Skip to content
Leah O'Connellphotographer based in charlottesville, va
Reach out
Reach out
Siblings sprawled on a quilt sketching in notebooks beside a basket and toy skateboard in dappled sunlight

Brand photography for makers, shops, and service providers in Charlottesville, VA

brand photography

Natural, connective imagery - so your website and marketing can finally work as hard as you do.

get started
brand photos for pediatric OT in charlottesville, va

Your work is thoughtful. Your photos should be, too.

You've poured real care into what you make and how you serve people. But the photos you're using are just a few semidecent phone shots, something a friend grabbed once, and some stock photos that feel stale and fake.

When your imagery doesn't match the quality of your work, it's hard for the right people to see what makes you different.

You don't need a stiff corporate headshot session or a generic "content day" that feels like everyone else's. You need strategic images that help potential customers understand your business and get hooked.

For you if:

  1. You run a small business, studio, or shop and you want to show up better onlineYou care about how things feel — your brand, your work, your community.
  2. You need more than a backdrop headshot
  3. You want your images to feel artistic and human, not corporate and cold.

I've now had 3 sessions with Leah and the experience and photos have been fantastic each time.

It feels like she really wants to capture what makes my business unique. Communication before our sessions allowed me to just relax and enjoy during the shoots.

Casey, The Movement Barn
podcaster brand photos, charlottesville virginia photographer

The approach

Thoughtful, natural, and connective - just like you.

I photograph small businesses the same way I photograph families: warmly, honestly, and with equal room for purposeful positioning and candid action.

Before we shoot, we'll plan it together through a questionnaire and virtual consult to finalize logistics, learn about your business, and understand the messaging you're hoping to translate. This way, you'll walk away with a gallery of lifestyle brand images you can actually use to support your business.

Photos for your website, your social media, your newsletter, your shop — all ready to work as hard as you do within 2 weeks of your session date.

the nuts and bolts

  1. step 1.

    you reach out

    Send me a note via the contact form to get the ball rolling.

    Tell me about your business and what you need images for. We'll settle on a date and you'll reserve it with an online booking proposal of Contract + Questionnaire + 50% deposit. If you need a different payment plan, just let me know - no problem.

  2. step 2.

    Plan the logistics and vision

    Based on your questionnaire, I'll get to work fine-tuning some recommendations for wardrobe color palette, locations, props, and more that will support your goals. I'll put everything into a custom brand prep guide and for signature sessions, we'll go over it on our planning call to clarify, make adjustments, and add details together.

  3. step 3.

    The shoot

    We shoot on location or in studio, in a guided session. You'll get tons of variety, outfits so you can really put these photos to work!

    Within 2 weeks, you'll get your final gallery in your inbox, ready to play.

over the years

Serving Charlottesville small businesses and creatives like:

