Personal branding photography St Albans – Drake & Co shoot at Saint & Sinner
Good light, great team, and one four-legged member who refused to sit still.
If you run a small business or are refreshing your brand, here’s how a one-hour location shoot at a characterful St Albans pub can deliver everything you need.
The Drake & Co team in a collaborative working portrait – the bar at Saint & Sinner providing an atmospheric backdrop for a shot that feels genuine rather than posed.
I was recently contacted by Warren Drake of Drake & Co to help refresh their team photography ahead of the launch of their new website.
Drake & Co are specialists in off-market pub and hotel acquisitions, working exclusively on behalf of buyers to source, negotiate and complete freehold transactions – with complete discretion, no public marketing, and no fees to the seller.
Warren Drake photographed at work in the booth seating at Saint & Sinner – a natural, in-context shot that tells a story rather than just showing a face.
Warren needed updated headshots and a team image for their About page, so we agreed that a characterful St Albans pub, before opening time, would be the perfect backdrop. Warren arranged exclusive access to Saint & Sinner for an hour before opening. Having the run of a beautiful pub with no one else in it is one of those photography perks that never gets old.
Julie Cross photographed in the blue-panelled room at Saint & Sinner – a natural, unfussy headshot that feels real rather than staged.
The clock was ticking from the moment we walked in. A quick recce to identify the most photogenic spots, then straight to work – setting up positions, getting the lighting switched on to create some ambience, dialling in the flash and getting a couple of test shots before we were off and running. Over the hour we moved through four different locations, capturing individual headshots and group shots for Warren, Jeremy Drake and Julie Cross.
An individual portrait of Jeremy Drake, relaxed and confident – the kind of headshot that works across LinkedIn profiles, About pages and business websites.
Oh, and Hattie, the fourth team member. Obviously.
Hattie is Drake & Co's resident wellbeing consultant and morale officer, and judging by the way she commanded the camera, a natural in front of the lens. She arrived with the quiet confidence of someone who knew exactly what they were there to do. Did I mention she has four legs?
Warren Drake of Drake & Co, photographed at Saint & Sinner, St Albans – a relaxed, confident headshot that works equally well on a company About page, a LinkedIn profile or business marketing materials.
Warren needed the images quickly, so it was straight back to the studio to download, cull and deliver a curated selection for review. The final images were post-processed and delivered in time for the website launch. It's brilliant to see them already doing their job on the new site.
A confident standing group portrait using the blue-panelled room at Saint & Sinner as a backdrop – clean, contemporary and full of character.
Congratulations to the whole team – Warren, Jeremy, Julie and of course Hattie, on the new website.
Hattie, Drake & Co's resident wellbeing consultant and morale officer, demonstrating the quiet authority of someone who knows exactly what they're there to do.
“Mike was asked to photograph our team for the new Drake&Co digital presence and produced a collection of images that aligned perfectly with our goals. An essential contribution to our successful website relaunch.”
What does a location personal branding shoot actually involve?
The Drake & Co shoot is a good example of how a location session works in practice.
Rather than a plain studio backdrop, we chose a setting that reflects what they actually do. A characterful pub – the kind of venue Drake & Co work with every day – made the images feel credible to their audience in a way that a white background never could. That is the core idea behind location personal branding photography: the setting does half the storytelling for you.
A typical one-to-two hour session covers:
A pre-shoot call to agree on location, outfits and the look you are after
Individual headshots for each team member across two or more settings
At least one group or collaborative working shot
Any props, products or environmental details that reflect your brand
Edited images delivered within five working days, sized for web and social
The result is a set of images that works across your website About page, LinkedIn profiles, press releases, pitch decks and marketing materials – all from one shoot, one morning.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a personal branding shoot cost? Personal branding sessions start from £495 for a focused one-hour shoot delivering a core set of images for your website and LinkedIn profile. Larger sessions covering multiple looks, locations or team members are also available. Full pricing is on the personal branding page.
How long does a location shoot take? Most personal branding shoots run between one and two hours on location. The Drake & Co session was one hour, which was enough to cover four settings and three team members plus their canine colleague. For larger teams or more varied content, a two-to-three hour session gives more breathing room.
Do I need to find a location myself, or can you help with that? Both work well. Some clients have a specific venue in mind that reflects their brand – an office, a favourite café, a workshop. Others prefer a suggestion, and that is part of what the pre-shoot consultation is for. Good locations do not have to be grand. Saint & Sinner worked perfectly because it was relevant to what Drake & Co do, not because it was expensive.
What is the difference between a headshot session and a personal branding shoot? A LinkedIn headshot session is a focused 45-minute portrait session producing two polished images for your profile. A personal branding shoot is broader – it builds a visual library that covers your website, social media, press and marketing, often including environmental portraits, working shots and brand detail images alongside the headshots.
Can you photograph my whole team in a single session? Yes. The Drake & Co shoot is a good example – three people, four different settings, one hour. For larger teams, I can plan a rolling schedule that keeps things moving efficiently while maintaining a consistent look across every individual image.
If you are working on a rebrand or a new website and need photography to match, get in touch for a free 20-minute discovery call. I work with small business owners, entrepreneurs and growing teams across St Albans, Hertfordshire and London.