My approach to branding photography

My approach to branding photography

For many years I mainly specialized in wedding photography but I have done a number of branding sessions in between that. Being a creative wedding photographer actually lends itself very well to branding photography as I am used to working with ordinary people as opposed to models which means I can direct people to look their best. My Fine Art background is also a handy asset as I am able to tell stories with images which is perfect for a client who wants a branding session that tells their unique story as opposed to those typical branding shots you see with businesswomen and coffee cups!

I haven’t shared many of these images but life in lockdown has given me some time to catch up on blogging.

Here’s a few shoots along with a short write up about each person so that you can understand my approach.

Click here if you would like to read about some tips for getting the most out of your branding session


Chanelle Segerius Bruce is an online coach who specializes in teaching people to teach online and build their brands online in general. Her brand is centered around enabling women to free up their time and earn money from their experience and skill and her overall branding has the element of barefoot luxury to it. Hence the tropical vibes. Chanelle has used these images on her website and also across social media platforms. If you are a personal brand it is vital that you have a number of images of you to share.

Laid back KZN midlands wedding, shot by top South African creative wedding photographer Jacki Bruniquel at Corrie Lynn Farm

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Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Amy Down from Mommy Mojo is an online health and wellness coach from Australia. We shot these images in Bali and wanted to create the idea of well being and mindfulness which Bali is known for. It became the perfect location to communicate these ideas.

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Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Ard Matthews is an internationally acclaimed and well known South African Musician who became famous with the band Just Jinger. I have photographed Ard many times over the years and he has used these images for PR and marketing.

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Lauren Pinnoy is a Yoga teacher who runs the Yoga Studio in Ballito South Africa. We wanted to create striking imagery that would really have her standing out on her social media. These have also appeared in magazines.

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Deborah Goode is a businesswomen who developed Free-Sweet, a sweetener that can be used as a sugar replacement amongst many other entrepreneurial endeavours. Deborah has created a personal brand around her product and these images have been used on her website and in various magazines and other marketing materials

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Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Frances Patterson is Obstetrician Gynaecologist. In these images we wanted to ensure that she looks extremely professional but also friendly, open and trustworthy. This collection of images have been used in her marketing material but also on presentations and papers.

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Sharni Quinn is a yoga teacher, life coach, author and speaker. We photographed a collection of images around Bali, Indonesia that all speak of her brand which is about being the best version of yourself! She wanted a bright and airy feel about the photos to convey her message. She has used these images on her website, various training programs, online marketing and also in print media.

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https://jackibruniquel.comfor-photographers/my-approach-to-branding-photography/

https://jackibruniquel.comfor-photographers/my-approach-to-branding-photography/

https://jackibruniquel.comfor-photographers/my-approach-to-branding-photography/

https://jackibruniquel.comfor-photographers/my-approach-to-branding-photography/

Dylan McGarry is an academic, an artist, a teacher, an eco warrior and illustrator. He wanted something unique for his portrait so we used contrasty lighting and props. The images we made have been used on this website and various campaigns and academic papers.

https://jackibruniquel.comfor-photographers/my-approach-to-branding-photography/

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Bretton Jones is an NLP life coach. The brief was to make some images that were modern and fresh and showed him as a working professional who is friendly, reliable and trustworthy. These have been used on his website and across all marketing platforms.

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Ben Vos and John Van Der Ruit are both actors, play writers and comedians. John is famous for his series of books called Spud. This branding shoot was done before their show Mamba Republic and we wanted to create an element of drama, fun and humour hence the use of the red velvet to allude to a stage curtain and more dramatic lighting. These images were used on everything from lamp-post posters, in the newspapers and on social media.

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Cathy Layzell is an internally acclaimed Cape Town based abstract artist and painter. Artists often need images of themselves for PR, exhibition artist statements etc.

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Guy Buttery is an internally acclaimed South African musician and I have photographed him many times over the years. These images have been used across social media and print PR – some of them even appeared in the Rolling Stone magazine.

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Shane Smith and Shaun Bebbington own West Coast Distillers which is a craft gin distillery who also make bitters and other beverages in the Cape. They are anything but corporate hence a more relaxed and alternative approach when it came to choice of outfits etc. These images have been used for marketing purposes.

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Prasheen Maharaj is an entrepreneur who’s official title is Chief Executive Officer at SanDock Austral. These images needed to appeal to a corporate audience but also show Prasheen’s role as CEO of a shipbuilding yard. They have been used extensively for PR and marketing purposes and have even appeared on the front page of a business magazine.

Top-South-African-Creative-Personal-Branding-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

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Advice on what to wear for your family portrait session

Advice on what to wear for your family portrait session

There are many different approaches to family portraiture and there is no right or wrong way! You could go with a totally real documentary style session where you dress in whatever it is that you usually dress in and the photographer captures a day in the life of  your family with all the RAW nitty gritty, beautiful, ugly, realness that comes with parent and childhood. Or you could go the complete opposite way and have a full styled shoot and dress up in crazy outfits and really get creative.

