So often, I hear people say something that makes me cringe when it comes to photography and photographers. It’s that “a good photographer should be able to make anything look great.”

Maybe they’ve seen a wedding couple, standing next to a muddy rain puddle, a photographer laying flat on the ground and then a side by side photo with what the photographer created… which was nothing short of magic. The same couple, the same puddle, but with a dramatic sky, a fantasy reflection in the surface of the beautiful pool of water….nothing like what you might have expected.

Maybe they see this larger than life before-and-after, and assume that a great photographer will be able to pull something terribly beautiful out of whatever happens to be lying around. And my reaction is always the same: Even if that were true, why would you want to make your photographer spend the time you paid them for jumping through hoops and trying to make up for missing elements? That instead of creatively styling and photographing well thought out props, they’re stuck trying to battle a bad wardrobe. Or trying to figure out how to work around a bland location. Or assembling complicated lights to make up for the lack of good lighting. Wouldn’t you rather set your photographer (and yourself) up for success?

The truth is, a good photographer is not a good wardrobe. A good photographer is not a good location. A good photographer is not professional hair and makeup. Another truth that I’ll throw in that not many photographers would admit to, is that we are more likely to be inspired to deliver incredible work when we have great content in front of us. A great shoot isn’t made up of just a good, lone photographer. A great shoot has a great location, a great subject, great props, great lighting, great hair and makeup, a great wardrobe paired with great accessories and yes, a great photographer. If all those elements are there, you will end up with a shoot like Shital’s.

Shital is a health coach and owner of Respect Your Gut, a service based business creating individual diet plans to create a healthy lifestyle for both mind and body. Her focus is on gut health and the belief that healthy foods can be just as flavorful and enjoyable and have the added benefit of healthy and clean living from the inside out. Check her out on Instagram here!

Shital put so much effort into her session, and it showed! From hair and makeup to accessories and wardrobe to tons of beautiful fruits and veggies to the most gorgeous Air B&B on the planet! This designer kitchen was the most beautiful kitchen I’d ever seen and needless to say, I was ready to shoot the heck out of it! So, enjoy! This is one of my favorite branding sessions to date and I hope it inspires you to get creative with your own session!

Find Shital on Instagram @RespectYourGut

Interested in having your own branding session? Click here! 

Denise Karis is an Arizona photographer who enjoys musicals, Doctor Who and breakfast burritos. IG @denisekaris