It held a romance in its own kind of way, though not the same as polished marbled floors and large open windows with long billowing curtains accompanied by a sweetness to the air would. 

No. These crumpled walls of peeling paint and dusty, cracked windowsills beckoned a different kind of romance to step onto its stripped and abandoned floors. Its musty breath held in so deep in anticipation for the right person to see its endless possibilities and embrace it for every ounce of charm it held. 

. . . To be seen at the rawest form and loved, to be seen for what we are and what we were made to be - there's a profound beauty in that process.

That's truly why this place was perfect for Walter. His eye can see what is and what can be in such a personal and moving way. The way he speaks about his work process for his clients, the way he views a room and design, the aspects and elements he looks to imbue personality and atmosphere are exactly the romanticism called for by this space.

I held my own breath after sharing location photos with Walter, anxious to hear his response. I was hoping he was the right person to propose this location to and excited because I was rather confident he was! 

And trust he did! 

Here are some of our favorites from the day.

Brand portrait of Winston-Salem based interior designer Walter of WO Designs. | On location Brand Photography | Jasper & Fern

“I really enjoyed the session and love the way the photos turned out. It was very easy to work with you and I appreciate that you listened to my overall vision. Because photography is not my thing, I was able to follow your direction because you knew how I wanted the look to turn out. From the space to the poses it exceeded my expectations. The images have helped boost interest in my IG and initiated several consultations and prospective projects. I am really appreciative of that.”

— Walter Farabee, W.O. Design

Staff Group Portrait for Salem Law, Winston-Salem Estate Law | On Location Brand Photographer | Headshot and Branding Photographer | Jasper & Fern

The hot sun glanced against my cheek, breaking through the dense overhanging pine needles. The citrus-y musk of the pine tree sap wafting through my open car window. It always feels like returning to my mountain home when I visit the Salem Law team. I could easily see why Daniel, the founder of the business and an avid outdoorsman himself, would be drawn to this location for his small business.

Pinecones crunched underneath my tires as I ascended the blacktop drive up to the Salem Law office building. Not much had changed since I was here last time taking their brand photographs. I breathed the sap and earthy smells into my lungs, closing my eyes so I could memorize them and revisit their scent later. Moduled light danced across my closed lids as a warm “Hi!” met me from across the parking lot. Smiling, I opened my eyes, greeted by Lindy and Caroline’s sunny dispositions.

”Is it okay if we do the headshots out here like last time? Daniel really liked having the trees in the background,” Lindy said as she stopped to greet me. “Oh, and is it okay if Daniel’s dog joins us for the group shot?”

My eyes lit up in excitement and I couldn’t hide my glee, “Wait, Daniel brought his dog?! AAAH! YES, PLEASE!! I’d love to meet him and have him be part of the portraits!” I was already excited about taking new headshots for Daniel and his team and getting to spend time with them. Adding his dog to the mix was the icing on top of the cake!

Re-focusing from my excited dog distraction, I surveyed the shadows in the row of pine trees behind where I wanted to take their headshots. I knew I’d be editing the tones in their photographs to compliment their brand colors and getting the right shadows was key.

As always, we had lots of laughter, fights with the wind blowing hair about, and a careful avoidance of the pokey pine cones on the ground. The heat quickly warmed us all as we swiftly moved to capture the best body language and expression for everyone - pupper included.

Sad to leave the covering pines and good company, I packed my gear back up to head to the next location. Waiving goodbye to Lindy, Caroline and Daniel - and sneaking a few last puppy pets - I headed back down the blacktop, the crunching pine cones and citrus-y musk softly drifting further away.

Brittney’s favorite headshot from her session | Women’s Professional Portraits | What to wear for your headshot session | Womens headshots | Makeup for Brunette Hair | Best colors for winter skin | Winston-Salem Headshot Photographer | Jasper & Fern

A pitbull mom just like me, the sweetness in her voice rang true over the phone as she answered me. "I'm a caring, compassionate person that's easy to get to know. It's important people can see that." We were discussing her updated headshot and making sure her goals were going to be met.

Brittney had just taken a new position - working with rescue animals none-the-less - and needed to replace the headshot she'd been using since college.

"It takes people looking past an outward appearance," a twinge of sadness entering her voice as we discussed our love of pitties. As she spoke, I knew that deep love in her eyes was what I wanted to capture.

