Make sure to follow along on both Facebook and Instagram (see link below)  for daily coaching hacks on how to live a life free of burnout and full of abundance and purpose. 

I consider myself blessed to be able to do this work not only because I get to teach and inspire women to live their most authentic, purposeful lives, but because I get to wake up everyday happy and fulfilled. I am living my dream. 

Where can we follow you? 

Website: pattimarybutler.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purposely_patti/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Patti.Butler29

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A Personal Brand Photography Session with Saratoga Springs Interior Designer Leah Margolis Design

I recently had the pleasure of working with Leah Margolis Design, an extremely talented interior designer in Saratoga Springs who truly lives in color.

Leah was looking for portraits that reflected her personality & style, while showing clients and potential clients what they can expect when working with her. We wanted her portraits to be relaxed and approachable, engaging and unexpected, and of course filled with color and quirky patterns.

During our planning meeting Leah told me all about the PROCESS that she takes with each of her clients, and how important it is for her to have tangible items to bring together to show fabrics, metals, and textures. I loved incorporating this into her session, taking everything off of the computer screen and putting it in her hands instead, just like she does with her clients.

We captured a variety of detail shots, action shots, and relaxed head shots for Leah to use on her website and social media, and I’m thrilled to share them all with you today!

We made sure to tell many different “stories” in her session, from styling a table to picking out swatches, working at her computer, and scrolling on her phone. Business owners wear many hats, and it’s important to be authentic with your online presence and show that in your portraits!

You can follow Leah Margolis Design at:
https://www.facebook.com/leahmdesign/
https://instagram.com/leahmdesign/
https://leahmargolisdesign.com/

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About Nicole Starr Photography 

Nicole Starr specializes in newborn, baby & family photography and has been serving families in New York and Massachusetts since 2012.  She has a portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, NY for families in the Capital Region, and she also works with families at her Attleboro, MA studio and on location in Boston and on Cape Cod. 

Nicole also loves working with small business owners to help them redefine their online presence and showcase the heart behind their brand or blog. Thinking about revamping your website or social media with more than a boring old headshot? Get in touch!