A Branding Session With a View From the Ground Up
When your business is rooted in a very specific industry, your branding photography should give people more than a polished headshot. It should give them a sense of who you are, what you do and the world you work in.
That was exactly the goal behind my branding session with Kyle Danielson, founder of Flightline Strategy.
Flightline Strategy is an independent advisory practice focused on helping air medical programs make strategic decisions around growth, operations, market position and expansion. Kyle brings nearly two decades of experience in air medical operations, along with a background in research, analytics and geographic information systems.
So when we planned his session, I knew we needed to create more than a traditional business headshot.
Two Settings. One Brand.
We split Kyle’s session between two very different environments: a clean, professional office setting and an onsite location featuring a helicopter.
That combination gave us the opportunity to create a much more complete collection of images for his business.
The office portion of the session gave us those polished, professional portraits that work beautifully for a website About page, LinkedIn profile, speaking engagements, presentations and other places where Kyle needs a strong, approachable professional image.
We kept the setting clean and intentional, allowing Kyle and his work to remain the focus.
Bringing the Aviation Side of the Business Into the Photos
For the second half of the session, we took the photography onsite with a helicopter.
And this is where branding photography can get really fun.
Instead of simply telling potential clients that Kyle works in the air medical industry, we could show them.
The helicopter immediately gives context to his work and creates a visual connection to the aviation world that is at the heart of Flightline Strategy.
It also gave us a completely different set of images: environmental portraits, wider photographs that show the surroundings and more dynamic images that feel connected to the industry Kyle knows so well.
The result is a collection that feels much more specific to his business than a series of standard headshots ever could.
Photography That Tells the Story of the Business
One of the things I love about branding photography is figuring out what makes a business different and then finding ways to visually communicate that.
Flightline Strategy isn’t simply a consulting business. Kyle works specifically with air medical leaders on complex questions involving service areas, aircraft placement, operational performance, market expansion and strategic planning. His approach combines industry experience with data, geographic modeling and spatial analysis.
That specificity gave us something really valuable to work with creatively.
The office images communicate professionalism, expertise and approachability.
The helicopter images communicate experience, industry knowledge and connection to aviation.
Together, they create a much fuller picture of the person behind the business.
Why Variety Matters in Branding Photography
When I photograph someone for their business, I’m always thinking beyond the one perfect headshot.
Where will these images be used?
What does their website need?
Do they need a profile photo? A horizontal banner image? Something for LinkedIn? Images for speaking engagements, articles, social media or future marketing materials?
Creating a variety of images and settings gives business owners options.
For Kyle, that meant having polished studio-style portraits alongside environmental images that immediately connect him to the industry he serves.
And that variety is especially useful for a business website. Instead of seeing the same portrait repeated throughout the site, you can use different images to create visual interest and reinforce different parts of the story.
Creating Images That Feel Like the Business
My favorite branding sessions are the ones where the images couldn’t belong to just anyone.
A generic headshot can tell people what you look like.
A thoughtful branding session can tell them who you are, what you do and why your experience matters.
For Kyle and Flightline Strategy, that meant combining the professional side of his consulting work with the aviation environment that is such an important part of his background and expertise.
The result is a collection of images that feels professional, intentional and distinctly Flightline Strategy.
And yes, getting to photograph a helicopter was a pretty fun bonus. 🚁
If your business has a unique environment, tool, product or piece of your story that helps set you apart, bring it into your branding photos. Those details are often what turn a collection of nice headshots into images that actually tell your business story.
