In the world of brand photography, every project is an opportunity for me to connect with inspiring creative business owners and help them tell their story through imagery.
As a brand photographer based in Connecticut, I’ve had the privilege of working with countless businesses to capture their unique essence so they can successfully stand out in their industry. While most of my clients are local, every so often, I venture beyond state lines.
Most recently I traveled to Newport, Rhode Island for a brand imagery shoot with Two Twenty Interiors, an interior design company that serves the greater New England area (and beyond), led by Principle Designer, Kelly Rosadino.
If you’re a creative business offering both a service and something tangible (I’m looking at you, wedding florists and calligrapher), this might hit close to home. This project was particularly special because Two Twenty Interiors is a prime example of a business that offers both services and tangible end-products—capturing brand imagery can pose a challenge to so many similar creative businesses!
In this blog post, I’m excited to take you behind the scenes of this brand imagery project. I can’t wait to share their story with you, and I hope it sparks fresh ideas to inspire your own brand images!
A Unique Blend of Services
As soon as we hopped on our initial Discovery Call, I realized very quickly that Two Twenty Interiors is no ordinary interior design company.
While they offer traditional interior design services for functional homes and trendy office updates, they also specialize in a really novel service: Airbnb redesigns!
Their expertise lies in strategically beautifying spaces to help their Airbnb clients maximize nightly rates, secure better reviews, and ultimately boost revenue.
Two Twenty offers a really distinct combination of services that straddles the line between a service-based business and a product-based business. Their clients value both the design process and the end goal of a refreshed, functional space!
This kind of duality often leaves many business owners grappling with how to accurately and cohesively capture their brand identity in a way that reflects the entirety of their process and the results of their work.
My role in this project was to help Two Twenty capture their in-depth design process and diverse services while also showcasing the final results of Kelly’s passion, expertise, and eye for design!
The Visual Branding Process
As a brand photographer, my process typically involves evaluating a client’s existing visual branding, identifying gaps, and suggesting updates.
However, Two Twenty Interiors presented a unique situation. Beyond what Kelly had captured on her phone, they had no website or visual branding in place.
Essentially, we were starting from scratch!
The success of our photography session hinged on that initial conversation and strategy meeting and making sure I gained a clear understanding of their business mission, origin story, and how they serve their clients.
Although Two Twenty was relatively new, it had been a vision years in the making.
Like many creative entrepreneurs, the seed for this venture was planted during quarantine when Kelly found herself stripping the wallpaper off her bathroom walls in between corporate Zoom calls and rearranging and re-decorating almost every room of the house during weekends.
Over the last several years, Two Twenty Interiors has been re-designing, renovating, and decorating new-build homes, historic homes, investment properties, and Airbnb spaces local to Newport, Rhode Island.
They’ve even evolved to be able to support e-design clients scattered among the East Coast and Central regions of the US, through virtual design services.
I was determined to do Kelly, her business, their variety of services, and their unique journey justice!
This became the foundation of the project.
The Brand Strategy Call
During our strategy call, I wanted to get clear about how visual branding could best support this interior design business. Photos and videos should be strategic, and understanding my client’s vision helps me ensure the imagery I capture for their brand can be useful and impactful.
After all, brand photos are no good to anyone if they sit in Dropbox collecting digital dust!
I always strive to make sure my clients can use their brand imagery immediately and offer ways they can continue to use their images in the future for promotions, social media content, and more!
The Goal
Two Twenty Interiors needed a complete set of high-quality images for their website and social media presence. In addition to static images, they were also looking for video clips to be featured prominently on their website’s banners.
The urgency behind their brand imagery goals was compounded by the fact that they were actively working with a web design agency to create a website for their new venture.
I love collaborating with other creatives such as web designers and copywriters, so this was an exciting project for me! It’s so rewarding to see all of the puzzle pieces come together.
Since they didn’t have any visual branding yet, my biggest challenge was to make sure that our photography and videography would match the look and feel of the website once it was developed.
As I mapped out their concept board, I kept their goals top of mind so that every minute of shoot day was intentional!
Want to catch a glimpse of the finished product? You can explore their completed website at “New England Interior Designer | Two Twenty Interiors.”
The Location for the Branding Sessions
After our strategy call, I got right to work!
A big part of my shoot day prep involves creating a concept board, curating a prop list, and mapping out our shoot locations. I find planning this out in advance makes our time on location that much more effective and efficient.
Logistically, our project involved capturing images and videos at two rental locations owned by Two Twenty Interiors.
The first location would serve as the primary backdrop for the majority of our photography.
Here, we intended to capture a wide range of visuals, including portraits, action shots illustrating the design process, detailed shots of room designs, and materials used in their designs.
