In Home Lifestyle Session Prep

charlotte lifestyle photography

 

In Home Lifestyle Session Prep

 

If the thought of capturing a branding or family session inside of your home sounds intriguing but you have no idea where to start then you’ll definitely want to check out this IGTV video that I created to help you prep your home.  In home lifestyle sessions are great because it gives your photos a unique perspective that differs from everyone else and allows you to shoot in a space where you’re the most comfortable.  Your home is your sanctuary and if you’re already nervous about your upcoming session then this is a great way to relieve some stress because what other space are you as comfortable in as your own home?

Let me know your thoughts after you’ve watched the video and if you’ve done an in home session previously and have more tips to share then make sure to do so in the comments below!  I’d love to hear your tips!

 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/BnLMeXTnSE6/

5 Branding Shots You Need For Your Business

denise benson photography

5 Branding Shots You Need For Your Business

 

As a personal branding photographer I’ve come to learn that over the years there are a few must have shots that work across the board for every business owner.  And the great thing about these shots is that they can be worked into a smaller session like my Standard package (30 minutes – 10 images) all the way to my Boss package (2 hours – 55 images).  The next time you’re planning for your branding session remember to keep this shot list in mind.

 

 

  •  Traditional Headshots – Headshots are great for any profession because you can use them across the board for your social media avatars, website bio photo as well as your main go to photo when submitting for things like podcasts, speaking engagements, etc.  You want some variety with your headshots so make sure to get a few smiling images as well as more serious poses.

 

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  • Personality Poses – Headshots and branding images don’t have to be boring.  During my sessions I like to make my clients feel as comfortable as possible so that we can show off a range of emotions.  Poses where you’re laughing or showing off the silly side of yourself will help you to better connect with potential clients and make you look more relatable.

 

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  • Consider The Details – Detail shots are key in showing the tools of your trade.  Although we definitely want to focus on your beautiful face during your session, it’s also important to zoom in on things like your paintbrushes (if you’re an artist), your camera (if you’re a photographer), your raw ingredients (if you’re a baker), etc.  These images help to tell the story of what it is you do.

 

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  • Working Shots – Images of you doing what you do shows your clients your behind the scenes process.  Think beyond pulling out your planner and a mug with your logo on it and actually SHOW the people how you work.  If you’re a life coach why not hire a model (or better yet one of your actual clients) to participate in your session with you to show how you work one on one with your clients.  If you’re a photographer have your brand photographer capturing you while you edit a session.  The possibilities are endless when sharing what it is that you do.

 

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  • Relax During Your Session – Finally, if your session allows for a wardrobe change then consider a look that shows off a more relaxed side of yourself.  Sure you want to still present a professional appearance, but who said you can’t do that in a great pair of jeans, comfy sneakers and a cute tee?  Relaxed, casual shots are perfect for social media when sharing an introduction to your audience.  It comes off as a bit ‘less polished’ and shows the more real side of yourself.

 

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During your branding session with me we will cover all of these shots AND MORE!  Branding shoots are a great way for businesses to have consistent content to share with their audience and shows your clients that you’re willing to invest in yourself (and therefore they should too!).  If you found this article useful then I’d love for you to share it!  And if YOU’RE in need of branding images then contact me today so that we can begin planning for your session.

Changes Coming To The Blog

denise benson photography

 

Changes Coming To The Blog

 

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been showing up on this blog week in and week out for over 5 years now.  For the majority of that time I’ve been present every single week and shared with you all things going on with DBP, my personal life, promotions and client sessions.  Blogging has allowed me to show up on Google consistently as well as showcasing my latest work to potential clients.  But of course it wasn’t all flowers and butterflies.  While I love sharing parts of myself and business with the world it has sometimes taken a toll on me.  I’m a huge believer in batch working and would try to batch as many blog posts as possible so that I never fell behind, but every once in a while life would take over and I’d wake up extra early on a Monday morning scrambling to add photos to an already written post before it’s published (having forgotten to do it the week before as intended).  That’s when I had to take a step back and reassess some things.  As my work load has increased some other things are now having to take a backseat, including weekly blog posts.

So what does that mean for you?  Not much.  I still plan to show up here and share with you all relevant tips for your upcoming sessions as well as client sessions, but it won’t be weekly.  I feel like if I’m able to do a session roundup twice a month that will still give you guys something to read when you stop by DBP as well as showcasing my latest work.  As things stand now I’m currently sharing sessions from over 5 months ago which isn’t fresh or new.  So in an effort to keep up with my busy shooting pace I’ll be dropping by the first and third Monday of each month to share with you my latest client work in a roundup post, sharing tips as well as giving you insight to what’s going on with me and my brand.  So no big changes, just showing up a couple of weeks less each month.

