What Makes a Brand Feel Like You (and Not Just a Trend)
When I first started my business, brand felt like a lofty word.
Something corporate. Strategic. A little out of reach.
I thought of Nike’s “Just Do It” or Lay’s “Bet you can’t eat just one.”
Catchy, polished, high-budget. A brand was something you had—if you were big enough to afford it.
I knew I was making marketing materials for my business.
But being a brand? That felt like something entirely different.
As my business (and understanding) grew, so did my definition of branding.
Now I believe every small business is a brand.
Especially the creative, values-led, deeply human ones.
We may not have Super Bowl ad budgets, but we have something just as powerful:
Our presence.
Our purpose.
Our stories.
Small brands make waves—by showing up with clarity, with integrity, and with heart.
We create ripples of change in our communities. We speak to the people who need us most.
We build trust not through polish, but through presence.
And that’s where brand photography comes in.
DARNEL TASKER
The most powerful images I’ve taken weren’t the most curated.
They were the ones where the client showed up fully as themselves.
Like Caitlin Lang of Liquid Form Design, weaving her bold support of women in business into every detail of her session.
Or Cristal Wallin of Cristal Veronica Photos, showing up with joy and power—creating safe spaces where queer love isn’t just welcomed, but celebrated.
Those stories come through in the images—not because we forced it, but because we let them in.
Because it’s not just what they do, but who they are.
And when I lifted my lens, they let down their guard.
CRISTAL WALLIN
Your brand is not your color palette.
It’s not your font.
It’s not even your best portrait.
Your brand is how you make people feel when they land on your page, walk into your studio, or work with you.
And the best brand visuals don’t just show what you look like.
They show who you are.
Let’s create photos that tell your story—and draw in the people who are already looking for what you bring.