“We live in an age where we are bombarded with images, but fine art should be more than just another pretty picture. The art on our walls should tell the story of who we are and what we are passionate about. Every piece of art that we hang should make us feel something when we walk by… Walls do talk… what are yours saying?”

Before each branding photography session, I send my clients a Brand Identity questionnaire. It helps me prepare for their session, and it allows me to better understand their business, brand, and what they hope to gain from the images they receive! Kristin sent me that response, and I absolutely loved getting to peek into her world through the art on her walls!

Kristin from K Llamas Fine Art is a Nashville painter and illustrator who has been working on an art series of llama portraits as a way to learn about how we feel about our first names. The project stemmed from her last name, Llamas, and at first she was going to illustrate just 25 llamas. Since the start of this series, over 200 names have been submitted, and the ¿Como Te Llamas? series will be displayed at gallery exhibits and compiled into an art book.

We started the branding session at Kristin’s in-home art studio in Smyrna. They renovated their garage to be her studio, and the results are amazing! The all white space is calm and comfortable, and she has a huge window where the garage door used to be. I loved her studio, and it reminded me how important it is for us to create a space for us to feel inspired and work creatively.

Kristin wanted her images to be light, fresh, and fun, since all her past shoots were serious and a little moodier. The big canvas behind her has the llama titled “Kristin”, so I definitely incorporated that piece into her artist headshots. One of my favorite shots from the shoot is an in-camera double exposure of Kristin standing in front of the “Kristin” art piece.

We included some props like Kristin’s paint brushes, her color palette, and  her iPad and sketchbook, since she works with both of those! If you look closely, you will notice that Kristin signs her name backwards on her art pieces. I asked her why she signs them as samalL K, and she said she was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s mirror writing.

After the studio shots, we headed to a Llama farm in Nolensville. The llamas were shy, but once Kristin started feeding them, they warmed up to her. I love these images because they are unique to Kristin. I tell business owners that branding sessions are so important because it creates unique content that perfectly fits their own brand! It adds so much more value than a generic stock image, and I feel like this gallery really shows how you can make your branding session work for you.