You built something real. Your business has a voice, a point of view, and a client who needs exactly what you offer, but if your visuals don’t say that the moment someone lands on your page, you’re losing them. That’s not a marketing problem. That’s a brand photography problem.

Sara Larson knows this truth better than most. As a Twin Cities-based menopause educator, speaker, and coach, Sara spent years doing the deep, important work of advocating for women navigating midlife but her visuals needed to catch up with the credibility she had built. Her brand photography session with Mycah Bain Photography was about more than beautiful images. It was about finally looking as powerful as she actually is.

If you’re a business owner in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or anywhere in the Twin Cities and you’re wondering what a brand photography session should actually include — this is the shot list.

The Brand Photography Shot List Every Business Owner Should Have

1. The Signature Portrait

This is your hero image — the one that goes on your website homepage, your LinkedIn banner, and your email signature. It should feel like you walked into the room, made eye contact, and said: I know exactly what I’m doing. For Sara, this meant a clean, confident pose that communicated authority without losing her warmth. It’s the image that says I’m here and I’m ready.

2. The In-Action Shot

Whether you’re coaching, creating, consulting, or speaking, people want to see you at work. These images build immediate trust because they’re proof — not just a promise. For service-based businesses especially, an in-action shot closes the gap between I’m interested and I’m ready to book.

3. The Detail Shot

Hands on a notebook. A workspace. A prop that’s tied to your brand. These images are the connective tissue of your content strategy — perfect for Instagram carousels, Pinterest boards, email headers, and blog post breaks. They give your brand a texture that a single portrait can’t carry alone.

4. The Lifestyle or Behind-the-Scenes Shot

This is where personality lives. Sara’s story isn’t just “menopause coach.” It’s the woman who has worked with women for 25 years, who is still practicing at “humaning,” and who believes deeply that helping one woman claim her life gives every woman around her permission to do the same. Lifestyle shots let that story breathe.

5. The Connection Shot

If your business involves working with people — 1:1, in groups, or on stage — images of you in genuine connection are non-negotiable. They remind potential clients that they won’t just get information. They’ll get you.

How to Use Your Brand Photos Across Every Platform

A strong brand photography shot list is only as valuable as how consistently you use it. Here’s where these images work hardest:

• Website homepage and About page: signature portrait + lifestyle
• Instagram and TikTok: detail shots, in-action, behind-the-scenes
• Pinterest: styled detail shots and workspace images perform best
• Email marketing: in-action and connection shots build open-rate trust
• LinkedIn: signature portrait plus speaking or presentation shots
• Press and media kit: clean, editorial-style portraits

Before You Book: How to Prepare for Your Brand Session

Location matters. Sara’s session was thoughtfully chosen to align with her brand’s tone — warm, professional, and grounded. As a Minneapolis brand photographer, Mycah Bain Photography works with clients across the Twin Cities to scout locations that feel true to their brand, not just convenient.

Come with three to five outfit options in your brand color palette. Bring props that mean something — the book on your shelf, the tool you use every day. And if you’re not sure what your brand aesthetic is yet, that’s exactly the conversation to have before your session.

Ready to Build Your Shot List?

Your brand deserves images that do the selling before you ever say a word. If you’re a Twin Cities entrepreneur ready to invest in a brand photography session that actually works — let’s talk. Mycah Bain Photography specializes in brand sessions for coaches, creatives, and business owners across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the greater Twin Cities area.

→ Book Your Brand Session