If you’re a creative entrepreneur in Southern California and you aren’t yet familiar with San Diego based attorney, Braden Adam Drake and his signature course for entrepreneurs; Un-f*ck Your Biz, then take a look at these brand photos we shot in Los Angeles; and then head over to Braden’s site and check out all of the incredibly helpful tools and courses he’s put together for entrepreneurs to help them get their legal and tax shit legit. (Braden’s words, not mine, haha!)
When Braden reached out to ask me about Brand photos, I was ecstatic, because I knew I would enjoy working with him! Braden sent me an inspiration image that included a person in front of a large chalkboard and asked if it was possible to build off of. Things snowballed from that single message and Braden hired me to do his brand photos. (I wouldn’t find out until AFTER Braden’s brand shoot that he wasn’t originally planning on hiring me, he just wanted my insight, but because I was so proactive in answering his questions and sharing brand photography information, he simply couldn’t tell me ‘no,’ which I found to be hilarious.)
Braden and I went into planning mode, starting with a video call to discuss what he wanted brand photos for, where they would be displayed, and the overall vibe of the photoshoot. It was really important to Braden that the brand photos for his course represented his offerings as well as his non-stuffy personality, because as Braden says he’s “not a normal attorney, [he’s] like a cool attorney.”
I used an in depth questionnaire to make sure I had a complete grasp on Braden’s brand vision for his Un-F*ck Your Biz course and got to work on logistics, including finding a location, sourcing props and materials Braden didn’t already have, and creating the timeline for the day of. Fun fact: this shoot required me to BUILD a large chalkboard, because I couldn’t find one big enough to rent, soooo I’ve got set design skills, ya’ll!
When the day arrived to shoot Braden’s brand photos, we met early in Downtown Los Angeles to get set up in the studio Braden chose. Braden brought everything imaginable from his office and setting up the scenes for him was really fun! We had 4 hours of studio time and a list of ideas and photos Braden knew he wanted to have.
Our brand photo list included flat lays, detail photos of props, hero images, photos that could be used interchangeably for marketing, website, and social media, as well as photos that purposely included a lot of blank space for Braden to be able to add text overlays for promotions. The best part of the entire shoot was Braden’s desire to incorporate all of his personality, by showing off his cheer skills, love of working out, cooking, and of course a proclivity for sarcasm and stirring the pot.
Braden and I had so much fun working together on his brand shoot! I’m really glad I got the chance to create these photos for him, because what Braden does to empower other entrepreneurs to confidently take the reins on the legal and tax elements of their businesses is an impactful action I can get behind. Now, Braden has custom brand photos for his course that he can place purposefully throughout his website and student touch points, including the 332 page textbook he created for Un-F*ck Your Biz!
Braden started using his brand photos right away and once he had his new images in place, he confidently DOUBLED the price of his online course and still saw increased enrollment! That was a win for Braden and it more than justified the investment he made in his brand photos.
Here’s what Braden had to say about his brand photo experience:
“I hired Crystal to do my full brand photo shoot. We rented a studio in Downtown LA and shot for 4 hours with lots of on brand props. It was incredible. The images have really helped bring my brand fully to life on my website and on social media. I love getting emails that say something like “your website and photos are f*cking fantastic,” and I just give Crystal all the shoutouts. As a non-designer, I have found that quality, personalized photos – along with good copy – can make you stand out among and be memorable even while DIYing your marketing. Highly recommend going all in on a brand shoot.”
Braden ended up with a pretty large gallery, but these are some favorites. Wanna see more of Braden’s gallery and chat about scheduling a brand photo session to take your brand to the next level? Reach out and tell me about your business!
[…] for the opportunity to work together. We brainstormed ideas and pulled what we needed together for Braden’s first brand photoshoot in LA in February of 2020. As Braden’s business evolved, so did his need for images that […]