You know that one thing that’s been on your to-do list for months (or years..!)? For Michelle Ramsay of The Fashion Expert, it was brand photography.
But when you’re working with celebrities, helping entrepreneurs launch six-figure fashion brands, and positioning yourself as the go-to expert for premium fashion startups, your own brand photography really shouldn’t be an afterthought.
Meet Michelle: The Fashion Expert
Michelle isn’t your typical business owner putting off a photoshoot. With over 20 years in the fashion industry, she’s worked with household names like ASOS, M&S, Topshop, and Gymshark. Through The Fashion Expert, she helps first-time founders turn their fashion brand dreams into reality – but we’re not talking about hobbyists printing logos on blank t-shirts.
Michelle’s clients are serious players. Think celebrities, professional sports personalities, successful entrepreneurs – people with £20K to £125K startup capital who are done with Googling and DIY approaches. They want expert, insider-level guidance to build something premium from day one.
She runs The Fashion Startup podcast, works with clients across the UK, Europe, Australia, and USA, and has built her reputation on being ‘confidently authoritative’ in an industry that can feel overwhelming to outsiders.
So why had brand photography been sitting on her to-do list forever?
The Challenge: When High Standards Meet Procrastination
One of the things about being an expert in brand building is that you know exactly how important visual branding is. Michelle needed premium brand photography for service providers like herself to use across her website, lead magnets, and media features. Everything had to feel consistent, high end, and polished to build trust and authority with clients ready to make significant investments.
The pressure was real. When your brand positioning is all about premium, insider expertise, there’s no room for amateur-looking photos.
Like so many business owners, she knew brand photography mattered – but hesitated because of the pressure of getting it right, the time commitment, and (let’s be honest) the discomfort of being in front of the camera. She wanted someone who could direct her professionally, guide her posing, and make sure everything looked polished and on-brand.
That’s where I stepped in.
Behind the Scenes: Creating the Premium Feel
The session focused on capturing Michelle as the confident fashion expert that she is – whilst ensuring we kept an approachable feel. We worked on shots that would showcase her industry expertise – think fabric swatches, design sketches, tech packs, and confident poses.
My job was to take all that pressure off Michelle. From planning shots to directing her poses – and checking everything looked perfect – I made sure she could just focus on showing up while I handled the rest.
The Results: Mission Accomplished
By the end of the session, Michelle was completely relaxed. And it certainly showed in her photos – when Michelle saw them for the first time she said ‘I love them!’
The images met her high expectations – and for someone working at Michelle’s level, with her high standards and premium positioning, that’s no small achievement. She now has the professional photos she needs to represent her brand to celebrities, entrepreneurs, and serious fashion founders.
And what surprised Michelle most? How quick the whole process was. It’s usually the anticipation that’s worse than the reality.
Michelle walked away, not only with premium images ready to use across her brand, but also with a new confidence in front of the camera. That job that had sat on her to-do list forever was finally ticked off – and it was done right.
Michelle put her images to use straight away, updating her website and teasing them on socials media – a great way to start building engagement around her new brand visuals too!
The Takeaway
Sometimes the things we put off the longest are the ones we know matter most. Michelle knew her brand needed premium photography to match her premium positioning, but like many business owners, she let perfectionism and busy schedules keep pushing it down the list.
But in reality? Once she finally booked the photoshoot, it was quicker and easier than expected. She got exactly what she needed to represent her expertise to the high-end clients she serves.
If you’re a service provider working with premium clients, your brand photography isn’t just nice to have – it’s essential for building the trust and authority your positioning requires.
And if you’re ready to stop putting it off, I help service providers like you get the brand images you need to match your expertise. Book a discovery call here and let’s make it happen.
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