Branding Photography for Pelapy: Bringing Dr. Valerie’s Personality to the Brand
There are some branding sessions where we spend the entire time carefully posing, adjusting, and making sure everything looks perfectly polished.
And then there are branding sessions where we spend approximately 10% of the time taking pictures and 90% of the time laughing about motherhood, our kids, and the fact that peeing when you jump after having children should really not be considered a normal part of life.
Dr. Valerie’s branding session definitely fell into the second category. 😂
And honestly? That’s exactly what made it so good.
Meet Dr. Valerie of Pelapy
I recently had the opportunity to photograph Dr. Valerie Akinwande, founder of Pelapy, a Sugar Land-based women’s health education and pelvic physical therapy business.
Pelapy is all about giving women something many of us were never really given growing up: clear, honest, science-backed information about our bodies.
From puberty and menstrual health to pregnancy, postpartum, pelvic floor health, perimenopause and menopause, Dr. Valerie helps women better understand what is happening in their bodies—and, perhaps even more importantly, helps them feel more confident talking about it.
And I really connected with that mission. I grew up in the '90s, when there was certainly no shortage of messages telling girls and women how our bodies were supposed to look. But actual conversations about how our bodies worked, how they changed, what was normal, and what we could do to take care of ourselves? Not so much.
There was a lot of shame and very little education. So I loved hearing more about what Dr. Valerie is doing through Pelapy and the way she approaches women's health with a combination of education, humor, compassion and absolutely no shame.
And yes, we talked about peeing when we jump.
Because apparently, once you have kids, this becomes a completely normal conversation between two women who have just met.
Spoiler alert: it's not actually something you just have to accept because you've had children.
And that was one of the things I loved about Dr. Valerie. She has this wonderful ability to talk about subjects that can feel awkward or uncomfortable in a way that immediately makes you feel at ease.
Which is exactly the kind of personality I wanted her branding photographs to communicate.
Because when you're choosing a healthcare provider, educator, therapist, coach or other service-based professional, you're not just hiring a business.
You're hiring a person.
You want to know who you're going to be talking to.
You want to feel comfortable.
You want to feel like you're going to be listened to.
And sometimes, you want to know that you can laugh about the ridiculous things your body does without feeling embarrassed.
Creating a Variety of Branding Images
For Dr. Valerie's session, we wanted to create a collection of images that could work across a variety of marketing needs—not just one beautiful headshot.
We incorporated several different looks and setups to give her plenty of options.
We started with more casual, lifestyle-inspired images that allowed her personality to come through naturally. We also used a clean white backdrop along with her branded Pelapy shirt and her pelvis model.
We also created a series of more dramatic headshots using a black backdrop. These images have a completely different feel and give her brand some visual variety while still looking polished and professional.
The goal was to create a gallery that feels cohesive while giving Dr. Valerie images she can use in lots of different places.
These photographs will be featured in a local magazine highlighting her business, but they can also be used on her website, social media, LinkedIn, marketing materials, brochures, presentations and other promotional materials.
That's one of my favorite things about a good personal branding session: you shouldn't walk away with one good headshot.
You should walk away with an entire library of images you can actually use.
Why Personal Branding Photography Matters
If you're a business owner, you probably already know that people form an impression of your business very quickly.
And your photographs are a huge part of that first impression.
This is especially true for healthcare and service-based businesses where trust and personal connection play such an important role in the decision to work with you.
A potential client might find you through Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, a magazine article or a friend's recommendation.
Before they ever talk to you, they may have already looked at your website.
And before they read every word on your website, they've probably looked at your photographs.
Professional branding photography gives potential clients the opportunity to get a little sense of you before they ever meet you.
Are you approachable?
Professional?
Fun?
Warm?
Confident?
Serious?
Energetic?
Your images can communicate all of that.
And no, that doesn't mean every photograph needs to be you sitting perfectly still and smiling at the camera.
In fact, I usually want the opposite.
Your Branding Photos Should Actually Feel Like You
One of my favorite parts of branding photography is creating variety.
We'll talk about your business, your ideal clients, where you're using your images and what you want your brand to communicate. From there, we'll build a session that gives you a mix of images, outfits, backgrounds, poses and expressions.
Some can be polished and professional.
Some can be casual and relaxed.
Some can show you working or interacting with the things you use in your business.
And some can simply capture you being you.
Because your personality is part of your brand.
And in Dr. Valerie's case, that personality really bubbled through during her session.
We laughed. We talked about our kids. We talked about women's bodies. We talked about the things nobody seems to warn you about before motherhood.
And somewhere in between all of that, we took some really great photographs.
That's my favorite kind of branding session.
Ready for Branding Photos That Feel Like You?
If you've been putting off updating your headshots or branding photographs because you don't want a gallery full of stiff, overly posed images, let's change that.
Your branding session should be more than “stand here and smile.”
We'll create a collection of images that feels professional while still showing the personality behind your business—and gives you plenty of photographs to use across your website, social media, LinkedIn, marketing materials and more.
Whether you're a healthcare provider, therapist, coach, realtor, entrepreneur, creative professional or service-based business owner, your clients want to know the person behind the business.
Let's give them a chance to meet you before they ever walk through the door.
Interested in learning more about personal branding photography in Sugar Land and the Houston area? Check out my Branding Photography Services. Or contact me to chat about your branding session.
And if you'd like to learn more about Dr. Valerie and the work she's doing through Pelapy, visit [Pelapy's website →].
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