After many more enjoyable paths of conversation, together we planned her session and discussed how she could best prepare.

Here's what we captured!

P.S. Check out the video below to be a fly on the wall of our studio during Brittney’s session!!

“Life is not pretty all the time.”

— Natalie, Owner of Updog Wellness

We each sat, gathering our words, mulling over the difference we knew was there. It was equally important to us both that what we shared was authentic. There’s a difference, you see, between realizing a concept and fabricating a reality. It’s a line that I walk often as a branding photographer; a line that’s important to walk carefully and intentionally for my clients because perception can be delicate.

Many of the small business owners I work with provide a service or product that doesn’t require them to have a brick and mortar storefront or physical office. Instead, they create space for themselves anywhere that lets them get their work done - in their spare bedroom, at their dining room table, around their pool, at coffee shops or co-working collectives. They pour themselves into the details of their business, working hard to have a brand with a personality, voice, aesthetic - all of it - that they build their client relationships through. This branding, however, isn’t always something that is communicated in the space they’ve created for themselves to do work. So, when it comes to bring their clients into their story through brand photography, sometimes we need to get a little creative.

Cultivating an authentic, branded space for a small business owner to step into and immediately feel at home is one of our favorite (and most rewarding) challenges. As many of our past branding clients can attest from the time we share together digging into every aspect of their business, we care about the littlest details. Curating a branded space is about more than pooling items that have your brand colors and putting them together in photographs. It’s about sharing parts of your lifestyle, helping your people get to know you through subtle personal touches; it’s incorporating your brand voice & personality while simultaneously creating a space you’d love to call your own.

Many times in this cultivating process we’re starting with a blank slate in the form of an empty room with a floor that matches the undertones of your brand personality and walls painted a color that will compliment your brand aesthetics while making sure it will look cohesive on your website and social media. Other times we are starting on location in a place you frequent or at an establishment that lends itself well to your brand messaging. From there, we build up the essentials of your story - what you’ll be sharing with your target audience, how you’ll be sharing, and what parts of your business you’ll be welcoming your clients into. As we create this space, it’s important to make it authentic to you and not cross the line into “contrived” territory. When you step into the space, we want it to feel like someplace you’ve always been. If you feel at home, your clients will feel that way too.

“I really appreciate all the personal touches you threw in and the hard work you put into my session.”

— Jessica C, Owner of Cooper Counseling PLLC and Jasper & Fern branding client

I sat with Natalie, a while back, thinking through the best way for her to show up authentically and realistically in her brand photography. (You may remember Natalie - the no-nonsense small business owner who was juggling newly wed life with two kids, teaching yoga classes and running her business Updog Wellness. - click here to see her session) She worked out of her home serving her clients virtually while also floating from studio to studio to host in person training sessions and classes. I remember this conversation with her specifically because we discussed her RBF (Resting B* Face) in addition to how we could show her at work without entering her windowless home office that she shared with her boys as a playroom. While brainstorming, Natalie made a comment that I thought perfectly captured the intentional balance of depicting her reality with integrity and realizing her brand through her photographs.

“I want my people to see that I’ve been there too; that life is not pretty all the time; that it takes hard work to get where we want to be,” she said with seriousness in her eyes.

It was important for her to show up in a way that was honest and authentic without coming off abrasive, unfocused or contrived. She embraced and appreciated the space in which she could work, the comftoribility of being at home and that she shared the same situation with many of her clients. Taking inspiration from her open-armed acceptance of her process, we even discussed leaving some unopened mail and a few stacks of projects in the workspace we were creating for her, showing a little personal insight into how she operates and maintaining the integrity of her life and brand. These simple elements helped make her curated space more personal, more authentic and provided her the platform to speak authentically in her brand voice.

Head photographer, Alyson, taking a moment to “live” in the space she created before filling it with her branding client’s personal items. | Winston-Salem Business and Brand Photography | Jasper & Fern

That, right there as Natalie said it, is the intentional balance of showing up authentically in your brand. It’s keeping your integrity, being vulnerable and bringing people into your world. It’s sharing your brand story transparently and honestly, even if you don’t have a storefront or office. It’s a challenge, perhaps, but it’s also the opportunity to bring the heart of your business into reality in the form of a branded space, down to the littlest details.