Every professional brand is a living story, and a lifestyle branding session is the ultimate tool to ensure your first visual handshake is confident, authentic, and professionally polished. It is justifiably intimidating to write about a professional writer. As a visual artist, my hope is that what lacks in my writing skills is illustrated by my photos. Fortunately, this branding session was completed on the subject’s home turf. There was no shortage of personality and colorful decor to creatively capture his genuine portrait.
The Evolution of the Modern Professional Portrait
In my mind, it was the writers’ photos on the back of their books that I remember first deviating from traditional headshot photography. No longer were we staring into artificially lit eyes of a perfectly manicured business person, backed by a neutral and typically dull studio set. The author was instead posed outdoors or in a natural setting using soft, ambient light.
Actors and other performers were the first to break away from the rigid traditional headshots that became normalized starting in the mid-1800’s. It is much easier to experience a subject’s personality by placing him or her in their natural environment, pulling back to include more of their body, and stepping away from forced smiles and other carefully molded facial expressions. Just like with portrait photography, I find movement to be a key recipe for creating emotion in an image. This becomes more important when there is only one subject on the other side of my camera. You don’t need full body photos to create that connection. But, unless you have the personality of this session’s subject, you need a lot more than a “headshot”.
Stepping Into the Scholar’s Creative Space
Phillip Nel, an American scholar of children’s literature, serves as an excellent example of the type of person I love to photograph. His session also provided a brilliant opportunity to show off my approach to every lifestyle branding session, regardless of genre. I could have created a full gallery of amazing, professional photos for Phil in 30 minutes or less. But, I wanted to dive deeper and show you more about this delightful and talented human.
Phil is a scholar, but he is also a musician, a progressive advocate, and a creative spirit. For anyone familiar with the world of children’s literature, he needs no introduction. Phillip Nel is a University Distinguished Professor of English at Kansas State University and a prolific author. His website and global presence serve as essential hubs for students, researchers, and creators worldwide. When I first walked into his house, I was immediately drawn to the artwork on his walls and the endless shelves of books. The book spines created a colorfully painted backdrop in both his office and living room.
He had already decided which bookshelves he wanted to use for his backdrop. After getting a handful of traditional poses, I was excited to get some of those books in his hands and encourage some “poses” to really make his personality pop.
Phil was very at ease in front of the camera. I got to enjoy an entertaining serenade of unscripted monologues with a variety of foreign accents. He then broke out into song, perfectly performing the voices of Kermit the Frog, and many other beloved children’s characters. Reminded of his musical talents, I encouraged him to grab his guitar and some more comfy clothes.
Yes! This is my kind of branding session!
A Subject-Guided Lifestyle Branding Session: Ambient Light and Real Rhythms
To truly tell the story behind Phil’s work, we needed to strip away the stiff expectations of corporate portraiture. We wanted to create a space where he could share his natural energy and true colors. To my delight, Phil fell naturally into that space, and I had the privilege of being his audience. What a genuinely moving performance to document.
The entire session was designed around simplicity and comfort. We worked completely indoors using the ambient midday sunlight and one overhead light in his studio. Without the distraction of bulky studio flashes and power cords, we were able to maintain a relaxed, conversational rhythm throughout the 90 minute session. Phil moved through three separate outfit choices, allowing us to capture a spectrum of looks. From polished and professional to completely casual and relaxed, his choices perfectly showed off his unique personality.
The beauty of a lifestyle branding session is that it leaves room for the unexpected. While we absolutely captured refined, modern business portraits, we also let the session evolve naturally. I stepped back and allowed Phil’s humor and genuine personality to lead the way. The result was a brilliant collection of goofy images, authentic laughs, and moments of pure, unscripted expression that you would never find in a traditional studio setting. And in those moments where I wasn’t actively photographing my main subject, I was exploring the artwork and books on display. Honestly, this portrait session deserved video coverage to document the stories Phil told about each piece of decor that gave me pause.
The Value of a Visual Handshake
Whether you are a university professor publishing a new manuscript, an entrepreneur launching a local business, or a creative building a digital presence, your portraits should work as hard as you do. They should tell the truth. By trading the traditional studio grid for a subject-guided approach, we create images that hold real, lasting value.
I left this session feeling incredibly grateful for the opportunity to document another remarkable story in our community. Phil’s gallery is a perfect example of what a true lifestyle branding session can achieve when you prioritize human connection over corporate formulas. It is proof that professional headshots can be artistic, lively, and filled with genuine joy.
Check out my post on planning for your business portraits!
