All About Our Amazing Branding Photoshoot at Central
I recently re-visited an old workplace, Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine, for a branding photoshoot. From ducks to pups and more, This is how it went.
Exploring memories in an old workplace always has its nostalgic features– not that this is something that happens often. This was thanks to connections with employees and leadership there to lead to opportunity, and I’m so thankful!
Where I was once an inexperienced, anxious tech assistant, I was now a comfortable photographer ready to shoot.
— a much better fit for someone with a fainting problem, but I’ll get to that in a bit!–
It was so nice to see some familiar faces and catch up to what’s going on around the hospital. They’ve done a good amount of construction and changed things up since I’ve been there, and it looks amazing.
For the branding photoshoot, we combined professional and headshot photos with some hospital candids. We of course had an open door policy for pets. Employees brought their pups, cats, guinea pigs, even a duck, to their sessions.
There were a couple of goals I had in mind with this project from the start:
- Keep it professional. For a branding photoshoot, employees want their headshots for their workplace website to best represent them. They also want to “get their good side.” So, it was important to ask, “Do you have an angle or side preference?” I know for me, I definitely feel like I have a “good side” in photos, so I make a point to ask. Also, when it comes to any accessories (smart watches, wrist hair ties, or, in this case, stethoscopes), my job is to point these things out and make sure of what they want– or, don’t want– included in their photos.
- Capture the pets’ personalities and the overall relationships with their humans: There was definitely a mix of introverted and extroverted pets– So, instead of strictly careful posing, we went with the flow of the animals mostly and made sure for a positive experience for everyone. A lot of my photography is animal-lead.
My first experience photographing a pet duck was exciting. This was the closest I’ve ever been to a duck before. Aside from pulling my 1.5 year old away from trying to pet the geese at our local park.
You can’t really pose a duck or do anything to get their attention. So, we let him do what he was born to do: fly!– Well, flap… And we got some really cool shots out of that!
Can take a moment to appreciate a guinea pig named after one of my favorite TV show characters, Kramer?
I love working with small animals! It’s a challenge because they have very different features than a larger animal, so the angles and strategy are a bit different. I think we got all of Kramer’s good sides here.
Our branding photoshoot consisted of both posed and candid shots. In between the professional photos, whenever we could we grabbed some candids throughout the hospital. Everything from the mise en place of their prep stations, to the water treadmill, and the impressive hyperbaric chamber. It brought me back to the days walking through the halls and different specialty departments, carrying samples or walking pets up for discharge, the scents of latex gloves and dog fur filling my nose.
I’ve suffered from fainting spells since I can remember, the earliest of which was during a chorus concert. It’s always the result of some high-stress situation or just from pure anxiety setting in: blood draws, medical procedures, stage fright. No wonder the veterinary field isn’t for me. It’s not exactly ideal to have to run to the bathroom to prop my legs up over my head and do breathing exercises just to not faint. I certainly applaud those with the gift (and stomach) to work in veterinary. It’s an honorable career, and every part of the hospital is so vital for it to run efficiently, from the front desk to the surgery prep table.
Despite my sensitivity to blood, I could not pass up the opportunity to get up close to a live surgery and catch some surgeon shots. The surgery room has this different weight to it– you feel it as soon as you walk in. It feels lighter but heavier at the same time, like you’re a bubble in the ocean. Maybe it’s the sterility, or the precise sounds from the machines. I captured just enough of the surgery without really looking directly at it!
I’m thankful to the staff for allowing me in on a front row seat, and also thankful to their marketing guru, Lauren, for capturing this shot of me gearing up for it!
I could write more about this experience, but for now I’ll leave it all here. Thank you, Central, for having me, and I look forward to more opportunities to work together!
Love,
Lee
If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur in the pet industry, this is your sign to have a branding photoshoot so you have some beautiful professional shots for your site and social media.
Contact me at Loveleepaws@gmail.com or fill out my contact form to schedule your free consult!
