Lodi Brand Photography: What It Looks Like to Show Up Fully in Your Business
Meet Kelli of Pop Ups & Parties in Lodi
Kelli Powell builds the part of a party everyone stops to photograph. The balloon garland behind the dessert table, the setup guests pose in front of before they even find their seat. So you might guess she couldn’t wait for her own brand photos. In her words, she was “so reluctant, nervous, and stressed” about her Lodi brand photography session, and the reason why is one I hear from almost every woman who books with me.
Kelli owns Pop Ups & Parties, a balloon and event rental business serving Lodi and the surrounding area. Her work is bright, playful and eye-catching, and her clients trust her with the moments they care about most. She knew she needed new photos for her website refresh. What she didn’t have was a clear way to get them that didn’t feel like a big, uncomfortable production. This is the story of her brand session, and what it looks like when a Lodi business owner decides to show up fully in her own business.
Why so many Lodi business owners put off brand photos
What I’ve noticed over years of brand sessions is that the women who put this off the longest are often the ones whose work gets photographed the most. Kelli’s installs show up in other people’s party pictures every weekend. She was comfortable standing behind her work and uneasy about being the face of it.
That gap is common, and it usually shows up as a website full of beautiful product photos with very little of the woman who makes it all happen. The people booking a balloon installation in Lodi want to know who is coming to their event. When they can’t see you, they have to guess, and a guess is a weaker reason to book than a face they already feel like they know.
How I planned Kelli’s Lodi brand photography session
I plan everything in storylines, so Kelli knew how her session would go long before she stepped in front of the camera. Her direction was the creative director behind the magic: bright and fun, and still credible for an owner with real experience in her industry.
- Wardrobe: jeans, a fun top and a blazer as her anchor look, a branded tee for the working shots, and a third look with more color. She ordered options online and texted me photos so we could decide together.
- Props: we planned around the tools of her trade, like a freestanding balloon garland, an oversized balloon with tassels, ribbon, scissors and her pink hand pump, plus a desk scene with her laptop.
- Hair and makeup: I recommended Aisha Hawkins-White, who did Kelli’s hair and makeup the morning of her session.
Kelli put it best in her review: “By the time I showed up at the studio, I was prepared, confident, and believe it or not, actually excited!”
Inside her brand photoshoot at Alchemy Studio
We photographed Kelli at Alchemy Studio, my studio in Stockton, a short drive from Lodi. Once she walked in, the planning did its job. She didn’t have to wonder what came next or whether she was doing it right, which left room for the fun part.
In her words, “it felt like I had known Nicole for years. We were just two friends hanging out, listening to music, laughing, and taking photos.” She told me she completely forgot she was supposed to be nervous about being in front of the camera. That moment is what I build every session toward, because a woman who has stopped worrying about how she looks is the woman who shows up in the photos.
How Kelli is using her new brand photos
When Kelli opened her gallery, she said the images were even better than she had imagined. The line from her review I keep coming back to is this one: “I finally feel like I have photos that truly represent my brand and, more importantly, ME.”
She is bringing those images into her website refresh and her social media, so the people planning a party in Lodi can see the woman behind the balloon arch before they ever send an inquiry. And she shared something with me after her session that matters even more than the gallery: the response from people has made her more confident. That is what showing up fully in your business looks like. Your clients get to know you, and you start to believe you belong in the frame.
What does a Lodi brand photography session include?
I’m Nicole Hodgson, a brand photographer based in Stockton, California, working with women business owners in Lodi, Stockton, Sacramento and Modesto. A brand session with me starts with a strategy call and a custom shoot plan built in storylines: what you’ll wear, the props and backdrops we’ll use, and the specific images your website and social media need. Sessions take place in my studio or on location, and I can connect you with a professional hair and makeup artist so you walk in feeling ready.
Lodi brand photography FAQ
Who is brand photography for?
Brand photography is for established women business owners and service-based professionals who need their clients to see and trust them before they book. I photograph therapists, realtors, coaches and product-based owners like Kelli, whose work is personal and whose clients want to know who they’re hiring.
I’m nervous and I don’t think I’m photogenic. Will a brand session still work for me?
Yes. Every single person tells me they’re not photogenic, and every single person is wrong by the end of our time together. Kelli came in nervous too. The planning, the music and an easy pace are what let you forget about the camera.
What should I wear to a brand photoshoot?
I usually plan an anchor look that feels most like you, a working look that shows what you do, and one look with more color or personality. You can send me photos of your options before the session and we’ll choose together.
How do I know which photos my website needs?
That’s what storylines are for. Before your session, I map out the images you need for your home page, about page, services and social media, so nothing gets missed and you’re not guessing on the day.
Where do your Lodi brand photography sessions take place?
Many Lodi clients come to my studio, Alchemy Studio in Stockton, which gives us clean backdrops and room for props. I also photograph on location around Lodi when your space or setting is part of your brand.
Do I need professional hair and makeup for my brand session?
It makes a difference in how you feel walking in. I’ll recommend a professional artist I trust, the same way I did for Kelli.
Ready to show up in your own business?
If you’ve been putting off your brand photos because you’re nervous, uncomfortable or don’t know where to start, this is your sign to stop waiting. Inquire about your Lodi brand photography session, tell me about your business, and I’ll show you how I’d plan your storylines so you walk in prepared and leave with photos that look like you.
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