Brand Stories
Real people, thoughtful direction and visuals built around their brand.
Five brand stories that show how different personal branding sessions can feel, depending on the business, the personality behind it and the kind of visibility the client needs.
Colour Consultancy Session
When energy aligns: a brand story with Michaela Sargeant
Michaela Sargeant is a stylist with House of Colour, helping women feel more like themselves through colour, personal style and a deeper sense of confidence in how they present themselves.
We first met at a business networking event, and there was an immediate sense that our energies aligned. Later, we met for coffee to talk through the upcoming shoot and shape a visual story that would reflect the different sides of Michaela's work.
Her brief was beautifully layered: to show the different aspects of what she does, capture her with clients, include some relaxed city portraits, and also create imagery in a clothing shop to reflect the personal shopping side of her work. We wanted the shoot to feel natural, varied and true to the way she supports her clients in real life.
The three and a half hours flew by. There was so much laughter, conversation and ease throughout the shoot, and that always brings something special into the images. The final result felt full of personality, warmth and professionalism - a visual story that reflected both Michaela's work and her energy.
Julia truly understood the heart behind my business and captured it so accurately through the images. When I saw the photos, I became very emotional - it felt like she had brought my inner vision to life.
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Michaela session highlights
Editorial Headshots with Personality
More than a headshot: showing the person behind the image
Oliver Blackaby is a hair stylist with more than 25 years of experience and also a salon owner in Brighton. This shoot was created not around hairdressing tools or salon visuals, but around Oliver himself - his personality, presence and character.
Oliver came to me with a request for headshots that would feel personal, versatile and true to who he is. We wanted to move away from the obvious visual language of the industry and create portraits that could show him as a person first, while still feeling professional, confident and strong.
During the session we explored different looks, different moods and slightly different sides of his personality. This helped us create a set of images with variety, while still feeling cohesive and aligned. The shoot flowed easily and was a lot of fun. Oliver is naturally confident in front of the camera, but later he shared that he especially appreciated how easy it felt to break the ice at the beginning and how naturally the conversation flowed after that.
These images will be used across Oliver's website, social media and editorial features in magazines and articles, so it was important to create portraits that feel both polished and flexible, with enough character to support different kinds of visibility.
Julia definitely captured my energy. I'm very happy that we met and I'm very happy about the headshots. They're so amazing.
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Oliver session highlights
Aromatherapy with Nicki
Aromatherapy with Nicki
Nicki is a holistic therapist specialising in aromatherapy and massage, and she also works as a health and well-being coach. Her work is deeply centred around care, healing and helping people reconnect with themselves in a calmer, more grounded way.
Nicki came to me through a recommendation, looking for a photoshoot that would finally feel natural and true to who she is. One of her biggest concerns was that in previous shoots she had looked stiff, unnatural and caught in very standard poses that did not reflect her personality or the feeling she wanted to communicate through her work.
During our Discovery Call, we talked through everything in detail. I listened carefully to her previous experiences, concerns and fears around being photographed, and we also looked through her past images to better understand what had not felt right before. From there, we built a clearer plan for the shoot together - not just visually, but emotionally too - focusing on how to create images that would feel softer, more real and much more aligned with her brand.
The session itself was designed to feel calm, supportive and unforced. Step by step, we created space for Nicki to relax into the process and be herself in front of the camera. This allowed us to capture images that felt natural, warm and full of quiet presence - the kind of photographs that reflect not only what she does, but how she makes people feel.
The final story should communicate the essence of Nicki's work: trust, gentleness, well-being and genuine care. It should feel polished and professional, but also deeply human - helping people sense her calming energy and the heart behind her business from the very first glance.
Working with Julia felt very easy. I was amazed by her approach and the result, and the time of our photoshoot just flew by. Now I can present myself better in printed materials and on social media.
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Nicki session highlights
Dynamo Gym
Personalised Strength Training for Everyone in Hove
This story began with meeting Dynamo Gym founders Cat and Ben. They are passionate about helping people become stronger, healthier and more confident through strength training that feels supportive, personalised and accessible.
What felt especially important to show in this shoot was the heart of their approach. Cat and Ben wanted the images to reflect that Dynamo Gym is a friendly, welcoming space where there is no judgement and where people of all abilities are genuinely encouraged. Their training may happen in a group setting, but there is still strong personal attention and an individual approach for each person.
The goal of the shoot was to create a varied image library that could be used across both the website and social media. We needed a mix of visuals - some with a stronger focus on people and expression, and others with more emphasis on the space, the training atmosphere and the equipment, without always centring faces.
We created a collection of images that captured both the energy and the inclusivity of the gym. The result was a strong and versatile set of brand visuals that Cat and Ben have continued to use for more than a year, which says a lot about how well the shoot supported their business.
Julia took the time to truly understand what our business is about and captured it so accurately in the images. The shoot felt collaborative, well directed and easy to trust, and we've loved using the photos across our website, social media and advertising.
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Dynamo Gym session highlights
Iryna Yoga Teacher
The First Step into Visibility as a New Yoga Teacher
Iryna is a beginner yoga teacher who had only recently completed her training when she came to me. She was at the very beginning of her journey and preparing to start developing her social media presence as a first step in promoting herself and her work.
Before the photoshoot, we had a content planning session to think through what kind of visual material would be most useful for her at this stage. This helped us approach the shoot not just as a creative session, but as a practical and supportive foundation for her future online presence.
The goal was to create a strong bank of presentational images that Iryna could use for social media posts and other visual content as she begins to introduce herself to her audience. It was important to create a collection that felt natural, calm and approachable, while also giving her enough variety for different types of posts.
The final result became an important first step for Iryna's personal brand - helping her begin with confidence and giving her a versatile set of images to support the next stage of her growth.
Working with Julia was an amazing experience. She made me feel comfortable from the very beginning, guided me through every detail, and the final photos and short videos turned out beautifully.
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Iryna session highlights
Next step
Looking for the right format for your brand?
Explore the packages designed for different business needs, or book a discovery call if you would like to shape something more bespoke.