Case Study · Personal Branding · Denver
Kathleen Phillips,
in person.
One half day, three corners of Denver and a session shaped entirely around one person. A personal branding shoot for Kathleen Phillips, MBA, a Denver financial advisor we met through 4BR.
Architectural Storytelling · TJ Romero
Kathleen Phillips, in person
2021
Personal branding commission. Digital photographs, retouched.
White-wall studio, Santa Fe Arts District and Larimer Square, Denver, Colorado.
Assisted by Paul.
Half day · Three locations
Made in the first season after Covid, when Denver’s small-business owners were stepping back into rooms together, this series follows a financial advisor across a single half day. It begins against a blank wall and ends in motion on the brick of Larimer Square.
The sequence is the subject. Each location loosens the frame a little more, until composure gives way to laughter and the portrait becomes a likeness.
It started in a room of fifteen
Right as Covid restrictions were loosening, I joined 4BR, a referral network with chapters across Colorado. Each chapter holds one seat per industry, so our table had one financial advisor, one real estate agent and one of everything else.
Week after week the conversation came back to social media. Guest speakers walked us through what a self-employed owner needs in their visual library, and I turned that list into personal branding packages. Kathleen was one of the first to say yes.
Built around her
No two branding sessions should look alike, because no two businesses do. On our discovery call we talked about her clients, how they find her and where the images would live: LinkedIn, her website, speaking bios and social.
From there, pre-production made it personal. We picked wardrobe that felt like her on a good day, planned hair and makeup, and chose locations that moved from polished to playful. By shoot day, every frame on the list had a reason to exist.
The day, in four chapters
01 · GETTING READY
Wardrobe on the rack, nerves at the door.
Every session starts slower than people expect. Hair and makeup, a last look at outfits and a few minutes to talk through the day. Most people tell me they are not comfortable in front of a camera. The first job is making that stop being true.
02 · THE WHITE WALL
Start simple. Build trust.
We open with the essentials: clean headshots on a white wall. It is the quietest set of the day and the most important, because this is where we learn how she smiles, how she stands and what makes her laugh. Everything after builds on it.
03 · SANTA FE ARTS DISTRICT
Color, texture and a little movement.
Then we went outside. The murals along Santa Fe Drive gave us color and texture that no backdrop can fake, and walking between walls kept the energy loose. This is where portraits start to feel like personality.
04 · LODO
Scooters through Larimer Square.
We finished in LoDo on scooters. Kathleen rode ahead, I rode alongside her with the camera, and Paul followed close behind carrying every bag of gear. It was loud and a little chaotic, like the last scene of Amélie, everyone laughing and holding on.
By then the camera had disappeared. The frames from that last stretch are the ones people remember, and they only happen when a session keeps building momentum.
Keeping the momentum
A half day is long enough to cover a full library and short enough to stay fun. The craft is in the pacing: quick resets between looks, locations close enough to walk or ride between, and a shot list that keeps moving so nobody has time to overthink.
It also takes a crew. Paul, a fellow photographer who served alongside me on the ASMP Colorado board, assisted that day: hauling gear, holding light and keeping pace on a scooter. Hair and makeup and styling each brought their own expertise, and every one of them was a local creative. A session like this keeps a small circle of Denver talent working.
Choosing favorites together
Two days later we sat down with the proof gallery in ReviewStudio and picked favorites side by side. It is one of my favorite parts of the process, because the client sees the whole day come back as a story. Retouched finals were ready to reveal five business days later, sized for every channel she uses.
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Architectural Storytelling · Free guide
The personal branding shot list
20 photos every self-employed business owner should have. Screenshot it, print it or bring it to your discovery call.
The essentials
- Clean headshot on a simple background
- Warm, approachable smile
- Confident, serious headshot
- Three-quarter length portrait
- Full-length outfit portrait
At work
- Working at the laptop
- On a call or mid-conversation
- Meeting with a client
- Hands at work, a detail of your craft
- Speaking or presenting
Personality
- A real, candid laugh
- Walking through the city
- A favorite local spot
- Your hobby or passion
- Something playful (we did scooters)
Content library
- Workspace or desk details
- Tools of your trade, flat lay
- Coffee or daily ritual detail
- Vertical frame with room for text
- Wide web banner with negative space
Four years later
The real test of a branding shoot is how long it keeps working. Four years on, Kathleen is still using these images, including on her LinkedIn profile.
See more portrait and personal branding photography, or read our story.
Questions
What photos should I include in a personal branding shoot?
Start with the essentials: a clean headshot, an approachable smile and a confident portrait. Add working frames, a few personality moments and content pieces like workspace details and vertical images with room for text. Our 20-photo shot list on this page covers the full set.
How long does a personal branding photoshoot take?
Most of ours run as a half day. That gives time for hair and makeup, a few wardrobe changes and two or three locations while keeping the energy up.
Where can you do a personal branding shoot in Denver?
Anywhere that fits the brand. Kathleen’s session started on a clean white wall, moved through the murals of the Santa Fe Arts District and finished in LoDo around Larimer Square. We scout and plan every stop in pre-production.
How fast are personal branding photos delivered?
Your proof gallery is ready in about two days. Final retouched images follow about five business days after you choose your favorites.
Do you help with wardrobe, hair and makeup?
Yes. We plan wardrobe together before the shoot and bring in a local hair and makeup artist, so the day itself feels easy.
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