As a branding specialist, I’m obviously a massive advocate of brand photography. I have a photoshoot at least every six months to keep my images fresh, engaging and relevant. Furthermore, as my business evolves, I need imagery to reflect the change. But where did ‘brand photography’ as we now know it really begin? Let’s meet a woman who was a leading light in changing business imagery from corporate headshots into real photos of female entrepreneurs. Let’s meet Wendy K Yalom.

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In 2017 I had the pleasure of connecting with Wendy, a powerhouse branding photographer based in California. Wendy has photographed the likes of Gabby Bernstein, Nisha Moodley and Emily Williams – as well as hundreds of others – and she travels the world for branding photoshoots for female entrepreneurs. At the time of writing this, she’s in Cannes; the famous, picturesque town on the French Riviera.

I spoke in between her travels to ask three questions about branding photography…

What is it about personal branding shoots that made you choose it as your niche rather than, say, weddings?

“I feel like it chose me. I started doing Personal Branding Photography before it was called Personal Branding Photography. Several of my friends who were coaches asked me to capture headshots of them that were different than what was out there. They didn’t want your typical headshot or studio shoot. They wanted a portrait that allowed the viewer to feel them, feel their confidence, feel their joy, feel their love, feel their presence. I captured these types of photos for friends and was surprised to discover how easy and enjoyable it was to “bring out” the essence of the woman. Then I used my technical and visual storytelling ability to capture what her brand was about. I also found that the experience for the client could be greatly transformational. Having a high value on growth/personal development for myself, I loved discovering a way to facilitate that for others!”

How powerful does a brand shoot have the potential to be? How can it transform a business?

“Here’s the miraculous part. A successful brand photoshoot has the power to transform how people perceive you and your business, as well as having the power to transform how YOU perceive yourself and your business. Having professional images that say your business is credible also allows the viewer to know, like and trust you. This can be the difference between getting a customer and not. Also, the personal experience of seeing yourself as the woman who is running a successful business can be the difference between confidently owning your ability and struggling to believe in yourself.”

Just for fun… if you could do a personal branding shoot for anyone dead or alive, who would it be?

“OPRAH!”

Well, with a portfolio and client list like Wendy’s, I’d say that’s definitely a possibility, too!

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Wendy Yalom believes that through the experience of being seen and sharing our authenticity with the world, the world will be a freer place. Through her work as an award-winning international photographer, Wendy has successfully celebrated & captured 100s of women entrepreneurs fully expressed and on brand. Her visually-stunning images of coaches, creatives, entrepreneurs, authors & speakers inspire others to act in service to their own freedom and have been recognised by many as the industry standard in Personal Branding Photography. Wendy has been featured in the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Wall Street Journal, Forbes & HuffPost to name a few. Her work can be found at https://wendykyalom.com/.

You can also follow her on Instagram.

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