Creative Brand Photography

San Francisco Bay Area

Creative brand sessions are for makers and creative businesses of all types.

Man in green sweater touches trunk of redwood tree while looking upwards. Taken during an oudoor creative brand photo shoot in the Bay Area.

Whether you’re a sole proprietor or have a small team, you need beautiful, effective imagery to promote what you offer. Artists, therapists, interior designers, physicians, chefs, textile makers, podcasters - I’ve helped all kinds of small Bay Area businesses create imagery that communicates the heart of their brand.

Creative brand sessions are collaborative experiences between you and me.

Artist Hope Meng sits at drafting table with open notebook, shot in studio during branding session in San Francisco.

Together we ideate, share inspiration, and strategically plan the exact images your brand needs. The resulting collection of images we make will feel aligned with your brand values, will be visually compelling, and will offer you a cache of cohesive imagery to use in a variety of ways to promote your creative business and brand.

Four women in active wear give low fives while laughing in white walled room, shot for brand Every Mother in San Francisco during their branding session.
Flat lay of interior design materials, shot for brand Katie Martinez Design in San Francisco during branding photo shoot.
Dating by Blaine matchmaker, Tara Bratt, sits in field of dune grass at Crissy Field with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Taken during outdoor branding portrait session.
Woman in light green active wear poses in downward dog in white walled room, shot for brand Every Mother in San Francisco.

Kind Words

  • An outdoor pond with lillypads. Taken during brand photo session.

    Wow! They are all STUNNING! Thank you for your eye, this couldn't have been a better collaboration and you captured exactly what were going for.

    Camilo G., Biomimicry Institute

  • Hands placing leather wallets into gift box, shot for Poppy Gifting in San Francisco during their brand photo shoot.

    Working with you was an incredible experience! We truly appreciate your approach, style, collaboration, and overall presence. We look forward to more opportunities for working together in the future.

    Peggy O., Poppy Gifting

  • Woman in white sweater and pants lies in field of flowers at sunset. Taken during outdoor creative brand session.

    I just saw all of the photos...they are so beautiful!! Thank you so much for these, they exceeded my expectations.

    Maya P., Artist

Crop of toddler holding christmas garland while standing on white blanket, surrounded by presents. Taken for small brand in San Francisco.
Woman's arms and hands rolling out cookies to bake, shot for Copper Stove in Oakland during their brand photo shoot.
Macro shot of pink California Yarrow bloom, shot for the Biomimicry Institute in Berkeley during their branding session.
Woman types on laptop while sitting in a gray chair inside a peach colored office with minimal design. She is a small business owner and this photo is from her brand session.
White walled office with paintings of sullen young women and a modern pendant and mirror. Taken for Bay Area artist during branding session.

Quarter-Day Session

$1850

  • 2-hour shoot at 1-2 locations

  • Large gallery of hand-edited, best images from the set w/ high-res download and commercial usage licensing

  • Pre-shoot planning meeting and custom shot list with lighting plan to ensure your photos are aligned with goals and vision

  • $300 deposit due at booking, with balance paid on shoot date

  • Perfect for solo-preneurs who are building a website and social presence, or a small team that needs a website refresh.

BOOK HERE
Yogi in gray leggings and maroon top poses in front of water at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Wet sand is on her feet and hands. Portrait from her creative brand session.

Half-Day Session

$3050

  • 4-hour shoot at 1-4 locations

  • Larger gallery of hand-edited, best images from the set w/ high-res download and commercial usage licensing

  • Pre-shoot planning meeting and custom shot list with lighting plan to ensure your photos are aligned with goals and vision

  • $300 deposit due at booking, with balance paid on shoot date

  • Perfect for any brand needing to build a large collection of imagery to use across multiple platforms.

BOOK HERE
A bag of product from Every Mother in San Francisco. Taken during their commercial brand session.

Full-Day Session

$4250

  • 8-hour shoot at various locations

  • Largest gallery of hand-edited, best images from the set w/ high-res download and commercial usage licensing

  • Pre-shoot planning meeting and custom shot list with lighting plan to ensure your photos are aligned with goals and vision

  • $300 deposit due at booking, with balance paid on shoot date

  • Perfect for businesses with small teams, folks who need a diverse array of locations, or any visual-heavy, product-based brands.

BOOK HERE
Woman in orange dress runs with motion blur across Baker Beach with Golden Gate Bridge in background. Footprints are around her in the sand. She is a Bay Area photographer having a brand photo shoot.
Over the shoulder view of two women wrapping a gift with branded Poppy Gifting tags on it. Taken as a product photo during branding photo shoot in San Francisco.
Acorn lined bowl with pink roses, an art piece by artist Danielle Mourning. Taken during her creative brand session.
Over the shoulder view of woman architect in black sweater drafting plans. Taken during branding photo shoot in San Francisco.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Um, yeah, you kinda do! If your current website has a mix of stock images and a couple photos taken of you in 2019; or if your website has zero images of you 🫣 - you’re doing your business a disservice. It’s well-known that people buy products or services from other people and your face needs to be on your website, regardless of what you offer.

