We had the misfortune of shooting branding and headshots on one of the hottest days of the year in August! It was about 98 degrees and a heat wave warning was issued earlier that morning. Shooting started at 12 after professional hair and makeup was applied. We didn't wrap until 4. I asked my assistant Mackenzie if she was still alive once she got home - "I threw up, but I'm ok." she responded. Note to self: If the weather reaches over 85 degrees, mission abort - its time to reschedule! I was so proud that we got through it though.
Regardless, we all hung in there and got some great shots. The girls at Pronata Marketing were a delight. Kind, funny, and willing to drag themselves through the heat for the task at hand. We were on a branding mission. Mandy (the owner) told me about her story - how she used to work for another company's marketing team. She learned the in's and out's and saw a opportunity to blaze her own trail and work with local companies affordably. She taught me that often times, smaller local companies lose a lot of money working with bigger Ad Firms, and don't get the personalized touch from someone local. Pronata maintains a "backpocket" marketing approach, where they will work with your budget to get the job done, no matter how small. I found that fascinating, refreshing, and something every business should have!
Her business partner Amanda helps her with all things Pronata and I could tell that not only are they great coworkers but close friends, and you can feel it when you are around them! What's life without great girlfriends? I wanted to make sure that we had a few varied looks for the shoot, and we luckily shot through the "Hounds Court" beer garden in downtown Champaign, working around it in a U - almost like stations. This kept the flow nice and tidy saving us from spending the majority of the time in the direct blistering heat. As usual I brought my trusty production sheet to stay on track with poses and visuals and we got through it!
After working the beer garden we went to a local park for a few beauty shots, and I'm honestly so glad that we did. I'm voyaging into beauty portraiture and I was really excited to edit them!
Per usual, my favorite shots are the candid ones, but those don't always translate for the needs and purposes of the business so they never see the light of day (though I will share one here).
I had a wonderful time with the Pronata team, and my goal was to make sure the images show that! You can learn more about them and what they can do for your business here: https://www.pronatamarketing.com/
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