While I’m still unsure if this will be a permanent change I know that at least for the next year or so this will help to alleviate some of my workload.  And if I ever feel like I’m able to get back to weekly blog posts I promise you guys will be the first to know.  Thank you so much for sticking with me over the years and taking the time out to read and comment on my posts.  I’ll see you guys back here (same time, same place) in a couple of weeks!

 

– Denise

One Word: Abundance

denise benson photography

 

One Word: Abundance

 

I’ve been doing a word of the year for the past 4 years.  Each year this word has manifested itself in my life in various ways, sometimes not in the ways I’d originally planned for them to, but in a transformational and positive way none the less.  I’ve gone from Fruitful to Dauntless to Leap to Transition.  And in year 5 I am going into 2020 with the word Abundance.  But before getting into that let’s wrap up 2019 which was FULL of TRANSITION!

When I decided on the word transition for 2019 I knew that my business would be changing…and what I hoped for was the better.  I decided to step away from certain aspects of my photography career, like shooting weddings, to focus more on branding clients by introducing packages that would suit a multitude of clients.    It was scary to put all of my energy into this one aspect of my business, but I knew it was what I was passionate about and that if handled properly it could catapult me to the next level.  Well, it certainly catapulted!  2019 was the BEST year for my business to date.  After 8 years in the game I saw my highest revenues, highest client numbers and truly the happiest I’ve ever been in running this business.  Spiritually, the number 8 signifies new beginnings and this year was definitely a rebirth for DBP.

So, going into 2020 the word ABUNDANCE kept coming to mind.  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make it my word of the year because when most people think of the word abundance they think of over-indulging or money.  And while an abundance of money is always welcome in my life I didn’t want anyone to think I’d chosen this word for that specific reason.  But I’ve now come to learn that you don’t choose the word, but it instead chooses you.  Seeing it come up time after time I knew I had to choose this word so I decided to look up it’s literal meaning:

a·bun·dance: a very large quantity of something

Then I began to think, yes I want my life to be filled with large quantities of fulfillment, joy, love, family, friendships, and yes, even prosperity.  I want to go even BIGGER and BETTER in 2020.  I want to take my business, my life, and my goals to higher heights.  I want, and finally have come to realize that I deserve, more.  It’s as simple as that.  I’m no longer putting limiting beliefs on myself and my dreams.  Going to Paris this year with a group of photography friends and capturing an amazing session taught me that I’ve been dreaming too small and that God has much more in store for me.  I just have to believe it.  So going forward I am receiving large quantities of everything good in my life.  It will be a year of expectancy and I’m so excited to share this journey with you all.  If you chose a word for the year I’d love to know in the comments below what it is and why you chose it!  Let’s bring in 2020 with a positive affirmation and wanting more for our lives and businesses.

 

 

Anna N. | Lifestyle Session

denise benson photography

 

Anna N. | Lifestyle Session

 

Wow!  What a year 2019 has been!  I seriously can’t believe this is the final blog post of the year.  I still have LOTS of 2019 sessions to share with you guys over in 2020, but today I’m rounding out the year with my summer session with Anna.  Anna is a mechanical engineer student and blogger based in Charlotte, NC.  When she reached out to me about booking a session she indicated she wanted her session to show both parts of who she is.  A woman working towards a degree and the fun, flirty side of herself and that’s exactly what she got.

 

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We met up at Amelie’s located in uptown Charlotte and captured images of her studying over a yummy cup of coffee.  It’s safe to say that she makes studying look good!  We then made our way along the streets of uptown for a couple of fun looks to show off her blogger/fashionista side.  It was so much fun spending time with Anna (and her sister who came to help out!) and getting to know more about her.  I’m always amazed by people who work a full time job, go to school AND have time to blog on the side.  I know what the blog struggle can be like and I commend anyone that can make time for all three.

 

denise benson photography

 

And that leads me to a new transition for the DBP blog…for now at least.  Over the last 5 years I have shown up on this blog almost every single week sharing pieces of my life, client tips and of course sessions of every single client I’ve worked with.  It’s been no easy feat but I knew that consistency is key with anything you do in business.  I have decided that I will be making the move to doing only 1-2 blog posts per month.  They would be a mix of client roundups (featuring more than one client session per post) and tips that are useful for anyone wanting to book a future session.  This allows me to share sessions with a faster turnaround time (that way you aren’t seeing shoots that happened in the summer all the way in the winter) and gives me a bit of a break.  When you’re a one woman show it’s not easy to do everything yourself all of the time.  So if you happen to visit my blog and don’t see a post from that particular week don’t fret, I’m not going anywhere.  Just come back in a week or two and I’ll have fresh content for you!  I hope you guys have an amazing end to your 2019 and I’ll see you over in the new decade!

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