Behind the shoot: brand photography and video for Trellis Media
A strong brand shoot starts well before someone steps in front of the camera.
For Brooke Hargraves, founder of Trellis Media, we brought together preparation, brand photography and a relaxed video interview to create content she could use across her website and social channels.
The aim was to help people see who Brooke is, understand how she works and hear the story behind her business. Here is how we approached it, from the first questionnaire to the finished photographs, reels and brand video.
Getting to know the business before planning the shoot
We started with a questionnaire to understand where Brooke’s business was at, how she described her brand and the style she wanted to communicate.
That gave us a foundation for planning the session: the images that would represent her business, the story she wanted to share and where she would use the finished content.
For someone whose work involves communication and coaching, portraits are only part of the story. We also wanted to show Brooke working, connecting with people and doing the things prospective clients would recognise from working with her.
Making the preparation clear and practical
Before the shoot, Brooke received detailed information about what to expect, what to wear and what to bring. We also suggested props that could help tell her story.
Those practical details matter. Having outfits and useful props ready gives us more options on the day, while knowing how the session will work helps the client arrive prepared.
We prepared interview questions in advance, too. Brooke could think through her answers and practise explaining her ideas without memorising a script. The questions gave her a starting point while leaving room for her own words and personality.
Creating a range of photographs in one session
On the day, Brooke arrived having organised her own hair and makeup, with several outfits ready to use. We had clothes hangers available so everything could stay organised between changes.
We set up a few areas to capture different sides of her business efficiently.
We began with headshots and photographs against the white cyclorama—a seamless studio backdrop. These gave Brooke clean, versatile images for speaking profiles and the About section of her website.
Then we moved into photographs that showed her at work: at a desk and on the phone. We finished the photography with client conversations and coaching a client, showing the interaction at the heart of what she does.
The variety gave her a portfolio with different purposes. A headshot can introduce her; a working image can support a service page; a coaching photograph can help someone picture what it might feel like to work with her.
An interview that felt like a conversation
We completed the hour with the video interview, using the questions Brooke had received beforehand.
The interview was a natural conversation around those questions. She could refer to notes, pause to gather her thoughts or repeat a section when she wanted to explain something differently.
There was no pressure to deliver a perfect answer in one take. We could redo a section and tidy pauses or repetitions in post-production, giving Brooke space to focus on what she wanted to say.
Preparing the questions helped her feel familiar with the topics. Keeping the conversation flexible helped the answers sound like her, without becoming overly rehearsed.
A portfolio of content ready to use
From the session, Brooke had a portfolio of professional images for her website, reels to help her share her story, and a brand video to sit front and centre on her website.
Each format plays a different role. The photographs show the person and the work. The reels give her shorter ways to introduce her ideas. The brand video lets website visitors hear directly from her and get a sense of her approach.
Together, they give Trellis Media content designed to help prospective clients understand the business and build trust quickly.
Bringing your business into the picture
The work behind a shoot is about understanding what your business needs to communicate, then planning how to capture it.
For Brooke, that meant preparing well, creating a range of photographs and making room for a conversation that sounded natural. The finished content gives her several ways to tell the same story across her website and social channels.
If you have expertise that is hard to show through words alone, our Brand Stories service brings together storytelling, photography and video to make your value easier to see.
Ready for photographs and video that help people understand your business? Explore Brand Stories and let’s plan what you need.
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