Its been a wonderful spring and early summer season so far for 2025. And as I said to Jo, Director and Owner of Aqua Floral Design; I feel that I am in my ‘comfortably occupied’ era!
As well as working with businesses on their brand strategy and business planning, I’ve also been working on brand shoots and ‘second generation’ brand shoots.
So what is a ‘second generation’ brand shoot I hear you ask? Its a term I’ve coined (I’m not sure if I’ve heard it elsewhere or created it! I’m pretty sure its the latter) to describe a brand shoot for a business a few years after the first brand shoot with me was completed.
They are created and designed to show the development of businesses over time.
What this means is that we spend a fair chunk of time in the planning of these second generation brand shoots.
“Nikki is truly an inspiration and a passionate advocate for women in business.”
There is absolutely no point in just mimicking what was done before in a different location or in different outfits. You might as well just stick with the original images if they are still relevant. Mimicking a previous shoot is not going to show how your business has developed, grown, pivoted, or changed.
A second generation brand shoot takes into account changes that have happened in the business. How the brand has developed over time. How the products and services may have developed and/or pivoted. How the client base may have shifted. The list goes on. And its all really important stuff!
Businesses change over time. They shift and move and adapt. Its critical that this is represented in your second generation brand shoot so that your clients and future clients can immediately buy in to your business.
“I completely trusted her strategic brand experience and her photography skills in guiding me to get the most out of the shoot, and I was over the moon with the finished imagery. I highly recommend Nikki.”
This is the second time I have created a brand shoot for Aqua Floral Design and working with Jo is always an absolute joy. Creative, fun, and lots of tea!
Aqua Floral Design are leaders in the world of wedding floristry. If you are lucky enough to book Jo for your wedding flowers it will be one that you can be sure will be talked about for years due to her extraordinary attention to detail and understanding of both fashion and flowers.
Jo collaborates with her clients. Its a hugely personal process. All underpinned with exceptional Customer Care, Quality and Craftmanship.
Aqua Floral Design can be found in the beautiful hamlet of Winstone near Cirencester.
“Nikki is truly an inspiration and a passionate advocate for women in business.
She took the time to understand what I wanted from my brand shoot and helped me think deeply about how I want to be perceived by my clients.
I completely trusted her strategic brand experience and her photography skills in guiding me to get the most out of the shoot, and I was over the moon with the finished imagery. I highly recommend Nikki.”
A: “The growth within my business and the updates to my studio created the base layer to everything we did. Nikki encouraged me to be brave and think broader. This meant that we didn’t just duplicate what we had done a few years ago.
This ‘second generation’ brand shoot as Nikki calls them, was to show how the business has moved forward and the images reflected this. With Nikki’s guidance we reviewed the changes to the business and how this shout be visually reflected in the imagery. Everything from the layout of the studio to what I wore that day was considered. We then injected my personality over the top to create truly unique and bespoke images for my business.
Nikki is a great advocate for woman in business and works with you to truly understand your vision.”
A: “Discuss what you need with Nikki and take her up on the time she provides to plan everything out with her. She will encourage you to take a look in detail at your brand, why clients engage and use your services, and how this should be projected visually. The planning and strategic side of brand photo shoots is always the key to success.”
A: “Having Nikki guide me through the shoot. She ensures that every detail is right and knows how to pose people for the best results. No weird hands going on, not a hair out of place, and always flattering. I always have complete trust in her that the results will be great.”
A: “Yes, the planning schedule that Nikki did really helped me think about what I wanted out of the session.
The outline schedule put timings and a structure into place for the duration of the shoot. This meant that we knew what we needed to achieve and kept the focus the entire time.”
A: “The business has grown and changed and moved forward over the last few years. As a result I needed to update my brand images and create an image bank that will provide me with plenty of on brand images which in turn will enable me to update my website and social media platforms for the next 12-24 months.”
A: “I’ve worked with Nikki many times before. Her experience and understanding of brand strategy and imagery, her enthusiasm, and her motivation always result in images that are on brand for my business.”
A: “I wanted my clients and potential clients to see that Aqua flowers is a professional, well-established business and that I am also a business woman who can guide my clients and deliver their vision on their wedding day with support and a stress-free experience.”
“Nikki is truly an inspiration and a passionate advocate for women in business.”
“I completely trusted her strategic brand experience and her photography skills in guiding me to get the most out of the shoot, and I was over the moon with the finished imagery. I highly recommend Nikki.”
Jo’s original brand shoot from several years ago: