Corporate Brand Photography for Alchemy Virtual Assistance | Pete Martin Photography

Corporate Brand Photography for Alchemy Virtual Assistance at Berryfields Barn

Suzy Sanders welcoming Alchemy Virtual Assistance’s newest franchisee at Berryfields Barn following the franchise signing

Building a recognisable and trustworthy brand isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s created through consistency, personality and professional imagery that tells the story behind a business.

Last Friday I headed over to Berryfields Barn to meet up with my good friend Suzy Sanders from Alchemy Virtual Assistance. We’ve worked together regularly since 2022, and this was our fifth shoot together. Every session has helped build a growing library of photography that supports both the Alchemy VA brand and its continued expansion.

The occasion this time was the signing of a brand new franchisee, marking another exciting milestone for the business.

After everyone had enjoyed lunch, we made full use of the beautiful surroundings at Berryfields Barn to create a collection of relaxed, professional photographs. Rather than relying on a single backdrop, we moved around the venue to produce a variety of images for the Alchemy Virtual Assistance website, social media and future marketing campaigns.

A key part of the session was creating content that the new franchisee can begin using as she launches and grows her own business under the Alchemy Virtual Assistance brand. Having a bank of professional images ready from day one helps create a polished first impression across LinkedIn, websites, social media and other marketing materials.

Professional corporate headshot of a new Alchemy Virtual Assistance franchisee for the company Meet the Team page

Alongside the lifestyle branding photographs, I also captured a series of professional headshots for the Meet the Family section of the Alchemy Virtual Assistance website. Consistent headshots help reinforce the professionalism of a growing business while making it easier for potential clients to connect with the people behind the brand.

One of the benefits of working with clients over several years is developing a visual style that evolves alongside the business. Every shoot adds fresh content while maintaining consistency across existing marketing materials, ensuring the brand continues to look current and authentic.

Whether it’s documenting company milestones, welcoming new team members, launching a franchise, or refreshing website photography, investing in professional commercial photography provides businesses with a valuable library of content that can be used for months to come.

If your business is expanding or your team needs updated photography, I’d be happy to help create images that reflect your brand and the people behind it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should franchises invest in professional photography?

Professional photography creates consistency across the brand while giving each franchisee high-quality marketing material they can use on websites, LinkedIn and social media from the start.

What is included in a branding photography session?

Sessions typically include environmental portraits, candid working images, team interactions, lifestyle branding photographs and professional headshots for websites and marketing.

Can you photograph new team members as businesses grow?

Absolutely. Many of my clients book regular sessions throughout the year as their businesses expand, ensuring their photography stays up to date.

Where do you carry out branding photography?

I work across Leicester, Northampton, Birmingham, Nottingham, London and throughout the UK, using client offices, event venues and carefully chosen locations that complement the brand.

Suzy Sanders from Alchemy Virtual Assistance during a professional branding photography session at Berryfields Barn

Why Regular Brand Photography Helps Businesses Stay Fresh – A Return Visit to Acute Business Advisory in Derby

Why Regular Brand Photography Helps Businesses Stay Fresh – A Return Visit to Acute Business Advisory in Derby

When businesses invest in professional photography, it shouldn’t be viewed as a one-off exercise. As companies grow, recruit new team members and continue developing their brand, their photography needs to evolve too.

Last week I had the pleasure of returning to Acute Business Advisory Ltd in Derby for a second visit, having first photographed the team back in January. It’s always rewarding being invited back by a client because it shows they understand the value that fresh photography brings to their marketing.

This latest session focused on welcoming new members of the team, updating professional headshots, capturing authentic office life and creating engaging video content for social media.

Professional corporate headshot of a team member at Acute Business Advisory in Derby.

A Growing Business Needs Updated Photography

One of the biggest reasons businesses return for regular photography is growth.

Over the past few months, Acute Business Advisory has welcomed several new starters. Rather than leaving these employees without professional photographs, they wanted everyone represented consistently across their website, LinkedIn profiles and marketing material.

Consistency is incredibly important. Whether a potential client visits your website, reads a LinkedIn post or receives an email, seeing professional imagery creates confidence and reinforces your company’s brand.

