I love when I get to do a lifestyle branding shoot. Don’t get me wrong, I love photographing families just as much, but as an artist, it’s nice to take a break from one style to focus on another. This branding session was one of my favorites: her name is Maruxa, and she’s the owner of Perky Perky, the cutest coffee company around! This isn’t her first venture; she’s owned several very successful business over the years, alongside being one of the founders of the Austin Moms’ Network. She loves being busy, and she’s always doing something! What helps keep her going is her love for coffee, so it was natural that she start her own coffee shop. I loved meeting Maruxa, and we both had such a fun time on the shoot.
We found a nice, light area for our backdrop, which fit her style perfectly. Branding is all about consistency, a fact Maruxa knows well. She came dressed for the part, matching her branding colors, and even had the red lipstick to boot. The session was all about her doing her thing: making fantastic coffee! One of the perks of photographing a coffee connoisseur is being surrounded by the delicious aroma of expertly brewed coffee. We focused on visually portraying her brand in her photos, especially one of her company’s slogans: powerful coffee for powerful women. It’s that sort of empowerment that Maruxa wants to help other women find, and you can see that helpful spirit captured in the pictures themselves.
One of the things we did in the session was create and photograph a bunch of flat-lays, for her Instagram. They turned out so well, and it inspired a new series for me in future sessions. It’s so important to have consistency, and having a diverse set of photos with headshots, product pictures and flat lays will ensure that your whole brand is fleshed out and solid. The ones I did for Maruxa came out right on target, representing her brand, and her own personality. She’ll be able to use those photos for a number of things, from advertising to social media, so it’s hard to overstate the value of the flat lay.
All in all, it was a wonderful time doing Maruxa’s lifestyle branding. She’s an inspiring person to know, and just being around her for the short time I was made me feel energized and empowered. She’s a great woman who’s dedicated to helping others, at the very least through supplying them with the perfect cup of coffee. We lift our mugs to you, Maruxa, and wish you all the success in the world!
