In-home, collaborative branding session in Demopolis, AL


It feels right to follow a really heavy post with a much lighter one.


I dyed my hair darker a couple weeks ago and it became really obvious that I needed to update my 'brand' photos on my website / social pages. I have a make-shift in-home studio that I use for brand sessions. I could use this set up to shoot my own brand images. However, if I am shooting my own portraits, that would require me to put my camera on a tripod and use a remote shutter release. This is easy and doable, but it would take much longer to get much less shots and angles. Also there is no interaction or feedback until I get back up and look at the back side of the camera. I really would prefer to have these shot by someone else. Enter Anna of Anna Kristen Photography.


I have been trying to meet up with the other local photographers in Demopolis. I don't like competition and I don't gatekeep. I would much rather meet up with the other local photographers and have them as friends. If I cannot complete a session, I like having other names in my back pocket to recommend. I like sharing stories of fun sessions. I like just getting to talk creative. I reached out to Anna Fancher of Anna Kristen photography to meet and grab lunch. We met a few weeks ago and it was a fun meet up. She mentioned she needed to brand photos for her FB page and asked if we would want to collaborate on that. I agreed!


We set a date a few weeks later. It was difficult to find open time on our schedules that lined up - weekends we're in town are often booked up with sessions. Luckily, in studio sessions can be shot in the less optimal lighting windows (mid-day).


Anna had a session before our scheduled time that ran a little long, and I had a session afterwards at 4pm. So, we had a tight window to get these done, but I am SO pleased with the results, on both sides.


The agreement worked like this:


I take photos of Anna on my camera

Anna takes photos of me on her camera

Our camera bodies have dual-memory card slots, so each of us put a card in each of our camera bodies

I can edit her photos for my portfolio and my photos for my site, in my editing style

She can edit my photos for her portfolio and her photos for her site, in her editing style


This is not a typical exchange. "RAW' images, or images that are unedited, straight from the camera are not typically shared, and for good reason. These are HUGE files with way more resolution and information packed into them than necessary for the typically consumer. They also need to be edited into a final product. This was a unique agreement.


We posed a couple different ways, such as with a couch, a stool and then standing. I would shoot images of Anna first, then we would swap and she would shoot images of me. We didn't have much time to REALLY get in our creative strides, but I am still so pleased with the results. It was a fun, quick session, and I look forward to working with her again in the future!


Photos Shot, directed, & edited by me of Anna:

Person lounging on white modern sofa while holding camera in casual indoor setting.
Model in black shirt reclining on white contemporary couch during photo session.
Creative portrait session showing different poses on white modern sofa against grey wall.
Casual indoor photoshoot featuring person in black top and jeans on white textured couch.
Relaxed lifestyle portraits on white modern sofa showing natural poses and expressions.
Person in black tee and jeans playfully posing with camera during indoor photoshoot.
Creative self-portrait session showing different camera angles and poses on white furniture.
Person in black top and light jeans sits casually on wooden stool against grey wall with white sneakers.
Person wearing black t-shirt and light denim poses playfully with hands in hair against grey backdrop.
Person in casual attire poses with camera while sitting comfortably against neutral backdrop.
Person with long hair demonstrates different camera angles and poses against light background.
Person in black shirt holds camera while seated on wooden stool in creative poses.
Person in casual attire poses with camera equipment against minimalist grey background.
Person demonstrates various standing poses with camera against grey wall and wooden floor.

Photos I edited that were shot and directed by Anna Kristen Photography:

Person in flowing black dress reclines casually on white bench with camera.
Person in black dress lounges playfully on white bench while holding camera.
A relaxed photographer lounges on a white couch while holding a camera in a playful photo series.
A person in black reclines on a white modern couch during a lifestyle photography session.
A photographer in a flowing black dress shows dynamic poses against a white background.
A person in a black dress sits casually on a white modern bench during a photo session.
A photographer demonstrates various sitting poses while holding a camera on a white bench.
A person in black examines their camera while posing for lifestyle photos.
A photographer in a black dress demonstrates different camera holding positions during a shoot.
A person in a black dress shows various ways of holding and using a professional camera.
A photographer demonstrates different camera angles and poses in a creative photo series.
Multiple poses in a flowing black dress showing movement and joy against a white backdrop.
A series of low-angle photography shots with someone wearing a black dress and sneakers.

This blog was originally published on 4/10/25 but was migrated to my new site on 07/14/25