By updating their photography regularly, Acute ensures every member of the team is presented professionally and consistently.

Team meeting at Acute Business Advisory offices in Derby.

Professional Headshots Build Trust

The first part of the session was creating new headshots for the latest members of the team.

A professional headshot is often someone’s first introduction to a business. Before a meeting even takes place, people frequently search LinkedIn or visit a company’s website to see who they’ll be working with.

Natural, approachable headshots help create that first impression.

Rather than stiff, corporate-looking portraits, my aim is always to produce relaxed, confident photographs that reflect the individual’s personality while fitting perfectly within the company’s existing brand style.

Because I’d photographed the team previously, matching the lighting, background and editing style meant the new headshots blended seamlessly with the originals.

Professional business portrait for LinkedIn and company website.

Showing the People Behind the Business

While headshots are important, today’s marketing requires much more.

We also spent time capturing natural office photography, documenting the team working together, collaborating around desks, chatting with colleagues and simply getting on with their day.

These images are incredibly versatile.

They can be used throughout a website, within blog posts, recruitment campaigns, LinkedIn updates, brochures and presentations.

Unlike stock photography, these images show the real people clients will actually meet.

Authenticity matters more than ever.

People buy from people, and genuine workplace photography helps businesses demonstrate exactly who they are.

Employee collaborating with colleagues in the Acute Business Advisory office.

Adding Video for LinkedIn

Alongside the photography, we also recorded a couple of short interview videos.

Short-form video continues to perform exceptionally well across LinkedIn and other social media platforms, giving businesses another engaging way to connect with their audience.

The interviews were relaxed and conversational, allowing members of the team to talk naturally about their expertise and the business.

These short videos work brilliantly alongside professional photography, giving companies a mixture of content that can be shared over several weeks rather than everything being posted at once.

It’s a simple way of creating a library of marketing assets from a single visit.

Video interview

Why Businesses Benefit from Regular Content Days

One thing I’ve noticed over the last few years is that more businesses are moving away from arranging photography every few years.

Instead, they’re booking regular content days throughout the year.

There are plenty of benefits:

• New starters receive professional headshots quickly.

• Marketing teams always have fresh content to post.

• Company culture is documented as it evolves.

• Websites remain current.

• Social media becomes much easier to manage.

• Recruitment campaigns look more authentic.

• Brand consistency is maintained across every platform.

Rather than scrambling for photographs whenever something needs posting, businesses have an up-to-date image library ready to use.

Corporate branding photography inside Acute Business Advisory.

Building Long-Term Relationships

One of my favourite parts of corporate photography is building long-term relationships with clients.

Returning to Acute Business Advisory meant I already understood their brand, their office environment and the style of imagery they wanted.

That familiarity helps sessions run more efficiently, keeps everyone relaxed and ensures the final images match previous shoots perfectly.

It also allows us to expand their image library naturally over time rather than starting from scratch with every visit.

Authentic office lifestyle photography for business marketing.

Looking Ahead

From updated headshots to authentic office photography and engaging social media video, this latest visit provided Acute Business Advisory with a fresh collection of content they can use across their website, LinkedIn and wider marketing.

As businesses continue to grow and evolve, their visual content should evolve with them.

Professional photography isn’t simply about taking nice pictures—it’s about creating trust, showcasing your people and giving your marketing team the content they need to tell your story.

If your business has grown, recruited new staff or simply needs a fresh bank of photography and video content, I’d be delighted to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should a business update its staff headshots?

Most businesses benefit from updating headshots whenever new employees join or every 18–24 months to keep their branding current.

Can photography and video be created during the same visit?

Absolutely. Combining photography with short video interviews is a cost-effective way to create a wide variety of content for websites and social media.

What types of businesses benefit from brand photography?

Professional services, accountants, law firms, financial advisers, construction companies, healthcare providers, manufacturers and many other businesses all benefit from authentic imagery.

Do you travel outside Leicester?

Yes. I regularly photograph businesses throughout Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham, Northampton, Coventry, London and across the UK.