When singer-songwriter Rachel Mullen reached out about booking a custom musician branding session, she didn’t let distance get in the way. Rachel made the 9-hour drive from Sacramento to Portland to bring her vision to life — and let me just say, it was so worth it.
We planned this session months in advance, working through creative direction, props, wardrobe, and locations to make sure every shot felt aligned with her sound, her personality, and her future goals as an artist.
This wasn’t your average headshot or portrait session. Rachel booked Speak Your Language, my signature half-day brand photography experience for musicians and creative business owners who are ready to elevate their image and connect more deeply with their audience.
From chill park scenes to cozy studio setups, we built a visual library she can use across everything from social posts to Spotify banners.
“She made me feel so good for our session… doing this with someone so kind, creative, and experienced did so much for my brand.” — Rachel Mullen, Musician
Pre-Session Planning: A Deep Dive into Her Brand
Rachel is a longtime friend and an incredibly talented independent musician who’s been releasing music for over five years. She drove all the way up to Oregon to book our Speak Your Language branding photoshoot.
Months before the shoot, we got to work planning everything behind the scenes. Rachel filled out two of our signature questionnaires: the Deep Dive Brand Questionnaire and our Musician Questionnaire.
These tools help us build sessions around the real you — your vibe, your goals, your audience, and your future vision and are always included in our Speak Your Language sessions.
From her words, we knew she wanted to convey something dreamy and grounded.
Her music lives in the singer-songwriter + chill pop world, and her fan base is mostly mid-20s, vintage-loving, emotionally open types (think: sad girl vibes, but make it sweet). She loves lavender, vintage aesthetics, and a little cinematic haze in her visuals — so that’s exactly what we brought to life.
Ready to dive into session totally tailored to you?
👉❤️🔥📸 Book Your Speak Your Language Session →
The Photoshoot: Two Locations, Seven Outfits, One Musician on a Mission
Rachel came to play — with vision and collaborative spirit. We planned an extended shoot day that gave us time to explore both outdoor and indoor settings, plus multiple wardrobe changes and set designs.
The session was split across two locations in Oregon City: a beautiful local park where we started in the late morning, and a lifestyle photo studio where we spent the afternoon and early evening.
Peep our cars full of wardrobe, photography gear, and prop options!
She brought props like wildflowers, her keyboard (for show promos and Spotify headers), and a variety of wardrobe pieces that reflected her brand colors — lavender, maroon, burnt orange, and dark purple.
Over the course of eight hours, we captured seven unique looks, each one crafted to reflect a different facet of her personality and music. From light-filled outdoor portraits to dreamy studio vignettes, every setup was intentionally built to give Rachel variety, longevity, and visuals she can actually use across her brand — now and well into the future.
Location One — Soft, Natural Light in the Park
We kicked off the shoot at a local park in Oregon City at 11:30 a.m., taking full advantage of the dreamy natural light and open space. Rachel wore two distinct outfits that leaned into her vintage, approachable style — complete with soft textures and warm, earthy tones that echoed her brand palette.
The outdoor setting gave us that effortless, down-to-earth energy that pairs perfectly with her chill pop sound. We kept things relaxed, letting her warm personality shine. We used a dreamy in-camera effect to elevate our concepts for hazy magic.
Our final outdoor concept was a curtain backdrop flowing freely in the breeze. Images that say warm, sweet, loving, soft, kind— perfectly on brand for Rachel and her music artistry.
Want unique visuals of your own that stop the scroll and that get you noticed?
👉❤️🔥📸 Book Your Speak Your Language Session →
Location Two — Dreamy Studio Scenes with Both Modern + Vintage Twists
After a quick lunch break (we packed snacks + PB+Js), we headed over to our indoor studio space for the rest of the session at KMooneyStudios
With six hours to play, we styled five unique looks using different set designs, props, and lighting setups — from soft purple backdrops and dreamy haze to more cinematic, cozy corners for her keyboard + microphone concepts. And some classic, professional headshots, too!
This space gave us the freedom to experiment and tailor each scene to match different facets of Rachel’s music and brand. With her keyboard, wildflowers, and that peach tulle dress? It felt straight out of a music video in the best way.
The studio time allowed us to experiment with cozy setups, editorial-inspired lighting, and fun textural contrasts that leaned into her “vintage but polished” aesthetic.
“We had a lot of concepts and ideas we were able to consolidate and plan for. Definitely got great photos I am able to use for many projects and announcements in the future.” — R
✨ Soft Light, Real Connection
There’s something magical about sunlight streaming through tall studio windows—it strips away the fuss and leaves nothing but genuine vibes. In this mid-afternoon set, we let the peach-tulle gown pool across the floor, invited the quiet glow inside, and simply watched the real Rachel shine. No flashy props, no dramatic backdrops—just soft light, relaxed poses, and authentic laughter captured in the moment.