I personally like to work with each client individually and would make you something that suits you and your family. I don’t have a cookie cutter approach.

Here is some advice on what to wear for a typical family portrait session. What you wear will determine the feel and style of the session but certain outfits just work together so I have chosen some photos that I have taken that are good examples of styling that has worked from a visual and conceptual perspective.

Wearing outfits that match but don’t clash is a good idea and make sure they will work with the location that you choose.

In the image below you can see that their clothes suit that location. In fact the outfits were chosen with location in mind. The outfits all have a similar tone of colour and work well together as a palette. Whilst most of the girls are wearing a dusty pic this is offset with a splash of army green and mustard. That gorgeous Mom in the middle gave birth to all five girls!!! What a beautiful family they are.

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In the image below they cleverly chose a colour palette that works well together but the choice of outfits also suits the more relaxed and casual vibe of their teens.

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This particular family was never going to wear jeans and a white T for their family portrait session and line up on a the beach! They are creative and do things in their own way. The pop of red works so well against the neutral background of the building site and raw concrete.

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If you are a very casual family then keep it casual but if you love to dress up then a family portrait session might be the perfect occasion to glam up. As I have already said there is no right or wrong way. You want to do what works for you.

Top-South-African-Creative-Family-Portrait-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Family-Portrait-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Family-Portrait-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Navy’s, whites and neutrals always look good on the beach or in a neutral location (ie by neutral I mean colour)  but that jeans and white T-shirt trend is a bit dated now so throw in a splash of something!

Top-South-African-Creative-Family-Portrait-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Family-Portrait-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Top-South-African-Creative-Family-Portrait-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

A smart outfit can look amazing in a gritty environment . The contrast can be very striking.

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A nautical look can suit the seaside if that is your vibe. This is a family of sailors so the outfits work for them.

Top-South-African-Creative-Family-Portrait-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

Wear something that suits your personality. This particular couple are funky and alternative so we even had the baby in leopard print and played with a bright red colour against a contrasting jungle green wall.

Top-South-African-Creative-Family-Portrait-Photographer-Jacki-Bruniquel

THINGS TO AVOID

  • Crazy branding and big logos are a no no
  • Sideways stripes can make one look bigger so if this is something you want to avoid – avoid them!
  • Be wary of wearing items of clothing that will date terribly – you want to be able to look back at your pics in a decade and not think “what was I thinking” – Unless of course you do your family portrait session annually and have fun with the idea of fashion through the ages!
  • Be careful of too many loud, busy patterns which can distort and become distracting
  • Watch out for pantie or bra lines
  • Dark colours generally make people look slimmer if that is what you are going for
  • If you wear glasses, those photochromic lenses aren’t great for photoshoots as they darken in the sun and will hide your eyes and look like sunglasses
  • Unless you are making a thing out of your sunglasses and they become a fun fashion accessory for one or two pics – leave them at home for your session

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Best of Family Portraits

Best of Family Portraits

Lockdown has made everyone realise the value of family, and what’s the first thing people do when they miss their loved ones or someone passes away? We start to look at all of our photographs.

Over the past few weeks I have received so many beautiful letters from my clients to tell me how they have been going through their wedding albums or are so appreciative of the family portraits that I have taken of them, as they are now all split up and unable to see each other.

This has really lifted my spirits because here in South Africa a wedding or portrait photographer is not allowed to work until level one which is basically when the virus is “over” and this can make one feel rather “non essential” to say the least. Hearing how people are valuing the family portraits that I have made them has touched my heart in such a profound way.

As a celebration of this I put this post together because whilst I may not be allowed to work right now, I will be back and I look forward to making you something very special that you can treasure and hang on your walls as art.

I don’t often advertise my family portraiture work as I’ve concentrated on weddings over the last decade but I have in fact photographed so many different families in between all of the I do’s. I particularly love catching up with past wedding clients and seeing how they have grown in their lives. Being able to record all their milestones and the way that we change and evolve as humans is a driving force behind me picking up my camera. I’m also kind of obsessed with capturing human connection and being creative. I always approach these family portrait sessions in the same way that I approach weddings. I ask you to tell me a bit about yourselves and then I tell your story, I capture emotion, I make something unique for each assignment and I aim to make something creative and beautiful that is not that typical sausage factory style of photography that you can get from any ol photographer.

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Top 100 Fearless Photographers 2019

Top 100 Fearless Photographers 2019

A friend of mine sent me a message yesterday with some pretty incredible news!

I made the top 100 wedding Fearless Photographers in the world for 2019!