  • If you’re unsure of your photo needs, I recommmend schedling a brief call and I can advise you. The majority of one-person, service-based brands book a quarter-day session.

  • When you schedule a session, I send you a booking form with a contract and request for your deposit. All bookings require a $300 deposit to be confirmed. Once confirmed, I send you a prep guide and we get our planning meeting scheduled.

  • Most small brand book wih me about 6 weeks out, though shorter and longer lead times are possible. I recommend a minimum of 2-3 weeks so we have time to plan, pin down our shoot location(s), and gather any resources needed for the shoot.

  • Once your session is confirmed, we set a date for our planning meeting. During the meeting we discuss short and long term goals, brand mission, aesthetics and palette, and toss around all the cool and crazy ideas we have. After the meeting, I make a custom shot list based on our meeting notes and any Pinterest boards we share. By the time the shoot date happens, I will understand your brand and we’ll both have a clear blueprint for all the shots we want to get.

  • My branding sessions are not fussy productions with a big team, a bunch of equipment, and an inflated budget. For most shoots, it’s just you and me. For product-based brands or shoots that need a prop or wardrobe stylist, we sometimes have an additional person with us. Ultimately, I want the session to feel more like you and I are hanging out for the day, and I just happen to have a camera.

  • Believe or not, most of the faces you see on this webpage had the same concern. The good news is that I consider half of my job is making you feel comfortable and relaxed. Brand clients consistently report the their session experience felt easy and fun, even the ones who were nervous beforehand.

  • Yes! I give you guidance on the best colors, fabrics, patterns, and how to coordinate your clothing with your brand identity and website colors. I encourage sharing looks and moods via Pinterest, and I also give specific feedback on your clothing and outfit ideas.

  • I tell folks it will take 1-2 weeks but most of the time, I’m able to get your images to you around the 1 week mark. All the images in your gallery will be lovingly edited to enhance color, light, shadow, and skin tones.

A woman in a red skirt and white top stands on a sand dune, holding a scarf over her head. It blows behind her in the wind. Her skin has a peachy glow from sunset golden hour. This portrait was taken during a personal branding photo shoot.

FREEBIE

Bay Area Brand Photos: Location + Outfit Guide

Where to shoot and what to wear for branding photos in the San Francisco Bay Area. Plus, get inside scoop on how to best pair your clothing with your shooting location.

