We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ingrid Berrios a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ingrid thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?
I am so glad I didn’t start my branding photography business any sooner. I can now look back and see that my 20’s were some of the most formative years of my life. In truth, my business, ‘Ingrid Berrios Photography, llc’, never would’ve crossed my mind back then. I was so focused on ‘finding the right career’ and looking for the perfect box to fit in. I didn’t find the perfect ‘career box’ in my 20’s like I was expecting, but I found much more.
Being the ‘people-oriented’ person that I am, I spent a lot of my 20’s learning about cultures unlike my own. Through various work environments, living in various parts of the country, and friendships, I gained a deeper empathy, adoration, and understanding of people from different cultural backgrounds, age groups, ethnicities, religions, income levels, and personality types. If I hadn’t had those years to grow in my understanding of people, I could not be the Baltimore Branding photographer I am today.
A key aspect of my Brand photography is bringing people into a space where they feel comfortable to be vulnerable and truly themselves in front of my camera. That takes trust and a belief that this person understands me and accepts me. To create that safe space for my clients, I needed that time in my 20’s to become the empathetic, intuitive, encouraging person I am today.
As a Branding photographer, I also needed those years in my 20’s to grow in my self-esteem and confidence. Through years of intrapersonal work, I found a deeper self-respect and freedom to truly be my authentic self. That’s a driving force behind my work today. I want my clients to walk away from their Branding Session feeling celebrated, respected, and valued.
Now, in all honesty, there are moments when I’ve wished I’d found my passion for Branding photography sooner. Scheduling sessions might’ve been a little easier before I had kids. Also, I’d probably have a larger social media following if I started sooner. But the wealth of life experience and growth I had in my 20’s helped form me become the well-rounded business owner I am today. Not to mention, Branding Photography is growing in demand, so the timing was just right!
Ingrid, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
As a business owner myself, I know how important it is to have great Branding images and how challenging it can be when we don’t have them. When I first started my photography business, I used to just have someone else snap a few headshots of me. Though I quickly realized the lack of effort was devaluing my own photography business. As small business owners, we put our heart and soul into our work. We strive to create high-quality services and products for our clients. It only makes sense that the images of ourselves and our business reflect that same amount of value, credibility, and worth.
So that’s where I come in! How I differ from other Branding photographers, is in the way I craft the sessions and cheer them on every step of the way. I’m very adaptable which is a crucial skill when each clients’ brand has different styles, industries, and personalities. I put extra effort towards understanding the clients’ vision so we can visually tell their brand’s story in a way that resonates with their target audience. On the day of their session, I’m SO excited to help them shine! But most importantly, I put a lot of TLC into every aspect of their images so they’re stunning, attract more clients, and help them make money!
As for me? I’m a coffee drinking, dancing, adventurous Mamacita living life with my husband and 3 kiddos up north of Baltimore, Maryland in Harford County. We love to explore cities and trails all over the Baltimore metroplex. And bonus, I find awesome locations for photoshoots along the way!
How I started Photography began a long time ago when it first became a form of ‘therapy’ for me as I healed from self-worth and body image issues. Recovery taught me to stay present, observe, and sense my environment so I wouldn’t get stuck in my head. So it began with inviting friends to explore with me and take their picture in cities and parks. And then, the most beautiful thing happened. I fell in LOVE with capturing their essence and personalities in creative ways. Through photoshoots, I discovered how clearly I can see each person’s brilliance and beauty, inside and out. This unexpectedly helped heal the parts of me that struggled to see that in myself. And heal, I did! Now, it brings me pure joy to guide people into a space where they can feel celebrated, find their confidence, and let their true personality shine!
In my Branding photography work, I aim to create bold and lively images and ‘lifestyle headshots’ that show my clients’ personality and their work in various urban, natural, studio, or furnished/decorated rental spaces or workspace settings. I also incorporate product images, working with clients (if relevant), or clients simply engaging with their work itself! Then, they can use the images for their social media, website, publications, advertising, and more!
Often, people looking for a Branding photographer wonder if the final images will be unflattering or not align with their unique brand. With me, there is no need to worry because they’re in good hands. My process aims to guide them through flattering poses that bring out their true personality and boost their confidence! Before they even get in front of my camera, I’ll personalize a plan with them that truly fits their vision. Oh, and bonus, I’m known for lightening the mood and making people laugh so they’ll likely have fun too!
The thing I’m most proud of, is my ability to truly see the best in others and quickly think of ways to showcase that. I’ll amplify their incredible personalities, services, and products through the right prompts, poses, props, and locations. A session with me will not be your ‘average’ branding photography photoshoot. It will be fun and empowering because each client is absolutely worth it!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I first decided to transition to Branding photography, I planned to ‘brand’ myself as a mostly outdoors, environmental brand photographer. But as the inquiries began to come in, I realized more and more people wanted indoor work in their studios, salons, homes, office spaces, etc. Though I enjoy outdoor work, I realized the main reason I had wanted to specialize in outdoor work was because I was a bit intimidated by the technical side of artificial light and flash. I adore the creative aspects of photography. But at times, I’ve just had to ‘endure’ the deeply technical manuals and instructions to understand my own gear and equipment. In retrospect, I used to brand myself as a natural light photographer to avoid some of the flash equipment learning curve. I’d also complain how there wasn’t any space in our house to practice. So as these new demands for indoor work came in, I decided it was time! I did immense research, bought the lighting equipment, and carved out a tiny corner in our basement to practice my flash/studio light equipment. It turns out, I actually really enjoy working with artificial light! (as well as natural light). I love how both types can be used together to create something magical. And now, my customers will be happier too!
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
The main resource I wish I knew about sooner in my journey is a business coach. I conceptually knew they existed but I had no idea how helpful they could be. Particularly for me, a photography business coach was key. After hitting a point of continual frustration a couple years into my business, I asked a photographer friend how she learned to run her business. She told me about Ben Hartley, a photography business coach, and how helpful he was. I couldn’t agree more! I started working with him, taking his courses, and attending his coaching calls. My business will never be the same. Earlier in my business, I put major focus on refining my craft (which is absolutely important) but I had no idea how to run a business. I learned so much through my other jobs and careers in life but that’s one thing I never learned. Now, I’m learning so much from him and it’s life-changing! I only wish business-related classes were part of a ‘core curriculum’ in high school because I think so many women, like myself, could have benefited from exposure to the business world earlier in life…especially those of us that weren’t exposed or encouraged to pursue that route of education. But it’s never too late and I’m grateful for accessible business educators who share their knowledge with us now!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ingridberriosphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ingridberriosphotography?igsh=a2x1dG5iM3I0aXo3&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/M3UejEwtTtWDMrmq/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/ingrid-berrios-29a52115
Image Credits
Ingrid Berrios Photography, LLC