Mood-Boosting Illustrations.
I recently had the pleasure of photographing illustrator and graphic designer Kitty O’Rourke at her home studio in Lancashire. Kitty and I have worked together for many years, so it was wonderful to collaborate again—this time creating images for her illustration business. Kitty is known for her vibrant, colourful character design and mood-boosting
portraits. Her work often features playful storytelling elements and has appeared across advertising campaigns, magazine covers, puzzles, book covers and podcast artwork. She is represented globally by The Bright Agency and lives with her husband and her cheeky cockapoo, Elsie.
A relaxed photoshoot at Kitty’s home office.
Since I’ve been photographing Kitty’s businesses since 2012, we already have a great working relationship. This made the shoot feel incredibly relaxed and natural from the start. We spent the day creating images in Kitty’s own workspace, capturing both portraits and behind-the-scenes moments that show her creative process. Shooting in her home studio meant Kitty felt completely at ease, which really comes across in the final images.
Connecting with your audience.
Personal branding photography is a powerful way for business owners to connect with their audience. Showing the environment you work in and giving a glimpse of everyday life helps people feel closer to your brand and personality. Our aim was to capture Kitty’s warmth, creativity and vibrant energy—something that fits perfectly with her illustration style.
Photographing a new puzzle.
Alongside the personal branding photos, Kitty also asked me to photograph a brand new product she has created in collaboration with Jumbo Games. The product is called Pieceful Mind and consists of six mindfulness mini puzzles featuring Kitty’s colourful illustrations. Each puzzle comes in its own small box—one puzzle per day—and is designed to take around 20 minutes to complete. With only 56 pieces per puzzle, the idea is to take a short break from screens and daily stresses.
Puzzling is known to help reduce stress, improve concentration and boost your mood. At the end of the six days, the puzzles can be joined together to reveal a surprise image on the reverse side. The final day also includes a relaxing colouring activity with pencils. During the shoot, we created a range of product photographs showing the packaging, puzzles in progress and some mindful moments enjoying the activity.
Kitty O Illustration
"I’ve trusted Alison with my business photography since 2012, so she was the obvious choice for my illustration brand shoot. She made the whole day fun, relaxed and creative — awkward poses vanished instantly. She captured my personality perfectly, along with beautiful shots of my new mindfulness puzzle collaboration and even my furry studio assistant, Elsie. If you’re a business owner or creator, I can’t recommend Alison enough. I now have a full year of content I’m excited to share."
A furry assistant joins the shoot.
No visit to Kitty’s studio would be complete without meeting her adorable assistant, Elsie the cockapoo. Elsie made a few appearances during the shoot and—thanks to a generous supply of treats—was on her very best behaviour while I captured a few lovely photos of her too.
Why personal branding photography matters.
For illustrators, designers and creative business owners, having a collection of professional photographs can make a huge difference to how your brand is presented online. A personal branding session provides a library of authentic images that can be used across websites, social media, newsletters and press features. Kitty now has plenty of fresh content she can share throughout the year across her website and social channels. It was such a fun and creative day working together again, and I’m thrilled with the images we created. If you’re looking for natural, professional images for your brand, a personal branding photoshoot could be the perfect way to showcase your personality and your work.
