An Intuitive Personal Branding Photography in Cramlington Case Study
If you’re exploring intuitive personal branding photography in Cramlington, this case study will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how it really works. I teamed up with Ceryn Rowntree to create visuals that felt aligned, grounded, and deeply personal. Just like her brand.
About This Intuitive Personal Branding Photography in Cramlington Case Study
Meet Ceryn Rowntree – Medium, Intuitive Coach, Counsellor & Author
Ceryn and I go way back. We first met in 2014, back when I was still running my city-centre photography studio. At the time, I offered a Vintage PinUp Photography service and Ceryn quickly became one of my favourite clients in that genre. In fact, she sent me a psychic angel letter before we’d even met in person. I’ve kept it ever since, and to this day, it still bowls me over when I re-read it.
Fast-forward to today, and we’re working together again — this time, creating a deeply intuitive personal branding photography shoot to support the next chapter in Ceryn’s business journey and brand presence.
Ceryn’s Expertise
Ceryn offers readings and guidance to clients across the globe. What’s more, she’s also a qualified counsellor and an insightful writer.
With her witchy roots and unmistakable presence, her personal brand is electric and from the moment we began planning, I had creative ideas pouring in for our session.
Intuitive Personal Branding Photography in Cramlington Planning
Reconnecting with Ceryn for this shoot felt like a breath of fresh air. We scheduled a couple of deep-dive catch-ups, and during these sessions, I scribbled down my usual scrawled-style notes. Normally, I keep these to myself. Partly because they’re chaotic, partly out of artistic self-consciousness. But this time, I’m sharing them with you. Why? Because this is exactly how the creative process flows for me right from the start.
Feathers and Pinterest
From there, Ceryn and I began co-creating a Pinterest board over the course of a few months. Anytime either of us saw or sensed something inspiring, we’d pin it. Then later, we’d come back together to reflect and review.
And here’s where it got weird. In the most magical way possible.
I WAS BOMBARDED WITH FEATHERS!!!
Ceryn’s Personal Branding Photography Wish List
From the chat-based consultancy I did with Ceryn, we developed a clear wish list that included some very key factors. As our conversations evolved, it became clear that the following elements were crucial to include in the shoot:
Dawn
First of all, the notion of “the beginning” and the “dawn of a new day” stood out to both of us. Capturing the essence of this light and the power it brings felt beautifully aligned with this next chapter in Ceryn’s business and her overall brand.
Kali
Secondly, there was Kali. Ceryn’s beloved dog had to be there. Cven if only for part of the day. Because of this, we also needed to consider her transportation and handling to make the day flow smoothly.
Authenticity and Truth
Lastly, authenticity was absolutely non-negotiable. Ceryn feels incredibly proud to be from Northumberland, and she’s grounded and real in all of her work. Therefore, we made sure this spirit of openness came through at every stage. From planning and working with suppliers, right through to the retouching process.
Intuitive Personal Branding Mood Board
Most of my clients choose to keep their mood boards private on Pinterest. However, Ceryn decided to leave hers open to the public. As a result, we saw an unexpected wave of interest from people all over the world who were curious to follow along as we planned her intuitive personal branding photography in Cramlington.
What’s more, the board didn’t just stop growing after the shoot. It’s continued to evolve, sparking even more ideas and inspiration. Clearly, the energy behind this project was magnetic.
A Sunrise Personal Branding Photography Shoot Day
Shoot day was INTENSE. At first, I was conscious -and quite nervous- about the weather being “just right” for that all-important sunrise. Then, once I felt slightly more at ease with the forecast, my focus shifted to the challenge of timing everything perfectly around the light. As the photographer and project lead, I knew that coordinating all production details in advance of sunrise was essential to the success of the day.
Sunrise
We ended up arriving exactly in situ at the strike of sunrise. However, due to a multitude of technical photography and geographical reasons (which I’ll spare you from here), the precise light we were after actually hit our chosen woodland spot about 20 minutes later.
