Personal Branding Made Personal: Why Dartmoor Is the Perfect Backdrop for Your Brand Photos


Your brand is all about — well — you.


And if the thought of having professional photographs taken of yourself makes you want to hide behind your laptop forever, I promise you're not alone.

We ALLLLLLL get nervous when a camera is pointed in our direction. Even me. 100%.


Having a camera pointed at you can feel surprisingly vulnerable. Suddenly you're very aware of what your hands are doing, whether you're standing strangely, what your face is doing, and whether you look as awkward as you feel.


But here's the thing: you are the face of your brand.


Whether you're a consultant, coach, creative, maker, fitness professional, florist, therapist, artist, or small business owner, your audience wants to connect with the person behind the business. Showing your face consistently and professionally helps people recognise you, trust you, and understand the personality behind what you do.


That's where personal branding photography comes in.


And when we're planning a branding photoshoot in Devon, one of the first places I recommend is…


Dartmoor.

Woman peers through lush green leaves in a forest, wearing a dark top, with a serene and mysterious expression.
Woman in white draped fabric sits barefoot on mossy rock with fern crown, green forest background.
A young woman in a dark green wrap dress stands against a rustic stone wall, gazing thoughtfully to the side.
Woman holding white fabric and fern leaf outdoors with green trees in background.
Woman in dark teal dress wading in reflective water, reaching down to touch the surface, surrounded by lush greenery.
Woman in white draped dress and leaf crown stands outdoors with arms outstretched, embracing nature.
Woman in denim jacket holds ornate mirror outdoors in lush green countryside landscape.
Woman in white toga dress with leaf crown gestures outdoors against green trees backdrop.
Person in black dress holding a handful of small mushrooms in cupped hands outdoors.

Yes, Dartmoor.


Dartmoor is enormous.

It's remote.

It's wild.

It's green and verdant and gorgeous.

And, perhaps most importantly, it gives you something to do.


Rather than standing against a blank wall wondering what on earth you're supposed to do with your hands, we can walk, explore, sit, talk, move, laugh and interact with the landscape around us.


We can find a little nook beneath moss-covered trees, wander past a dramatic granite tor, climb a wind-swept hill, or find a quiet valley with beautiful views.

Dartmoor gives us options.


And options are your friend when you're nervous in front of the camera.

Your branding photos don't have to look like headshots


One of my favourite things about personal branding photography is that it doesn't have to mean a collection of stiff headshots against a white background.


Your photographs should give people a sense of who you are and what it feels like to work with you.


If you're a women's empowerment coach, perhaps your images should feel strong, joyful and completely unapologetic. If you're a personal trainer, we might incorporate movement and the outdoors. If you're a florist or creative business owner, we can bring your hands, your tools and your creative process into the story. If you're a consultant or business coach, perhaps we create something polished and professional while still allowing your personality to come through.


And if your brand is about slowing down, connecting with nature or living a more intentional life?


Well, Dartmoor is already doing a lot of the work for us.

Woman in dark wrap dress standing outdoors among lush green and red foliage in a serene natural setting.

Branding photography that actually feels like you


For this particular branding shoot, we headed out onto Dartmoor to create photographs for a women's empowerment brand.


Rather than trying to manufacture a personality for the camera, we focused on creating images that felt natural, confident and connected to the environment.

That's really my approach to branding photography in Devon.


I don't want you to look like a model. I want you to look like yourself — on a really, really good day.


I'll give you prompts and direction throughout the shoot, so you don't need to arrive knowing how to pose. In fact, I'd much rather you didn't.

We'll talk, move around, try things, laugh at ourselves when something feels ridiculous, and find the moments that actually feel like you.

Because the best branding photographs aren't necessarily the ones where you're perfectly posed.


They're the ones where someone looking at your website or Instagram thinks:

"I like her. I want to know more."


Why choose Dartmoor for your branding photoshoot?

If you're based in Devon, Dartmoor is an incredible location for personal branding photography because it gives us such a huge variety of landscapes within one shoot.

Depending on the feeling we're trying to create, we can incorporate:

Woodland and moss-covered trees

Dramatic granite tors

Open, windswept moorland

Valleys, rivers and ponds

Beautiful natural light

Movement and walking shots


Plenty of variety without needing multiple locations.


And because Dartmoor is so vast, we can usually find somewhere that feels peaceful and private rather than having an audience watching you have your photograph taken.


Which, if you're camera-shy, is a very good thing.

Your business deserves photographs that feel personal

Your branding photographs aren't just there to fill the empty space on your website.


They're part of your brand.


They're the photograph someone sees when they visit your About page. They're the image that appears alongside your latest Instagram post. They're the photograph on your LinkedIn profile, your sales page, your email signature or your next launch.

And most importantly, they're an opportunity to let potential clients see the person they're actually going to work with.

So if the idea of a branding photoshoot makes you nervous, don't worry.

You don't need to know how to pose.

You don't need to be "photogenic."

And you definitely don't need to spend two hours standing awkwardly against a white wall.

We can head outside instead.


Dartmoor is endless and endlessly lovely — and it makes a pretty wonderful backdrop for telling your story.


Looking for a personal branding photographer in Devon?

I offer relaxed, natural-light personal branding photography in Devon, including Dartmoor and surrounding areas.


If you're looking for branding photographs that feel polished but personal, professional but relaxed, I'd love to create something with you.

Because your brand is personal.


Your photographs should be too.