The Initial Inquiry
Alison Caswell and I have been friends for years and in that time I have asked her repeatedly if I could help her with her headshots and personal branding portraits. One day I finally received an email from her saying she was ready to take the leap and get some new images for her website! Alison is a self-mastery mentor and was starting a new practice. According to Alison, “Self-Mastery Mentoring supports spiritual and consciousness elevation for leaders, professionals, and visionaries who are committed to living their greatest anthropos potential, of being fully human and fully divine, to fulfill their higher purpose in the world.”
I could sense her excitement and passion, and I was instantly drawn to her project. Here’s the story of our journey.
Preparation for the Photo Shoot
Before the first flash goes off, there’s a lot that happens behind the scenes. I was thrilled to help Alison prepare for her big day, and her involvement made the whole process a lot more fun.
We discussed wardrobe choices, and I stressed that neutrals and solid colors work best on camera. We talked about the overall tone that her web designer needed, and we developed some ideas for her spiritual coaching practice.
The Day of the Shoot
The day of the shoot arrived in no time. The sun was out, the studio was prepped and when Alison arrived, we were able to hit the ground running. Kelly, my makeup artist was included in the initial conversations so we knew exactly the looks we were trying to achieve. Overall, Alison wanted to be seen as professional, approachable, kind, and empathetic so we went with a more natural look for both hair and makeup.
If I recall correctly we went through about 5 looks in a few hours, losing track of time because of all the fun we were having.
The Reveal
Nothing quite compares to the moment of the reveal. Because Alison lives in the Portland area, it made more sense to perform the Reveal over a Zoom session. My process is exactly the same in-studio or over Zoom, so I wasn’t worried. After a few rounds of elimination we were able to choose a set of images that Alison can use proudly across all of her marketing and social media.
Seeing Alison’s reaction to the photos was a moment I won’t soon forget. I’m pretty sure there were a few happy tears! It was a reminder of why I love what I do.
The Final Images
And finally, we reached the end of our journey together – the final images. These are not just photographs, they’re stories, memories, and a testament to a wonderful collaboration.
As a friend, Alison means the world to me, and as a client, I wanted her to have the best images of herself she has ever seen. Here are just a few of the images she chose!
Conclusion
This journey with Alison has been nothing short of extraordinary. Not only did she walk away with all new digital files, but she also received a handmade folio box full of her final images in museum-quality prints. I’m thrilled that she loved her photos and that I was able to help another entrepreneur launch their business with renewed imagery. Here’s to more stories and more smiles.Â
