For a food brand, great product shots are only half the picture. People want to see the food, but they also want to know who makes it and the story behind it. The people behind the brand need images that work just as hard, in press features, on social and anywhere someone is deciding whether to give you a try.
I'm Lisa, a London personal branding photographer and visibility strategist. After every shoot, I write a Self Made Spotlight to shout about my clients and show you what a shoot with me looks like in real life.
In the "Self Made Spotlight" today is Better Nature.
Better Nature is a tempeh brand co-founded by Elin Roberts and Dr. Ando Ahnan-Winarno. We spent a day at a gorgeous location house in Enfield, North London, with a kitchen full of character, creating food brand photography for PR, press and social.
Here's how the shoot came together, how Better Nature are using their images, and how the Client Strategy Portal helped.
Meet Better Nature.
Better Nature makes tempeh, a wholefood protein made from fermented soya beans that has been a staple in Indonesia for centuries. Elin and Ando believe it's one of the most nutritious proteins on the planet, and they're clear that it's not a vegan brand, it's a protein for everyone. Their mission is to get the UK to give chicken the night off and try Better Nature instead, the flavour-hungry protein with more good inside.
Elin is Co-Founder and CEO, the strategic force behind Better Nature's bold move away from plant-based messaging. Ando is Co-Founder and COO, a food scientist who grew up eating tempeh at home and is now ‘The Protein Doctor’, so he can explain exactly why tempeh is so good for you. I also had the pleasure of working with Ruby Smith, Senior Marketing Executive at Better Nature. She helped me plan the shoot behind the scenes, liaising on all the important details, and was a great help on shoot day too.
Why Better Nature Booked a Food Brand Photography Shoot in London.
Better Nature came to me with a clear gap between the images they had and the images they needed. Ruby explains:
“We didn’t have polished, high-res imagery we could use for PR. Our existing founder photos came from a self-shoot studio and felt quite staged and too branded, and a lot of everything else was shot on an iPhone.”
What they needed was natural shots of Elin and Ando together, solo portraits of Elin for trade and business press, and images of Ando for consumer PR and The Protein Doctor. They also wanted imagery that showed Better Nature as the foodie brand it is, with food that looks as good as it tastes. So we went ahead with my Brand Transformation experience.
Planning Better Nature's Food Brand Shoot.
Every shoot starts with my branding questionnaire. For Better Nature, we went through everything they needed, from co-founder shots, to which shots were for Elin, which were for Ando, where each image would be used, and what to steer clear of.
“So much thought and care went into everything. You can really tell how passionate Lisa is about her work, and she worked as a true partner from start to finish.”
Once I understood Better Nature's vision, I turned it all into a shoot plan with three concepts, a shot list for each one, outfits, props and a timeline for the day. I found a location house in Enfield with a warm kitchen full of character, plus a table area, armchairs and a garden, so we could shoot everything in one place.
“Lisa’s questions helped us get clear on what we needed. The briefing calls kept everyone aligned, and we really appreciate the work she put in to find us a suitable location.”
As our shoot date got closer, London hit a massive heatwave, and it was far too hot to shoot. I spoke to the host of the location house and we moved the shoot to the following week. Sweat, panic over! Ruby said “Lisa flagged it early ... and helped us move the shoot which we thought was really considerate as shooting in such a heatwave would have been tricky especially with food.”
Shoot Day at an Enfield Location House.
On shoot day, Ruby and I arrived early to set up. She prepared the food in a separate room, so the shoot space stayed clear of mess, and she helped me choose the props for the kitchen shelves. When Ando and Elin arrived, we were ready to go. We had a lot to get through, and the shoot plan made it easy to follow. We worked through three concepts.
Concept 1: Foodie Founders in the Kitchen.
The kitchen was our main set and the biggest concept. Ando and Elin cooked, plated and tasted together, with Better Nature products naturally in the shot, then we shot each of them on their own too.
Concept 2: The Protein Doctor at the Desk.
For Ando's personal brand, we moved to the table area for calmer, more neutral working shots with a laptop, notebooks and food science books. We made sure to give Elin a quick go in the desk setup too, and we also got some shots of Ando in his lab coat in the kitchen, comparing proteins.
Concept 3: Relaxed Founder Portraits.
Our last concept was relaxed portraits for PR and lifestyle use, in different spots around the house and, because it was such a sunny day, in the garden too, which was looking lush.
One of the things I loved most about shooting with the Better Nature team was how well we all worked together. While I was shooting with one of them, the other was getting ready, and Ruby was bringing food in, taking it away and helping me make key decisions quickly on what came next. That teamwork kept the whole day moving, and everyone was in great spirits.
“Lisa made Elin and Ando feel comfortable, which is why they look so natural and confident in the shots, and she helped us nail the balance between fun foodie-ness and professionalism.”
Team Selfie!
They even gifted me some of their tempeh to try at home, and it was delicious. My favourite is the Smokey Tempeh!
The Images: Made for PR, Press and Social.
I'm really pleased we covered every job on their list: the founders together, Elin for trade and business press, and Ando as both a co-founder and The Protein Doctor.
“I love the results. Lisa really nailed it.”
“I’m thrilled with the photos and loved working with Lisa.”