The historic neighborhood surrounding the second location provided a picturesque backdrop for outdoor portraits. I really wanted these images to connect the business to its local roots and emphasize the charm of the area.
The second location was a remodeled top-floor unit in a historic home. But, it came with a challenge – there was no elevator!
Despite the logistic hurdle, we were determined to capture the essence of this space.
We planned to take portraits in the unit’s kitchen area and venture outside to the historic streets surrounding the home. The videos would be shot primarily in the kitchen and would be integrated into the banner sections of Two Twenty Interiors’ newly developed website.
Knowing in advance how this imagery would be used helped me decide how I wanted to shoot, the type of gear I used, and the kind of narrative I wanted the video to convey. A banner video is very different from a YouTube or Instagram Reels video, for example.
The Strategy
With the objectives set and logistics in place, we set out to bring Two Twenty Interiors‘ brand to life. My mission was to visually convey their expertise in enhancing spaces and meeting their clients’ goals. To do this, I was intentional about the specific types of brand photos I would need to capture.
Pro Tip:You can snag my Brand Image Checklist here!
Here’s how we tackled it…
Branding Portrait Photography
We started with environmental portraits of Kelly, the visionary behind Two Twenty Interiors. The goal was to capture her professionalism, creativity, and approachability. These images would be prominently featured on her website to provide a personal touch to the brand so potential clients could easily put a face to the name!
I wanted to make sure the imagery presented Kelly in her element: in her Newport, RI studio and revealing freshly updated spaces to happy clients!
That’s why environmental portraits were such a huge focus!
An environmental portrait isn’t your standard headshot. I typically capture these portraits in a specific location or setting such as a studio, workshop, or office space. The goal isn’t just to capture an image of your face. It’s all about spotlighting your skills, passions, and personality.
Below, you can see Kelly in her creative zone– surrounded by paint swatches and tile samples!
Action Shots
Beyond environmental portraits, I wanted to go even further to accurately show the design process in action. This included capturing her at work, making decisions about materials, putting together design boards, and adding the finishing touches to a home design.
These images would showcase the behind-the-scenes efforts that go into creating beautiful spaces like choosing the right accents, taking measurements of the space, and pulling the vision together before putting it into motion.
Room Details + Design Materials
In brand photography, the magic lies in the details, and in interior design, it’s no different. We meticulously photographed the details of each room – from coastal-inspired furniture to carefully chosen color palettes in fresh hues of blue and white. These shots would provide potential clients with a closer look at Two Twenty Interiors’ work and I had so much fun capturing their light, beachy, quintessential New England vibes!
To highlight the quality and flair of their design materials, we focused on capturing these materials in a way that emphasized their texture, color, and application.
During our initial strategy call, Kelly also mentioned her plans to create a guide for her Airbnb redesign services. As a result, we aimed to capture images that effectively conveyed the core of this unique offering. To achieve this, the images were centered around paint colors, linens, and tile selection.
Brand Videography
In addition to brand photography, Kelly also chose to invest in brand videography! We worked on capturing dynamic video clips that would be used as banners on Two Twenty Interiors’ website. These clips would add movement and life to the website and give visitors an interactive sense of the design process.
You can check it out here!
The Result
After a day of shooting (and tackling all those stairs), we had a collection of images and videos that would form the backbone of Two Twenty Interiors’ brand identity.
The imagery now tells an authentic story of Kelly’s dedication to her craft, her ability to transform spaces and her passion for helping Airbnb owners create environments for their guests that foster memories, spark joy, and make everyday life that much more enjoyable.
The videos added an extra layer of engagement to the website, drawing visitors into the full experience of all Two Twenty Interiors has to offer.
Brand Imagery Tells a story
Every brand photography project is a chance to tell a story. Collaborating with Two Twenty Interiors was a blast, as we worked together to define their visual brand identity for this exciting new chapter in their journey.
With careful planning and a dash of creativity, we were able to capture the essence of their brand and their eye for design, highlighting their knack for transforming spaces and meeting their clients’ needs.
This project is a reminder that brand photography isn’t just about taking pictures; it’s about crafting a story that connects with your ideal audience, showcasing what makes you, your process, and the end result special.
Two Twenty Interiors’ photos and videos have elevated their website, helping them stand out in their industry and connect with potential clients on a deeper level.
Plus, they’re now able to consistently engage with their ideal audience on social media because they have a collection of images that can inspire new content ideas and allow them to share what sets their brand apart with ease.
As a brand photographer, it’s always a joy to be part of these transformative journeys. I love helping businesses share their stories so founders can step into the spotlight and showcase their business’s remarkable creative talent.
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