Manchester Brand Photoshoot for Psychologist & Wellbeing Coach
- May 9, 2022
- 6 min read
Brand shoot spotlight on psychologist and wellbeing coach, Frances Greenstreet.
When Frances reached out about booking a brand shoot to help her promote an upcoming course launch, I was so excited! Her dream of helping other female entrepreneurs as a wellbeing coach really spoke to me as I know from personal experience how challenging it can be to balance everything as an independent business.
Frances's goal is to "make a positive impact on women's mental health and wellbeing. In doing so help more women remain in entrepreneurial careers to cultivate more female wealth."
"The Female Founders Wellbeing Academy is on a mission to increase the global impact of female founders by sparking a wellbeing revolution and re-writing how women succeed in business." - how cool is that?!
She wanted to be known for compassion, encouragement, aspiration, knowledge, and self-belief. Her vision for the brand was to become the go-to resource for mental health and wellbeing support for female entrepreneurs, a place where it's ok to say "I'm finding this hard today," where women feel welcomed and supported, and where success isn't defined by millions but by a lifestyle that brings happiness. The psychology-led, research-backed depth of her courses was central to what made her stand apart from other wellness and mindset offers in the market.
Frances's incredible organizational skills were a massive asset to our shoot together. We found a gorgeous Airbnb in Levenshulme to start the day, and she even brought along her husband and sister to help with props, furniture resetting, and hair checks!
We worked hard to capture photos that encompassed the balance of working at home, wellbeing time-outs, female founder identities, celebration moments, and enjoying nature.
Her images were needed across her full website — homepage banner, feature buttons, about section, sales pages, thank you pages, and blog post images — as well as social media content and headshots for her media pack and LinkedIn profile. That's a wide range of end uses, and it shaped every decision we made about locations, styling, and the stories we told throughout the day.
The six stories we told in Frances's brand shoot
Frances came to the shoot with a clear vision of the stories she wanted her images to tell. Rather than a generic set of headshots, she wanted her gallery to capture six distinct emotional narratives that her ideal clients would immediately recognise in themselves:
1. Behind the scenes working at home.
Desk shots, tea breaks, planning work, laptop, coaching calls, reading books. The everyday reality of running a business from home, made to look intentional and grounded rather than chaotic.
2. Wellbeing and taking care of yourself.
Hot drinks, cozy books, candles, journals, walks outside, affirmations. For a wellbeing coach, practicing what you preach is part of the brand. These images showed Frances living the values she teaches.
3. Feeling overwhelmed.
Carrying baggage, looking stressed, wanting to hide, feeling directionless. This one surprises people but it's one of the most powerful things you can include in a brand shoot. When your ideal client sees an image that captures exactly how they feel right now, they stop scrolling. Frances's clients needed to see themselves in her content before they could trust her to help them.
4. Different identities of the female founder.
Professional leader and working mum. Frances wasn't just a psychologist — she was also a mother building a business around her family. Showing both identities made her relatable to the exact women she was trying to reach.
5. Celebrations and feeling good.
Joyful, happy, on top of the world, dreams reached. The aspirational side of the brand. After the overwhelm images, these gave clients a vision of where they could get to with the right support.
6. Nature and wellbeing.
Greenery, the strength of trees, big open space. The therapeutic power of being outside was woven into Frances's work, and we made sure it was woven into her imagery too.
This shot list framework, moving through the emotional journey from struggle to support to celebration, is something any service-based business owner can use to build a more intentional brand shoot.
Why we used an Airbnb for this Manchester brand shoot
The Levenshulme Airbnb was one of the best decisions we made for this shoot. Here's why it worked, and when an Airbnb is and isn't the right choice for a brand shoot.
The Pros of Shooting in an Airbnb:
Total privacy and control.
Unlike a cafe or public space, you have the whole property to yourself. No strangers walking through your shots, no noise complaints, no time limits. We could rearrange furniture, move props around freely, and reset the space between looks without worrying about anyone else.
Consistent, controllable light.
Most Airbnbs have large windows and neutral interiors that work beautifully for photography. The Levenshulme property gave us soft, diffused natural light throughout the morning that would have been impossible to replicate in a busier location.
Multiple settings in one location.
A kitchen, a living room, a desk area, a bedroom...one Airbnb can give you the variety of different locations without any travel time between them. For a shoot with six distinct story themes, that efficiency was crucial.
It feels like your world.
For a brand built around working from home and the reality of entrepreneurial life, shooting in a real home environment made every image feel like it could have been in her home, aside from the fact that she didn't have to clean and prep. Frances's clients could see themselves in the space because it looked like their space.
The Cons of Airbnb Brand Photos:
The cost.
A full-day Airbnb booking adds to your shoot budget. It's worth it for the right shoot, but it needs to be factored in from the start, because you need to book two nights in order to get one full day for shooting.
What you see isn't always what you get.
Photos on Airbnb listings are shot to flatter the space. Always check for clutter potential, wall colours that might clash with your brand palette, and whether the natural light actually comes from the direction you need. If possible, book a space you or your photographer has seen before, or ask the host specific questions about light direction and interior colours.
Limited outdoor space.
Most Airbnbs have a small garden at best. For Frances, we supplemented with a local Manchester park for the nature and wellbeing shots, which gave us the open space and greenery her shot list needed.
Styling still matters.
A beautiful Airbnb still needs props, personal touches, and careful styling to feel like your brand rather than anyone's holiday rental. Frances brought her own books, journals, candles, and meaningful objects, which made the difference between a beautiful generic space and a shoot that was unmistakably hers.
Commercial photography permissions.
This is the one most people don't think about until it's too late. Standard Airbnb terms and conditions are written for personal stays, not commercial shoots. Using images taken in an Airbnb for business and marketing purposes, which is exactly what a brand shoot is, can fall outside what your booking technically permits. Some hosts are completely fine with it and will say so if you ask. Others aren't. The safest approach is always to message the host in advance, explain that you're planning a professional brand photoshoot, and get their agreement in writing before you book. In some locations, local bylaws or building regulations may also require a permit for commercial photography on private property, so it's worth checking the rules in your area. It sounds like admin, but it protects both you and your photographer if any questions arise after the shoot.
How to use brand photos across your whole business
Frances planned her images with the end in mind, and it showed in how much use she got out of them. Here's how a full brand gallery can work across every touchpoint of your business:
Website: Homepage hero images create the first impression. About page photos build trust and connection. Sales page images sell the transformation. Thank you pages reward buyers with a warm, personal touch. Blog post images make written content more engaging and shareable.
Social media: A diverse gallery means you're never scrambling for content. Different moods, locations, and stories give you months of material that feels varied rather than repetitive.
Media pack and LinkedIn: Professional headshots taken in context, at a desk, outdoors, in a working environment are far more compelling than a studio headshot against a plain backdrop. They tell a story about who you are and how you work, which is exactly what a media pack needs to do.
Presentations and speaking content: Course slide decks, webinar backgrounds, and speaking materials all benefit from consistent, on-brand imagery. Frances used her photos throughout her course content, which gave her program a polished, professional feel that matched the quality of what she was teaching.
If you want your brand shoot to work this hard for you, the key is planning your shot list around your business needs before shoot day.