“We now have better images for PR and much more variety in the shots we can use. We were also able to shoot Ando in two ways, as a Better Nature co-founder and as The Protein Doctor, which helps us show a clear separation between the two brands.”
Brand Video Clips for Reels and Stories.
Better Nature's Brand Transformation experience also included b-roll, short brand video clips of Ando and Elin at work. Think food prep and plating in the kitchen, and Ando writing and typing at his desk. They're made for Reels, stories and the website, adding movement to Better Nature's content.
The Transformation: How Better Nature Is Using Their Images.
The images are already out in the world. Ruby shares where they've been used so far:
“So far we’ve mainly used them on our owned channels, especially LinkedIn and Instagram, and for PR. Next we’ll be adding them to our website and marketing materials.”
Elin has been sharing her images in her LinkedIn posts. Ando has used his for his LinkedIn profile picture and header and across The Protein Doctor's Instagram, and says the photos “excite and inspire my creativity to the point that I immediately had an idea on what to post next.”
These images have helped Better Nature:
Spark content ideas and start posting within days of delivery
Bring better images to PR opportunities
Choose from much more variety in the shots they can use
Show a clear difference between Better Nature and The Protein Doctor
Show up on LinkedIn and Instagram, with the website and marketing materials next
How the Client Strategy Portal Helped Them Put the Images to Work.
Every shoot I do includes the Client Strategy Portal, a personalised online space I developed so your gallery doesn't end up sitting in a folder unused. Alongside your images, you get a quick-start checklist, Put Your Photos to Work (your images organised by type, with notes on where each one works best), content ideas, video content ideas and quick tips. You can read why I developed it here.
Ruby told me the Client Strategy Portal was “so handy” as soon as I sent it over. Here's more of what she had to say:
“The ‘Put Your Photos to Work’ guide has helped us think about which image suits which channel, rather than using the same few shots everywhere ... now I’ve just looked again it reminds me how many amazing images we have and I feel inspired all over again to do more!”
The speed was something I noticed straight away. I delivered Better Nature's gallery on a Friday afternoon, and by Monday morning they had already posted some of their new images. One of the first content ideas in their portal was an introduction post, and the ‘Put Your Photos to Work’ section had already shown them which images to use for it. You can read how that looked here.
“It keeps everything in one place, from your gallery to practical guidance on what to do with your content. You can tell a lot of thought has gone into helping you actually use the images, rather than leaving them sitting in a folder.”
What's New for Better Nature.
There's a lot happening at Better Nature right now. They've recently launched their new mascot, Fred the Fox, and the campaign that goes with him is all about loving chicken but having a different protein on a different night of the week. You can meet Fred here, and keep an eye out for him on billboards and in video ads! 🦊
If you'd like to try Better Nature's Tempeh, you'll find it stocked in Tesco, Ocado and Asda. You can learn more about Better Nature on their website and on Instagram at @betternaturetempeh. Follow Ando's platform at @theproteindoctor, and connect with Elin and Ando on LinkedIn.
I've loved working with Elin, Ando and Ruby, and I can't wait to see what Better Nature does next!
Better Nature's Advice for Anyone Thinking About a Brand Shoot.
When I asked Ruby what advice she'd give someone considering a brand shoot, she said:
“Be really specific in your brief about where every image will be used (PR, website banners, social formats, thumbnails), and include the things you want to avoid. The more clearly you define the purpose of each shot, the more useful the gallery is afterwards.”
See the Transformation for Yourself.
Want Brand Photography Like This?
If you're a founder, co-founder or business owner who needs images that work hard for your PR, your social and your website, I'd love to help. Every shoot starts with a brand questionnaire and a shoot plan, and comes with your own Client Strategy Portal, so your images get used and don't sit in a folder.
But don't just take it from me, see what Ruby has to say:
“Lisa works as a partner rather than just a photographer. Her passion and care come through at every stage: she plans thoroughly, asks the questions you didn’t think to ask, and makes it clear who needs to do what before the shoot. She also looks out for you. On the day she puts everyone at ease, so the photos look natural rather than staged. We came away with a fab gallery of images that feel like us and exactly the output we were after. We now have better images for PR and much more variety in the shots we can use. The Client Strategy Portal keeps everything in one place, from your gallery to practical guidance on what to do with your content. You can tell a lot of thought has gone into helping you actually use the images, rather than leaving them sitting in a folder.”
- Ruby Smith, Senior Marketing Executive, Better Nature
FAQs About Food Brand Photography in London.
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Brand photography for food founders is personal branding photography for the people behind a food or drink brand. The photos are of you, in settings that tell your story, so you have images that work for PR, social and your website. I always focus on the people behind the brand, so it isn't a product or recipe shoot.
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Have a plan for them before the shoot and a guide for afterwards. With me, you tell me what you need your images to communicate in the brand questionnaire, and I turn that into a shoot plan. Afterwards, the Client Strategy Portal organises your images by type and shows you where each one works best.
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The Client Strategy Portal is a personalised online space included with every brand shoot with Self Made and Seen. It gives you access to your gallery, your images organised by type with notes on where each one works best, content ideas, video ideas, a quick-start checklist and tips, so you know how and where to use them.
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Yes. If you're shooting with a co-founder or a team, tell me when you get in touch and I'll shape the experience around everyone involved.