Luxury Branding Photos for Valentine Collective Salon
I had such a blast shooting these luxury branding photos for Valentine Collective Salon, a boutique hair salon in Greenlake, Seattle—these gals showed up and showed off in their stylish outfits, fabulous hairstyles, and creative spirits, ready to make some magic with me ✨
Editorial Branding Photos for Valentine Collective Salon
The chicest hair salon in Greenlake, Seattle
Valentine Collective is without a doubt the most chic, stylish hair salon in the neighborhood, located in the heart of Greenlake, Seattle, and run by a team of creative, fashion-forward artists whose number one goal is to see their clients shine when they walk out of the salon. The “Val Gals,” as they’ve so aptly named themselves, are full of talent and expertise, with specialties ranging from bridal styles to balayage to blonding that each contribute to the magic of Valentine’s luxury haircare experience. Their slogan is an homage to Mean Girls, saying “we want you to sit with us”—how adorable is that? These women have truly created the most welcoming, supportive, and encouraging environment for every client who walks through their doors; what an honor it was to capture that infectious spirit and share a creative space with this team.
Studio brand photos at Aqui Seattle
We spent the first half of this shoot at Aqui Seattle, which is the most gorgeous natural light photography studio in the SoDo area. Thoughtfully curated with beautiful furniture, expansive rugs, and even a collection of oversized disco balls (my kinda studio!), Aqui was the perfect place to showcase the heart behind Valentine Collective, brimming with creative energy and endless passion. We took advantage of the unique pieces of furniture, the art-covered walls, and the many disco balls, bringing in a few supplies from the salon to use as props. Who knew combs and scissors would look so cute in champagne glasses? 😉
Opting for a neutral color palette of white, black, and beige, the Valentine team looked classy as ever, all sporting light-colored tops, dark bottoms, and all sorts of stylish footwear. This minimalist color scheme paired seamlessly with the white walls and sunlight cascading through the windows of this studio, and allowed the pops of color among their haircare supplies to really pop. We snapped plenty of group shots to showcase this powerhouse team that welcomes you when you walk into the salon, their smiles absolutely lighting up the room in every shot—the energy was so vibrant and easy to capture!
One thing I adored about our time at the studio was that we managed to get SUCH a variety of brand photos for Valentine to use across their website & social media. This should be the goal when you hire a photographer to take your branding photos: you want as much of a variety of angles, poses, and setups to last you as long as possible, and to create a diverse array of imagery across your marketing. We left the studio with a massive collection of photos that included an abundance of group shots (in many different locations & poses), individual portraits of each team member, detail shots of their hair supplies, up-close shots of their outfits to showcase the luxury style of their brand, and even a few working shots of the gals doing each other’s hair. They won’t be running out of photos to use for their brand anytime soon after such an intentional, carefully-planned branding shoot!
Creative brand photos in the salon
Walking into the salon for the remainder of the shoot was a dream; the moment I saw their signs that said “cool b*tch club,” the Polaroid wall, and the stunning interior design & decor, I knew it was going to be an easy job. The glistening black tile walls behind the washing chairs, the natural light spilling in through the windows and casting shadows along the walls, the rows and rows of colorful products and the tables covered in luxury magazines. . . I could’ve spent hours just photographing every little detail without the team even present. When you have a beautifully-styled space like this, it’s so important to capture it as a whole, without anybody in the shot, to really set the scene & showcase the environment; in this case, an environment beaming with luxurious touches, fashionable taste, and glamorous details.
For this final part of our shoot, the team changed into slightly more casual, every day looks that they’d typically wear to the salon, still staying on brand with the neutral color palette that coordinated flawlessly with the design of the salon. We ended up with a wide variety of “on the job” shots, capturing what the salon would look like on a daily basis with customers searching for their new favorite haircut; the gals sipped their coffees, washed each other’s hair, and clipped, combed, and cut as I walked around, documenting the behind-the-scenes. I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter, more fun team of women to work with!
This shoot goes to show that branding imagery never has to be boring, bland, or cookie-cutter; in fact, your brand imagery will be at its finest when it showcases the true heart behind your business. The passion, the artistry, the creativity, whether you own a luxury hair salon, a female empowerment clothing line for women, or an online fitness brand: when you hire a photographer to take your brand photos, you’re not only hiring them to deliver images that you can use in your marketing. You’re hiring them to capture the story of you.
Seattle Branding Photographer
Being a Seattle branding photographer and getting to work with incredible brands like this is such a dream of mine come true. You can view more of my branding work here, and reach out here if you’re ready to connect + create some magic for your brand 🤍
Looking for wedding-related branding inspiration instead? Take a look at my favorite work below:
