Personal Branding Photography Session for a Financial Consultant

I had a really fun shoot the other day with a Financial Services consultant who was looking to update his business image and booked a Mini-Branding Session with me.

He just sent me a lovely, detailed email about his experience....which I wanted to share ! :-

"  The world has shifted toward a branding mindset. These days, your smile and personality need a little staging,  to accompany the value you bring to clients and professional associations . I needed a focused concept and polished package!

This is certainly not a realm I am experienced with, but I knew I had to come to terms, accept it, and update my image. 

Looking for guidance, I researched photographers near my home and found Kellie Walsh, sort of by accident. On one of her pages, I was delighted to discover a headshot of a local, beloved business owner intown. Someone I trusted. The photo was so well done and the lighting was just perfect, it glowed, which instantly told me I’d found an artist who had passion for her craft. I reached out to Kellie, who was so accommodating, even to my difficult and last-minute schedule changes.

I chose her ‘Branding Kick-start Session’ because I knew I needed more than a headshot- something more stylistic that showed my serious business side while harvesting some personality, which I felt would be more connective and accessible.

Since I had never “done” professional photos before, I didn’t know what to expect and felt both shaken and stirred. I was unsure of what to wear, became overtly self-critical, and ended up packing half my wardrobe into a bag and garment carrier. There was minute chance they would creep into a shot, but I was even fussy about shoes. I would discover that buckling into the process and enjoying the rhythm, would help me let go and trust the shoot, and make it real for myself.

Kellie arranged for us to start at a local business office for some staged shots. When I arrived, she was already busy shooting one of the office workers as a “stand in” so she could find the best angles for how the light was streaming in the office. Immediately comfortable and inviting, Kellie helped me relax and showed me a place to change while offering some reassurance about the timing of light and how the staging would complement it. Some shots seated on a reception couch and at a desk would round out the business side of the shot and, although I first was unsure what to do with my hands and how to lean, Kellie lent gentle direction and offered suggestions that kept me focused on working the shoot. When something needed shifting, she was confident to make the change and tell me why to satisfy my understanding.

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect was how Kellie developed a conversation between us, an oscillation of sharing covering topics across our lives, which created sync with the “in-betweens” of snapshots and in the pauses to shift lighting or my seating.

It was a busy couple hours that only got better as we worked. Kellie even chanced a suggestion of something more dramatic, pulling together lighting, attire and shadow into some masterful cap shots. When we ended, I just felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and joy. Not only was the shoot a positive new experience to relish, but I just knew that it was a success and the results would be thrilling. It was exciting awaiting the images in the coming days during which Kellie sifted and culled out her best suggestions and retouched for final perfection. Kellie’s selections were unanticipated, but a welcome form of feedback, since others see us differently. The array of shots exceeded my expectations, and they even served to inspire a higher level of design and marketing across the materials for my company.

What I took away from the experience is that it is an art form that is best executed from a deep understanding of the craft with imaginative flair and style. In this way, the best of you shines through with a light from within that others can see and appreciate. It’s hard to describe the aura of such photography, but it grabs the viewer and accentuates your look, and “brand.”

Thank you, Kellie, for “exposing” me to the practice, beauty, fun and value of an art form that is so much deeper and more nuanced than the snapshots accessible at our fingertips daily. I simply love my photos and will cherish that shoot! "

 - Eric Vandermaas July 2025