Emma runs Natural Aspect. She creates images for her clients so they can market their brand with ease and confidence. And Sam said that is reflected in her social media where she is promoting herself with confidence.
The name of the business has changed many times over the years. During her last rebrand she was in the mountains in Wales. She as looking for a name that reflected her style, capturing the natural look and the logo reflected the mountains.
Sam asked about TikTok and Emma said she was dragged onto it by a marketing coach. Emma says her ideal clients re not really there, but their kids might be. So TikTok is not a strong focus, but something she uses. LinkedIn is her main social media. Emma has been a photographer for seventeen or eighteen years. She has changed the focus of her business many times during this period. This is partly because she is a military family so has to move around a lot.
Currently Emma works with businesses as this works with her and her family life.
Sam and Emma discussed the point that moving a photography business is hard. For Emma she was in Lincolnshire before the pandemic and is back now, so that
has helped. Emma says niching has really worked for her and helped her with her marketing and messaging. She doesn’t work with any particular businesses.
Marcus asks what differentiates a brand photographer from any other sort of photographer. Emma says branding photography brings together skills from a wide range of photography genres. She spends a lot of time researching her clients, getting to know them. This way by the time it gets to the day of the shoot it’s all carefully planned. The customer knows what they need to do on the day, as does Emma. Emma really enjoys this side of her business. For example she worked with an accountant taking pictures of them tap dancing, which was their hobby.
Emma also does charity work with Remember My baby. They offer free remembrance photography for families that have had a loss before, during or after birth. It’s a tough subject and one that not many people talk about. She currently supports Lincolnshire hospitals with that. She goes into hospitals and take pictures of families. Every shoot is different, the mood, how much they want to talk, what they want and more.
Marcus asks about other charities and Emma in that case
worked with families with children with life limiting conditions. That the Butterfly Wishes Network. Again Emma gave her time freely here and found the work very rewarding.
Marcus like to play devils advocate and asks what Emma thinks about working for charities for free. Emma says if she was going to provide marketing material for a charity she would charge. She sees that as different from being part of a
charity which you are helping and feel emotionally attached to. This becomes a wider discussion between Sam and Marcus about getting paid for charity work.
Sam asks Emma what she would say to explain the cost of
services. She said this could include added value to the package, it’s about promoting yourself and so having the reputation. It’s about being able to listen and also having the right kit for the job.
The discussion went onto the area of balancing listening and
directing on a shoot. There is a podcast about listening, that is relevant here. Having a level of confidence is important here, to be able to do the direction well.
Emma has just returned from a family trip to China where her brother and family live. She had an amazing trip and recommends visiting.
