A Fresh Brand Story for Hertfordshire Domestic Cleaning Business - Time For You Cleaning
- JOANNE ELIZABETH BARKER
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Lifestyle branding photography in the studio
There’s something special about photographing a local business that’s built on trust, relationships and real community connection. Recently, I had the pleasure of creating a full lifestyle branding shoot for Time For You, a Bishop’s Stortford–based domestic cleaning franchise run by a warm, dedicated couple Ruth and Greg O' Sullivan who have been serving local families for the past five years across Bishop’s Stortford and nearby Sawbridgeworth.
This session wasn’t just about new headshots. It was about telling the story behind their brand, a friendly, professional, approachable service that connects local households with reliable, vetted cleaning professionals. From website imagery to LinkedIn profiles and social media content, the goal was to create a cohesive visual identity that truly reflected who they are and how they work.
How the Project Began
From headshots to full brand storytelling
Ruth, the owner, initially got in touch looking for updated professional headshots. Like many growing business owners, she quickly realised that strong, consistent branding imagery would elevate every part of their online presence, from their website and LinkedIn to local marketing and social platforms.
During our discovery process, I asked a series of questions about their business, their clients and how they wanted to be perceived. It became clear that this was a brand built on warmth and trust. They’re not a faceless cleaning company, they’re a couple who genuinely care about the families they work with and the professionals they match them with.
From those conversations, we decided to create a full lifestyle branding session that would capture:
Professional but relaxed headshots
Natural working interactions
Lifestyle imagery for website and social media
A consistent brand feel across all visuals
Creating the Mood Board
Translating personality into visuals
Before any shoot, I build a tailored mood board based on the client’s answers to my brand questionnaire. For Time For You, key words kept appearing:
Friendly. Professional. Approachable. Warm. Local. Trustworthy.
The visual direction needed to feel clean and organised (of course), but also welcoming and human. We wanted imagery that would reassure potential clients that they’re dealing with real people who genuinely care about their homes and their time.
Their brand colours — light blue, white and flashes of yellow — became the anchor for styling and set design. These tones evoke freshness, clarity and optimism, which aligned beautifully with their service and ethos.
The mood board helped us align on:
Colour palette
Wardrobe styling
Props and set design
Expressions and energy
How images would be used across platforms
Building a Clean Studio Environment
A set designed around their brand
The entire shoot was created in my studio, where I built a simple, clean office-style environment that reflected their organised, professional nature. The set was intentionally minimal but thoughtful — a workspace that felt authentic without being overly corporate.
We incorporated:
Light blue accents to reflect their brand identity
Clean white surfaces and backdrops
Subtle flashes of yellow for warmth and energy
Simple office props to suggest day-to-day workflow
This allowed us to create a versatile library of images that can be used across their website, LinkedIn banners, email newsletters and social media content.
Capturing the People Behind the Business
Warmth, trust and connection
One of the most important elements of branding photography is capturing genuine personality. Ruth and her partner were a joy to photograph — relaxed, professional and clearly passionate about helping local families.
We focused on:
Natural interactions between them
Friendly, confident headshots
Working-together moments
Approachable expressions that reflect their client relationships
The result is a collection of images that feel authentic and aligned with how they show up in real life. When potential clients visit their website or LinkedIn, they’ll immediately get a sense of who they are and what they stand for.
Why Branding Photography Matters for Local Businesses
For service-based businesses like Time For You, strong visuals build trust before a single conversation happens. Professional branding photography helps potential clients feel reassured, comfortable and confident in reaching out.
This shoot created a cohesive visual library they can use for:
Website refresh
LinkedIn profiles and banners
Social media content
Marketing materials
Local advertising
When imagery is consistent and aligned with brand values, it elevates the entire business presence.
A Final Note
It was a pleasure working with such a genuine, hardworking local couple who are making a real difference in their community. Supporting local businesses through thoughtful branding photography is always incredibly rewarding — especially when the final images truly reflect the heart of the business.
If you’re a local business owner looking to refresh your headshots or create a full set of branding imagery that works across your website and social platforms, I’d love to help you tell your story visually.
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