GIVE ME THAT GUIDE

Browse the portfolio below to see what your brand images could look like…

Physician Reshma Vasanwala of Refine Anti-Aging wears a white suit and sits on window sill with trees outside. Taken during a brand session.
Latina chef in black apron holds metal bowl of lemons while smiling at camera, shot for small business Culinary Artistas in San Francisco during their brand photo shoot.
Black woman with shaved head wearing active wear sits on white couch at Every Mother Headquarters in San Francisco. Taken during brand photo shoot.
AskNature podcaster record nature sounds in redwood grove at Blake Gardens using long microphone on pole. Taken during their outdoor brand photo shoot.
San Francisco artist, Suzanna Baxter, in olive green coveralls and vans sits on a stool in her studio in the Mission with paint brushes in her hands. Natural light comes in through the window and cast shadow on the wall behind her. Taken during her c
Over the shoulder view of two women placing leather wallets in gift wrapped box, shot for Poppy Gifting in San Francisco. Showcases their product as part of their branding photos.
San Francisco-based artist Danielle Mourning stands wrapped in large colorful quilt in front of a large colorful rug wall. Shot during her personal branding photo shoot.
Woman in cream suit sits on white couch and reads design magazine held in front her face, taken during creative brand portrait session in Berkeley.
Woman in bright blue bikini swims under the surface of the water, shot at the Yuba River.
Brunette woman wearing sunglasses flings her long hair on sunny street lined with palm trees in San Jose. Shot during outdoor personal brand session.
Photographer Toni Toscano holds camera in front of face with Golden Gate Bridge behind her. Shot on Ocean Beach in San Francisco during personal brand photo shoot.
Designer Jacqueline Norrise wears a green dress and sits in front of mood board and arranges textiles. Taken during branding session.
San Francisco artist Hope Meng sits on blue and white quilt with fabric stacks behind her at her home studio in Bernal Heights. Taken during indoor branding photo shoot.
Woman's hands pump lotion out of a brown bottle sitting in front of a window. Product photo taken as part of creative brand session in San Francisco.
Overhead shot of five large koi fish grouped together at pond's surface, shot for the Biomimicry Institute during brand photo session.
Artist Suzanne Baxter walks through painting-filed colorful studio in San Francisco. Motion blur photo taken during creative brand session.
Wall of angled brooms stitched together and spray painted hot pink, taken at the studio of Danielle Mourning in San Francisco.
Overhead scene of hands measuring a quilt pattern on a green work mat. Taken during indoor brand photo session.
Woman peeks out from dark blue velvet curtains with wallpapered wall behind her. Taken during indoor brand photo shoot.
Woman sits on windowsill and laughs while using banana like a phone. Taken during indoor brand session in San Francisco.
Crossfit athletes do kettlebells swings, shot for Exhale Gym in Richmond, CA during brand photo shoot.
Artist sits on floor and paints watercolor in white studio surrounded by paint supplies. Natural light comes through windows around her. Shot during creative brand session.
Women architects sit around large wooden table and discuss architectural drafts. Taken during their indoor brand photo shoot.
Hands of ceramic artist Scott Jennings build sculpture from clay with colorful tools nearby on table. Taken during creative branding session.
ADL Interiors CEO sprays branded room spray, wearing white boucle suit standing in front of a window indoors. Taken during professional brand photo session.
Musician Francis England sits in front of colorful mural with keyboard in lap. Taken outdoors in the Mission in San Francisco during creative branding session.
Artist Ben Vilmain stands at table with paint and fabric in front of black metal wall at studio in San Francisco. Taken during branding photo shoot.
Photographer Toni Toscano walks through field of tall flowers in the Presidio, laughing with camera in hand. She wears a denim jacket and red dress. Shot during outdoor creative brand session in San Francisco.
Photographer in white sweater faces the camera, smiling with camera in hand. The sun is setting over the hills behind her and a breeze blows through her hair. Taken during outdoor creative brand photo shoot.
Healer Melanie L. Wood stands under redwood tree as light filters down through branches creating light and shadow on face. Taken during outdoor personal brand photo session.
Detail of drying wood and paint project with clamps, by artist Ben Vilmain. Taken during branding photo shoot.
Lay flat of boutique baby gifts - pajama, rattle, sight cards - against blue seamless paper. Detail shot from creating brand session in San Francisco.
Illustrator sits at wooden table in crowded cafe with sketch pad and pencil. Taken during indoor brand photo session.
Crossfit coach helps woman on rowing machine, shot for Exhale Gym in Richmond, CA. Taken during brand photo shoot.
Artist Scott Jennings stands near window in studio wearing blue potter's apron. Taken during indoor brand photo session.
Toddler model for Ellis Littles runs through lupins and bubbles, shot at Baker Beach in San Francisco.
Lily pads on pond surface with reflection of trees overhead, shot at Blake Garden in Berkeley.
Therapist Fanshen Thompson sits at kitchen table with bare feet up, surrounded by plants. Taken during branding session.
Physical therapist smiles while looking up at patient with knee injury, shot for the Stone Clinic in San Francisco during brand photo session.
Doctor Reshma Vasanwala administers injection to patient at her clinic, Refine Anti-Aging. Taken during brand photo shoot.
Nutritionist Leah Kern holds mug of tea and gazes out window with a smile. Taken during indoor personal brand session.
Overhead view of orange and blue bespoke chair with ottoman against an orange rug.
Naturalist holds viewing loupe in front of tiny redwood cone, shot during brand photo session for the Biomimicry Institute.
Detail of colorful mobile against light blue and gold-patterned wallpaper. Taken during brand photo shoot in San Francisco.
Baby wearing Ellis Littles romper crawls in studio with light green seamless. Product photo taken as part of branding session.
Woman in blue tank top sits amongst greenery and flowers at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Taken during personal brand photo session.
Blond woman in orange sweater stand in front of light wooden shelves. One hand is in her jeans pocket and she is smiling at the camera. Taken during brand photo shoot.
Chef puts whipped cream on top of chocolate dessert for Culinary Artistas in San Francisco. Taken during branding session.
Woman's hands assemble gift basket with luxury items for Poppy Gifting. Taken during brand photo shoot in San Francisco.
Blonde woman in white sweater smiles with hand under chin against navy wall with white shelf and plants. Branding portrait taken indoors in San Francisco.
Woman holding camera and wearing all black stands on icy mountain and smiles. She is a natural light lifestyle photographer.

Allison Busch is a seasoned photographer serving small brands across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hey, there! I’m Allison! I’ve been offering my signature style of flattering, natural light photographs that make you feel something since 2011.

I’d love to make photographs for your small brand, and by extension - YOU! All brand sessions include a mix of portraits and working shots, showing you doing the work you love.

Online self-scheduling is available, or we can chat by phone before you book. It’s easy either way.

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