Some of you might be thinking now: “alright, interesting title and sounds fun. But what even is a personal branding photo shoot?”. Before I’m going into any details, let me start with telling you that if you’re a female entrepreneur and have any kind of connection or attraction to Marrakech; this is for you!

In this blog I will take you along with me and some of my clients on their personal branding photo shoots in Marrakech. The female entrepreneurs I’ve worked with all come from different backgrounds and run different types of businesses. Yoga teachers, travel journalists, bloggers, rug slingers, shop owners, etc. The one thing they all have in common however, is a connection with Marrakech. They live here, simply love the city and keep on coming back here or their business is partly runned from here. You could think of the sourcing part at their local suppliers for the most amazing rugs or home decor accessories. They organize retreats here in town or could be blog writers and travel journalists with a deep passion for the MENA region. In some cases they just happened to be here on a trip and felt like having some professional photos taken in the mesmerizing backdrops of the Medina.

Laura Cretney - Founder of Pink Jinn, a MENA region specialized blog and webshop. With her passion for Arab language and cultures, this spot was the perfect set up for capturing her in her digital nomad mode.

What is a personal branding photo shoot?

Now there are many ways to describe what a personal branding photo shoot is. I’d like to describe it as a few joyful hours in which we capture you in your role as an entrepreneur and the soul behind your business. Within the amazing settings that Marrakech has to offer, we’ll put into frames the story and message you’d like to stand out with and proudly share with your online audience to attract your ideal clients. The aim is to capture you in a way that is authentic to you combined with a little bit of comfort zone stretching. We will get a mix of lifestyle shots, details and portraits with a bit of a ‘magazine style’ touch. If you have specific needs or requests such as a banner shot for your website or photos with negative space to add text, we can create that as well.

Natalya Borener - Interior designer and founder of Drift Home Interiors. An artisan and handmade home decor brand and store in New Braunfels, Texas. Often traveling to Morocco to source rugs and artisan made home decor, the interior designer in her always makes sure to stay at boutique and design riads.

What is needed for the photo shoot?

Key ingredients for the photo shoot will always be your personality, a few tools that you might use in your work and pretty backdrops that match both the story you want to share and your specific branding aesthetics. This could be colorful alleys in the Medina, a gorgeous courtyard or rooftop at a riad, a favorite restaurant where you love hanging out or perhaps the messy workspace of one your local suppliers or artisans. Anything that helps visualize the story of your business or gives some ‘behind the scenes’ vibes could be interesting to share. Depending on the booked time frame, there will be time to switch outfits and location. This will bring more variety to the final gallery which allows you to enjoy your photos for even longer time.

If you think that it is needed to have experience standing in front of a camera, you can relax. It is not. Apart from making sure I create imagery that you’ll love, my other intention is to make sure you feel comfortable and at ease. I will guide you trough the process and together we’ll make this photo shoot a fun experience to remember.

Laura Pronk - Founder of The Bloom Room, a Marrakech based floral design business and shop. This was one of the first portraits I took of her, when she had just started a dried flower workshop from her home. Over the years we have done several branding shoots. Witnessing both her personal and her business growth with each shoot is something truly inspiring and such joy to capture.

Why would you recommend doing a personal branding shoot?

In most businesses it is considered logical and even essential to have photos taken of your products and / or services. But when it comes to the entrepreneurs behind the business, a lot of women often still feel a bit hesitant. There seems to be a certain resistance to the idea of stepping in the spotlight. A feeling I personally know all too well, being a rather introverted person who struggles with her own insecurities. But truth is that people love catching glimpses of you, even if it’s just from the back or from a side angle. They are curious to get to know you. It creates a feeling of bonding and trust. Which, apart from having a good product or service, in the end is one of the key ingredients for a successful business.

Another experience I had after I did a personal branding shoot myself, was a certain confidence boost. Whereas I usually find myself to look crappy in random phone snap shots, having photos taken by a professional photographer made me look at myself in a different way. For the very first time I actually liked how I looked in the images. I felt comfortable sharing the person behind the camera. So other than just doing it for business purposes, it can also be a great opportunity to help boost your confidence a bit and have that “oh wow, look at me!” moment. Do it for self love. Do it for you.

I’ve seen it happening with many of my clients. From being camera shy to now proudly sharing their images on their socials to connect with their audience, on their “about me” website pages, Linked In or in blogs or magazine interviews. The possibilities are endlesss.

Antonella Deiana, founder of Ifulkki. A locally designed and artisan made accessories brand which creates unique handbags in Marrakech.

How can I book a personal branding photo shoot in Marrakech with you?

If you’ve become excited about the idea of having a gallery with professional portraits and business lifestyle images and would like to book a photo shoot with me, then I’d be happy to hear from you! Just fill in the contact form with some details about your business, your vision or specific wishes for the photo shoot, the date or period in which you will be in Marrakech and where you will be staying. With this information I can start brainstorming about the possibilities, make an exact quotation for you and plan a call or in-person meeting. Of course, feel free to ask me any questions you might have.

Love,

Leonie