Happy Accidents
Fortunately, this gave us the perfect window to prepare and I love it when a logistical plan comes together like that. It meant we could shoot before, during, and after the golden moment. In turn, that allowed just enough breathing room for those unexpected “happy accidents” to shine through.
The Lady – Northumberlandia
With the sunrise officially captured to my satisfaction (or thereabouts), we moved into the second part of the shoot. First, we switched up Ceryn’s look. Then, we headed further into the site, to the lady herself. The sun was still beautifully low, casting that perfect golden glow, and the freezing cold added a special crispness to everything around us.
Ceryn comes to Northumberlandia first thing every New Year. It’s her ritual. She sets her intentions for the year ahead and looks out for her totem animal. This year, she was greeted by a raven. How perfect is that?
As for me, well… I had my own little drama. Wind-swept Marie (that’s me, in full behind-the-scenes mode) had to scale down the side of Northumberlandia to retrieve my just-broken reflector. All in a day’s work!
Ceryn comes to Northumberlandia first thing every New Year. She sets her intentions for the year ahead and looks out for her totem animal. This year she was greeted by a raven.
Wind Swept Marie scaled down the side of Northumberlandia to recover my just-broken reflector.
Kali & Sparkles
We arranged for Kali to join us for a section of the shoot so that she wouldn’t have to wait around and that she could also go for a fun walk and explore the woods after we’d caught some pictures together. Working in a repetition cycle of shooting I am so happy with these special connection captures we got.
Mother Nature
Exploring the woods in the shadows and bright low sunlight.
Another Woods Shoot?
If you are feeling inspired by doing a shoot in the woods, why not join me with Michelle Lucherini? We did a more corporate take using Plessey Woods in Northumberland as our location here.
Full-Scale Nature Witch Finale
We included some full-scale witchiness for the grand finale of Ceryn’s shoot. To set things off this ended in some fun playing around with glitter and star sparkles.
Editing the Final Collection
Ceryn and I met up at Blakes to go through all the shots. Together we whittled them down to a strong final collection.
With her original wish list in hand, we quickly spotted the images that were bang on for her new website. Then determined a bunch that would work perfectly for socials. Room for text, and a few extra-special ones to hold back for future projects she’s got bubbling away.
A Note on Retouching
Remember what I said earlier about authenticity and retouching? I stuck to that.
That said, there was one shot -our sparkly finale- where a bit of added magic felt absolutely right. I only ever go in with digital enhancements when the moment calls for it. And this one? It totally did.
With Extra Special Thanks to my Creative Crew
Styling
Nichola English – joined the team for Ceryn’s personal branding photography shoot this time around. Nichola added a slice of 90’s Boho to the mood board that gave a great rounded feel to the session. See if you can see these influences in the outfits.
Hair and MakeUp
Marie joined the team for Ceryn’s shoot. Marie is no stranger to me challenging her on-the-fly skills as an artist. If you can create the perfect hair and makeup in the middle of blustery freezing woods, then let’s face it… You are a PRO!
Venues
Northumberlandia
Ceryn had her mind firmly set on her venue from the very early stage of our planning of the shoot. It had to be Northumberlandia. There was no way it was NOT going to be Northumberlandia.
Huge thanks and love going out to the UK Woodland Trust team. I really appreciate all of their help in my location scouting work on this shoot. Further, thanks going out to Matthew at the site itself.
Snowy Owl
To warm up after our Personal Branding Photography shoot together, we all headed to the nearby Snowy Owl pub. Here we got by their open fire and warmed up with some delicious soup. The folks at Snowy Owl were kind enough to allow us to film there.
Reflecting On Ceryn’s Intuitive Personal Branding Photography in Cramlington
Ceryn was able to turn her vision for how she wanted to portray her Personal Brand into a reality.
We were able to bring out what makes her unique and different. Now, with the support of this new collection of Personal Branding Photography Ceryn can ensure she is memorable and stands out to her clients and followers worldwide. This is great inspiration for you to choose a place that carries meaning for you in your next shoot.
