How yoga teachers can benefit from personal branding photography
“I'm a yoga teacher, why do I need branding pics? I first got into branding photography when someone approached me and said “I need asana pictures but also some more ‘lifestyle’ pictures for other parts of my business”.
What I would do if I had to teach yoga full time again
As well as being a photographer I am also teaching and I have had a lot of conversations around the subject. My partner is a full time teacher and my best friend just completed her first teacher training. I have given a lot of what I believe is fairly sound advice to both of them, even though they are at different stages of their career. I love teaching but have become disenchanted by yoga studios and like many I have been treated poorly by some - two instances being fairly recent. I have the privilege to have another skillset I am using to make money but there are many things I would do if I had to pursue teaching full time.
3 things to do now to break free of yoga studios as a teacher
I am a wellness and personal branding photographer and before that I was a full time yoga teacher.
I went through the grind of teaching for studios, running across London, chasing private students in order to make ends meet. I am fortunate enough that my photography business took off and I was able to take a step back. Here is my advice for yoga teachers.
What to do when you get into your own head for posing for asana
If you’ve ever asked someone to take pictures of you whilst practicing asanas, you might have noticed that sometimes the mind freezes and you run out of asanas to think of!
It is a perfectly normal phenomenon that I have noticed throughout my photoshoots.
Here is some advice I have gathered to help you get out of your own head when that happens.
Branding photoshoot for Emerald Peseah
Emerald is the first of my clients (and so far only) who got in touch through Tiktok.
We met on a steamy hot day in London to take branding pictures in an even steamier studio. The heat made us change our setting and move things around and I am so glad we did because the pictures turned out dreamier than what I had originally planned.
Branding photoshoot for Sally Connor
Sally and I have been insta friends for a few years. I write and share a lot about my eating disorder recovery on my yoga instagram and I think this is how Sally found me. We have had many conversations about body dysmorphia, fatphobia within the yoga industry, and all things ED recovery.
She reached out to me for a photoshoot months before the actual date - to get mentally ready. To hold herself accountable. And on the day of the photoshoot … She smashed it.
Branding shoot for Angie Brand
Angie used to run a yoga studio at the heart of Deptford in London. I was lucky enough to teach there for a few month, before Angie made the decision to close it. She decided to pivot and develop her personal brand instead. She now specialises in pain management and injury prevention, because of how her practice transformed the last few years. She wanted to showcase the personal care she puts into her 1:1 consultations, and cover all sides of her business including what is going on behind the scenes. Here is the result!
4 myths about using photography for your business
Over the course of my career I was met with different reactions to the idea of having your picture taken in order to promote something such a yoga teacher - the idea of “branding” can seem somewhat incongruous when talking about teaching yoga.
How to bring a photographer on your retreat
I’ve run retreats of my own and have been a photographer on others. I’ve been on the back end of painful number crunching, excel sheeting, advertising yoga retreat preparation and planning and I’ve made mistakes as a photographer and as a teacher. So if you’re thinking of bringing a photographer on your retreat, here a few things to consider…