Alot can change in 10 years. 10 years ago I had just started my fledgling career as a wedding photographer. My pictures were rather average to say the least, in fact often they were terrible but I kept moving forward. My aim right back then was to be of an international standard.

I remember when I first discovered Fearless Photographers and how in awe I was of the artistry and pure talent that was featured on this platform. I didn’t think it would be possible for me to win an award, let alone be placed on any of their lists, but I used this platform as a benchmark for what is possible and pushed myself to grow, learn and be inspired.

Does that make me think I am AMAZING – nope. I am always trying to be a better photographer and a better human. Sometimes I fail – sometimes I win. It’s all a journey.

I do believe that we can do most things if we put our minds to it.

Thank you to Huy Fear Less Nguyen for the reminder!

What would you like to achieve in the next decade??

If you would like to jumpstart your photography career and learn to take photos of an international standard I am running two in person creative photography workshops this year.

One in March in Durban on the 17th and 18th of March 2020 and another in Jozi (DTBD).

If you would like more information about my Unstuck Yourself Creative PhotographyWorkshops contact me

Click on the link below to view the rest of the top 100 Fearless Photographers of 2019.

https://www.fearlessphotographers.com/top-photographers-of-…

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Five star service versus two star service

Five star service versus two star service

I was so fast asleep I was practically dead!

24 hours of traveling from Berlin to Bali had me in a virtual coma the instant my head hit the pillow.

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All of a sudden I was ripped into a foggy consciousness by the sound of a whiney, disgruntled female voice.

She was just going on and on and on AND ON!!

 I couldn’t block it out.

I had to open my eyes.

And when I did I saw my newly arrived, fresh off the plane Australian friend being harassed by the Balinese lady who manned the front desk of the villas we were to call home for the week.

 She was shouting about a double booking and how Amy needed to pay for the other taxi.

Considering the fact that Amy had paid for the taxi she was in and never ordered another taxi to fetch her from the airport she was confused and stressed by her rude welcome to our villas.

 Somehow wires had been crossed and the villas had sent a taxi without the necessary confirmation from Amy  for the transfer from the airport. The desk lady was adamant that she must pay.

 This was not a good first impression on our first day.

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 The Taxi mixup was eventually resolved. Later in the week we decided to take advantage of a rare sunny day and find a hotel that offered a day pass to the pool facilities. After a bit of online research we decided to head to the Royal Pita Mahai, a five star resort in the jungle just outside of Ubud.

 Our arrival was a totally different experience. We were welcomed with a smile and given a cool, fresh towel scented with lemongrass to freshen up with. We were then offered a welcome drink and the receptionist explained their different packages and took us on a tour around the expansive hotel grounds to show us where the various pools were situated. We were totally blown away by the décor and gardens of this beautiful hotel, the attention to detail and the staff hospitality.

 We were not only made to feel special, we were given an experience.

We told so many people about the Royal Pita Maha. We did however not recommend the villas to anyone nor would we! Word of mouth is a huge marketing tool that should never be underestimated!

This really got me thinking about the business of being a photographer.

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What kind of welcome are you giving your clients?

What are you doing to make them feel special?

What kind of experience will they remember?

Will they remember you for your five star-service?

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 Here are some practical ways to make your client experience a better one as inspired by the Royal Pita Maha

  • A sunny welcome goes a long way. We don’t work in the corporate world. Smile with your emails.
  • Be approachable. Make things easy for your clients. Explain how you work and what your packages are.
  • Make things beautiful and a pleasure to be in. This includes your website. If things look good and it’s easy to navigate their first impression will be better.
  • Most people are getting married for the first time so if you want to serve them well, you will need to educate them about what you need in order to get great pics.
  • Your clients wedding day must always be about them and not you and your ego.
  • You are there to serve your clients and give them a beautiful experience.
  • Always do your best and be a nice person. Say please and thank you!
  • Don’t dress like a slob on shoot day and make sure you are groomed and looking like a five star photographer if you are wanting to deliver five star service.
  • Compliment people. Make them feel safe in front of your camera. Make them feel special! But don’t be false.
  • Under promise- Over deliver
  • Give that extra little bit that isn’t expected. This can be a gift, beautiful packaging, staying on for longer than expected, giving them a hand written note, delivering images earlier than expected. When people receive an added bonus that wasn’t part of the package they will feel special! This will help your word of mouth marketing.
  • Remember that failed expectations are the mother of all disappointments so make sure you deliver on your promises.
  • Definitely don’t ever respond to any miscommunication if you are angry or upset. Take some time to cool down so you aren’t reacting from an emotional space.
  • Please don’t write about your clients on social media if you’re upset. If you need to vent phone a friend you can trust. 

 And lastly remember that

  • Humans want to feel safe
  • Humans want to feel accepted
  • Humans want to feel special

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