Natural Branding Photography in Boise with Ryan Namba

When Ryan Namba reached out to me, one of the biggest things he wanted was pretty simple: photos that actually looked like him.

This is a request that I hear all the time from clients.

Ryan is a mortgage broker who owns Namba One Mortage and he is jumping into using social media as part of his marketing strategy. He hired a social media team to help him with that, and he needed a library of natural, authentic photographs they could use to create content.

I love this kind of branding photoshoot because the goal isn't to turn someone into a different version of themselves for the camera. It's to create photographs that feel like the person while still giving them polished, professional images they can actually use for their business.

Before the shoot, Ryan and I talked through wardrobe and locations. We ended up choosing two very different Boise locations: Boise Urban Studio and the Boise Train Depot.

Boise Urban Studio gave us a clean, polished environment with really great natural light. It was a good place to create some of the more refined and clean images Ryan could use throughout his marketing while still keeping everything feeling natural.

We also created some spotlit-looking photographs in the studio that I really love. They used the evening summer sunlight coming through the studio window and have a completely different look and feel from the rest of the images.

For the second part of the shoot, we headed to the Boise Train Depot.

I've always liked how much variety we have available for branding photography in Boise, even within such a short distance of downtown, and the Train Depot is a great example of that. It gave us an outdoor setting, views of downtown Boise and the foothills, and a location that is distinctly Boise.

The lighting there also gave us opportunities to create some images I'm really excited about.

I always love bringing in natural lifestyle elements into photoshoots, what I mean by that is getting people doing the things they actually do for their work. Ryan is a Mortgage broker, so he texts and talks on his phone so we had to get some shots showing this.

I like how these photos come out always and I also notice for my clients it’s nice to have an action to focus on during a photoshoot.

Also since Ryan has a beautiful brand new Land Rover Defender (I LOVE Land Rovers), we had to include that in the shoot as well :).

One of my favorite parts of this shoot had nothing to do with a particular location or lighting setup.

Ryan and I had an ongoing joke about knee slapping throughout the photoshoot that was hilarious. It's one of those things that I don't think I could explain in a blog post and have it be nearly as funny, but it kept us laughing throughout the shoot.

Ryan also told me that I made him feel comfortable in a situation he's not used to.

That meant a lot to me because being comfortable in front of a camera isn't something that comes naturally to everyone. In fact, for a lot of people I photograph, being in front of the camera is probably one of the least familiar parts of running their business.

You don't need to show up already knowing what to do.

Part of my job is helping create an environment where you can settle in, be yourself, and not spend the entire shoot wondering what you're supposed to be doing with your hands.

And honestly, laughing about something ridiculous along the way doesn't hurt.

For Ryan, these photographs have a specific job to do. He and his social media team need images they can use as he starts showing up more consistently online.

That's one reason I like creating variety during a branding photoshoot instead of making every photograph look exactly the same.

By combining the clean studio environment at Boise Urban Studio with the outdoor setting at the Boise Train Depot, we were able to give Ryan different looks while keeping the photographs connected to who he actually is.

That variety gives him and his social media team more to work with as they create content for his business.

Most importantly, the photographs still need to feel like Ryan.

That's always the balance I'm looking for with branding photography. I want to create something polished and intentional, but I don't want the person looking at the photographs to meet you in real life and wonder who was in your branding photos.

Ryan, thank you for trusting me with these. I had such a fun time working together, and I'm excited for you to have these photographs as you jump into using social media for your business.

Thank you also to Christopher Cotton Photography for joining and assisting me on this photoshoot.

If you're a creative, coach, or passionate business owner looking for natural and authentic branding photography in Boise, I'd love to hear what you're working on. Click here to start a conversation about what you need your photographs to do for you.