Proud to Present: A wonderfully characterful brand for Yvonne Lishman
Yvonne Lishman is one of my new favourite people. I'm not too sure how our paths crossed, and it doesn't really matter. Sometimes people just find each other, don't they? Yvonne an animal-obsessed, fun-loving superstar photographer who has been creating beautiful photographs for over thirty years. She loves to shoot alternative weddings in unusual venues – the quirkier the better! Her relaxed, informal un-McWeddingy style is loved by couples who are looking for photographs that really reflect their personalities. She aims to shoot every wedding in an original way, constantly searching for new ways to keep her style fresh and evolving to ensure that every client gets something a little different. Formal shots make her shudder.
She loves to photograph real people doing real things. Authenticity is mega for Yvonne - as she said to me when we first spoke - who's idea was it to take brides' dresses off on their own personal fashion shoot? She photographs things exactly as they are, and if that means that the dress is lying haphazardly on a bed next to a puddle of underwear then so be it - that's how it gets photographed.
Yvonne's people are those who don’t take life too seriously; they value experiences and relationships over possessions and are more likely to be planning an alternative wedding in a woodland or on a beach than in a stately home.
Over the last few months, Yvonne had lost a little clarity around her business. She knew that her current brand didn't portray the right image, but wasn't sure where to go next. In a bid to seem approachable and friendly, her website had somehow strayed into a slightly naive and downmarket place that betrayed the incredible talent and artistic eye that she has. The process of working with us was not only about creating a stunning new brand, but about reconnecting Yvonne with the magic that lies within her brand, giving her back the confidence and direction that had wandered off.
The season personality
Now. This is an interesting one. Having read up on Colour Psychology in Fiona Humberstone's brilliant How To Style Your Brand, Yvonne had related the most to Autumn and Spring, which was definitely accurate. In fact, Yvonne's current brand felt incredibly Spring - but it was doing her a disservice, and this is where it's important to consider colour psychology strategically. The negative side of Spring is that it can be too giddy, and not take itself seriously enough. Yvonne's business demands something tougher than that. And in fact, her images capture the Spring element of her brand personality with their energy and sense of fun – so we decided to let the Spring side of her brand shine through in her photography whilst the visual identity that we created embodies the strength, substance and authenticity of Autumn.
Yvonne is a complete animal nut. Completely. And so are her people! In fact, she spoke about wanting to do more weddings where animals play a big part in the day, so it made sense to celebrate that. As someone who is also loopy about their animals, I know how well animal nuts relate to each other, and how much it matters to an animal lover that others can understand what their four legged fur babies mean to them (on an aside, I was blown away by the reaction when I posted a cathartic tribute to my nine year old house bunny on Instagram - the empathy from others was incredible and evoked a response from people who have never commented on my posts before. That's how strong a feeling it can be).
The brand
This brand is just delicious! Warm, rich colours, hand illustrations, gorgeous typography and artful photography come together for a board which is cosy, inviting, grounded and relaxed. Typography includes chunky serifs for strength and substance, monoline scripts for a sense of lightness and a quirky typewriter font for a nostalgic twist. The uneven finish adds to the sense of individuality, adding a wonderful charm.
Whenever we work with a photographer (or any creative, for that matter!) it’s absolutely crucial to be sure that the style we create supports their natural creative style, so we’ve weaved in plenty of Yvonne's beautiful images for context and to be sure that everything flows. And don’t they look at home here? We specifically chose these images for the expressions on everyone’s faces and the way in which Yvonne has so beautifully captured the pure joy and emotion. We felt that these images really reflect her best couples – the ones who aren’t afraid to be a bit daft together, to wear their hearts on their sleeves and to just be themselves. The images perfectly capture the Spring and Autumn influences of her brand personality – the sense of fun is captured in a way that’s beautifully composed and embraces muted colour.
As luck would have it, Yvonne had a wedding booked in Canterbury (just a few miles from us here in Kent!), and had come down from Nottingham for the occasion. We managed to tie this up with her brand presentation which was brilliant timing and so lovely to be able to present in person! Predictably, there were squeals of delight and plenty of happy tears. I can't wait to see this brand out in the wild - it'll make all the difference to Yvonne's business.