This is where Speak Your Language really comes alive: you, feeling fully at ease, and imagery that lets your true personality do the talking.
🎹 Showcasing the Tools of the Artist
Props aren’t just props — they’re extensions of your artistry. In Rachel’s session, we made space to photograph the tools that support her music: her keyboard, her microphone, and the hands that bring it all to life. These kinds of detail shots add variety to your image library and make your audience feel closer to your process.
Whether you’re a musician, designer, or coach, your tools tell a story. Want your photos to reflect the way you actually create? We’ll build that into your session.
Ready to show your creative process in action?
👉❤️🔥📸 Book Your Speak Your Language Session →
💜 Bold, Bright, and Unapologetically You
For our final set, we went all in on color, texture, and attitude. This part of the session felt like a celebration — a little playful, a little editorial, and totally on-brand.
From the layers of peach tulle to the monochrome lavender backdrop and pops of orange sunglasses, these portraits channel both softness and strength.
This is what Speak Your Language is all about: letting your personality shine, styling your session around your story, and creating visuals you’re actually excited to use.
📸 Feeling inspired?
Let’s build something custom, bold, and so you.
👉❤️🔥📸 Book your own session →
Your Brand, Your Rules: Speak Your Language Is Built Around You
Every Speak Your Language session is designed with flexibility at its core — because no two creatives (or brands) are the same. While the standard session is four hours long, Rachel’s vision called for something more expansive. She came all the way from Sacramento to Portland with a clear intention: to build a photo library that captured the full depth of her artistry. We had seven unique outfits, two locations, a whole prop list, and way too many good ideas to cram into just one afternoon. So we didn’t.
We doubled her session to eight hours, split it across an outdoor park and a studio, and gave ourselves the space to explore, experiment, and build visuals with real staying power.
The result? A stunning gallery that gives her variety and longevity — perfect for Spotify banners, album rollouts, future show posters, and a social feed that doesn’t go stale after one post.
“Even her questionnaire in preparation for my shoot helped me develop my brand even more than I could have hoped for.” — R
Your session can (and should) be just as personalized. We’ll look at your goals, your vibe, your fanbase, and your creative direction to make sure what we create actually feels like you — not some generic brand template.
✨ Let’s Build a Session That Speaks Your Language
Whether you’re coming from down the street or across state lines, your photos should reflect your full creative potential — not just a highlight reel.
📸 Let’s co-create visuals you’ll be obsessed with.
👉❤️🔥📸 Book Your Speak Your Language Session →
The Transformation: From Casual to Cinematic
Rachel came in knowing what she wanted: visuals that felt natural and true to her music — calming, cozy, a little quirky, and warm. What she left with was not just a fresh batch of headshots and social media-ready images, but a full-on visual rebrand that felt elevated and empowering. That transformation is what we love most about sessions like these 💜
She now has images ready for:
- Instagram posts + announcements
- Spotify artist profile + album covers
- Potential website and merch promo
- Future press kits + show posters
FAQs For A Speak Your Language Brand Shoot
Q: Do I have to be a model to book Speak Your Language?
Nope! Most of our clients are not models. This session is made to help you feel relaxed, seen, and confident — no experience required.
Q: Can I split the session across multiple locations like Rachel?
Yes! When you book Speak Your Language, we can usually fit in two locations (time and distance permitting). We’ll map out a custom timeline + logistics in our Call Sheet. We can even add additional hours of shoot time if we want additional concepts captured. (Like Rachel, who opted for 8 hours instead of the standard 4)
Q: I’m a musician too — can we shoot with instruments or props?
Absolutely. We love including meaningful props — Rachel brought her keyboard, flowers, artwork, and vintage accessories to match her vibe.
Q: What if I don’t know my brand vibe yet?
That’s what we’re here for. You’ll fill out a detailed questionnaire so we can uncover what makes your artistry stand out visually and emotionally.
Q: Do you only work with musicians?
Nope — we work with all types of creative entrepreneurs and artists. But we love working with musicians, so if you’re one, this type of session is definitely for you ❤️🔥🎵😎
Ready to Create a Visual Identity That Sounds Like You?
Whether you’re a musician, artist, or creative business owner, your photos should feel like a true extension of your work. Speak Your Language is more than just a photoshoot — it’s a fully personalized experience designed to capture your vibe, your values, and your voice.
Just like Rachel, you’ll walk away with images that reflect exactly who you are (and where you’re headed next).
📍 Based in Portland and booking here and in Austin — let’s make magic wherever your story takes us!
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