  • Thomas Jefferson's Monticello

  • Mothertree moms

  • Bottle House

  • Common Tread

    children's shoe brand

  • Storyhouse Real Estate

  • Charlottesville Moving Solutions

  • All Things Montessori Podcast

  • The Movement Barn

  • Anna Beacher

    writer

  • Magen Caplinger

    virtual assistant

  • Yolanda Coles Jones

    consultant

  • Chloe Hawkins

    artist

  • Ascent Financial

  • Katherine Schellman

    author

and more

  • Real estate agent on the phone while typing on a laptop before a window framed by autumn trees
  • Two business partners share a laugh clinking coffee mugs at an outdoor cafe table
  • Toddler in denim overalls peeks out shyly while gripping a parent's arm indoors
  • Woodworker's hands pour finishing oil into a small jar beside a vintage wax tin on a workbench
  • Woman in round glasses and a mustard scarf gazes down a sunlit colonnade, Charlottesville photographer portrait
  • Interior designer sketches notes beside a tablet showing mood-board photos and folded mustard fabric
  • Two real estate agents pose laughing in a home's open front doorway with a clipboard and phone
  • Podcast host in a denim jacket and gold hoops speaks into a microphone against a plain backdrop
  • Nutritionist laughing while slicing citrus on a wooden board in a farmhouse kitchen
  • Backlit teens climb a dim staircase, one glancing upward as light spills from above
  • Young girl peers through two strawberry halves held up like binoculars, grinning
  • Bride laughing joyfully as her wedding planner arranges her veil before the ceremony
  • Portrait of a woman with red glasses pushed back into her hair, holding a mug of coffee
  • Tween girl in a knit cardigan leans against a garden fence holding a book, Charlottesville portrait
  • Business owner in a blue blouse relaxes in an armchair beside a potted plant and sheer curtains
  • Close-up of dried myrrh resin granules spilled beside a small white bowl
  • Bartender pours red wine into a stemmed glass at a rustic bar with a chalkboard menu behind
  • Woman with a feather tattoo scrolls an Instagram grid on her phone while seated on a rug
  • Woman in a chambray shirt reaches up to stick a teal notecard to a blank wall
  • Small girl in a denim jacket and gingham skirt runs down a driveway clutching a skateboard
  • Yoga instructor balances in a standing split among wildflowers under a bright sky
  • Two friends toast root beer bottles across an outdoor picnic table, both laughing
  • Small girl in gingham skirt and friends bike down a sunny driveway, one clutching a skateboard
  • Interior designer sketching mood-board notes beside folded mustard fabric samples
  • Two business partners clink coffee mugs laughing at a sunny outdoor cafe table

The petite / $650

Best for: a focused refresh, smaller business getting started, author book photos, etc.

A relaxed half-hour in a location within 20 miles of Charlottesville to capture the heart of your business with the essentials - you, your space, and the details that speak to your work and brand.

Perfect for updating your website and stocking up on social content.

30 minutes · 30 edited images · all digital files included with rights to reproduce

    author headshots by charlottesville photographer leah o'connell at uva library
    Get started

    The Full / $1200

    Best for: a complete brand library across your whole business.

    A longer session with room for multiple looks, locations, products, and your team. You'll gain a well of images to pull from all year.

    1 hour · 60 edited images · all digital files included with rights to reproduce

      real estate team photos by charlottesville photographer
      Get started

      Custom projects —

      — multiple shoot concepts or locations, longer duration, teams > 5 people, or ongoing regular shoots

      please reach out for a custom quote.

        artist brand photos in charlottesville virginia, small business photography
        Get started

        FAQs

        What kinds of businesses do you photograph?
        All kinds of values-aligned small businesses — makers, shops, studios, wellness and service providers, and fellow creatives here in Charlottesville and central Virginia. I've photographed authors, designers, and creative service providers, boutique brick and mortar shops, children's clothing brands, woodworking shellac company, a moving company - I'm open to all of it! If you care about your work and want it to look like you care, we'll be a great fit.
        Where can I use these images?
        From each collection option, you'll get a gallery of high-resolution, fully edited images with full usage rights for your business — I won't hold anything back. You can put them to work on your website, social media, email, ads, print materials, all of it.
        I'm awkward in front of the camera. can you help?
        Funny, basically everyone says this and it's my favorite challenge. I direct the whole session with prompts and real conversation, so you're never left standing there wondering what to do with your hands. We think through the session flow strategically beforehand so you'll know the plan (and me!) with an extra level of trust. Most people are surprised how quickly they relax, and even more surprised with how much they love the photos of themselves.
        How do I prepare? I don't have a Set vision or plan yet.
        That's where I come in! This is exactly what the questionnaire and planning stage is for. Before we shoot, we'll map out looks, locations, props, and the parts of your work worth we need to feature — whether that's your studio, your home workspace, a favorite local spot, or on location.
        How far in advance should I book, and what's the turnaround?
        Sooner is better, especially if you have a launch, rebrand, or busy season coming so we have adequate time to plan and secure locations if needed. Once we shoot, your final gallery is delivered in 2 weeks. If you're on a deadline, just tell me early and we'll plan around it.
        How is this different from a quick headshot session?
        A headshot is one photo of your face. A brand session is a whole story — you, your space, your process, and the details that make your business yours — so you're never scrambling for something to post or struggling to show people what you actually do. We'll take headshots as part of your full session, but the big picture is about way more. These sessions give you variety and open the door to new ways of marketing, attention, and connection.

        Let's make the images your business deserves

        If you're ready for brand photos that finally feel legit, I'd love to hear what you're building. Tell me about your business and let's make something great together.

        Reach out