Brand Photography Spotlight: Mallory Blake
I love working with small business owners to help elevate their brand photography, and nothing makes me more excited than collaborating with a female entrepreneur from the very beginning of her venture. Mallory Blake and I have been working together since 2021 with 7 photoshoots total capturing portraits and details for her new website and social media. This Blog post is to put a little spotlight on her and give you a behind the scenes look at her approach and the thoughtfulness behind her business…
Mallory Blake is a writer sharing her experience moving through life. Her lens is thoughtfulness. The topics that interest her range from the practical to the profound.
Mallory notes that the word “thoughtful” has two definitions: to think deeply and to act kindly. In her experience, the intersection where these two definitions meet each other is a good place to be. This intersection serves as a baseline that she tries to stay aligned to and as a viewpoint from which the pathways towards good are more easily seen and followed.
Mallory’s interests fall, broadly, into four categories: live, give, care, prepare. She writes about the practical aspects of each, such as navigating the responsibilities of daily life, celebrating with joy (and without waste), complex caregiving, and emergency preparedness. She writes, too, about the profound things that move her: reflections on her own experiences, ideas she comes across in art and literature, examples of kindness or growth, and wrestling with multifaceted concepts such as identity and responsibility.
To keep this wide collection of topics organized, Mallory has a homebase (her website), a Substack, and two IG accounts ( The.Mallory.Blake and Reverse.Show.and.Tell.Gifting). One IG account is for content related to Mallory’s broad interests and the other is dedicated to gift giving and gift wrapping that is gorgeous, plastic-free, and waste-free.
Mallory soft-launched her work in November and has been adding content slowly and steadily. At the moment, the IG accounts and the shop website have the most content. Reflective essays and practical content will start filling the pages over the next few weeks. She would love to have you follow along as she grows!
What was the specific "aha moment" or realization that inspired you to launch Mallory Blake?
The desire to contribute to conversations that matter to me grew steadily. I trusted my internal sense of timing, and acted when I felt that I was ready.
What is the core mission behind your brand?
To contribute to conversations in ways that are useful and elevating.
What is the biggest misconception people have about your industry, and how do you approach it differently?
We are often told that we need to select a topic to focus on. Sometimes that’s helpful. But it’s not the only way to be. Rather than having a specific topic, I have a lens (thoughtfulness), and apply the lens to any and all topics that interest me.
As a business owner, what does a typical "day in the life" look like for you, and what is the one part of your business you love the most?
Currently, my routine revolves around content deadlines on Mon/Wed and team meetings on Tue/Thur.
On content days, I’m usually at my desk from 11:00am – 7:00pm, writing and selecting images. This requires my full attention, so I typically do not schedule any appointments or other tasks on these days.
On team meeting days, the focus is more on planning and administration. I usually start working by 10:00, and then the meeting runs from 12:00 – 2:00. After the meeting, I might spend an hour or so taking care of a few high priority tasks before shifting gears to personal business around 4:00.
I try to reserve Fridays for personal business and a lighter schedule.
As for the aspect of my business I love the most:
I love to learn, and my work revolves around learning. What more could I ask for?
I love contributing to the conversations that are happening around ideas that interest me. I love the deep thinking and creativity that this requires. I love the process of finding words and images that clearly express the ideas I’m thinking about, the moment of peace that attends the discovery, and the connection that happens when sharing ideas.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in growing your business so far?
Capacity. I think this is common for writers and anyone in the early stages of growing their business. It’s important to stay engaged with the administrative elements of my business, keep myself educated about the platforms and tools I use, while also protecting time to be creative. I have to pace myself carefully and be attentive to adjusting the balance of time spent on these various responsibilities to match my capacity.
If you had to describe your 'signature style' or approach in just three words, what would they be and why?
Classic, Simple, Streamlined are three good words for my personal style.
My uniform is dark jeans with a white button-up shirt. Depending on the weather or the activity, I might switch the white shirt for a white tee or add another layer on top. I choose simple shapes and prefer a streamlined profile for shoes, bags, accessories and outerwear. This simplicity in dress allows me to keep my mental space available for thinking through new ideas and keeping up with the tasks and responsibilities that come my way.
Thoughtful, Clear, Kind are three words to sum up my writing style.
I aim to convey depth and breadth of thought in my writing, and to convey ideas with clarity. I also aim to keep kindness front and center in my writing, and believe that kindness and clarity amplify one another.
We often hear that "you are your brand." How did it feel to step in front of the camera for your photo sessions?
Thanks to some prior experience on camera and as a novice photographer, I felt very comfortable stepping in front of the camera. That said, it is absolutely critical to find a photographer you can work with comfortably. There needs to be a high degree of trust. You are trusting another person to capture your image and your ideas in a manner that is technically sound, aesthetically pleasing, and accurately represents your vision.
Based on the information on her website, I had a feeling that Nataliya and I would be a good fit. And we have done great work together over the past four years.
I have total confidence that Nataliya and her make-up team will make sure that I am truly camera-ready, checking for lint, the way a garment drapes, and any hairs out of place. I also have total confidence that Nataliya will provide direction on adjusting my poses. With this level of trust in Nataliya’s work, I simply relax and play.
In addition to personal images, Nataliya and I have worked together to build a content library. I have a very clear idea of the aesthetic I want, and Nataliya has executed on that vision time and again. She has, in particular, done an excellent job of maintaining consistency in the imagery over the course of multiple shoots. I have a set of preferences for lighting, color value and composition, and Nataliya is dedicated to staying aligned to the same set of preferences at every shoot, resulting in a cohesive set of images.
How do you plan to use your photos to tell your brand's story or connect with your audience?
Images are such an important element of conveying information. When writing about ideas, I use photographs to set the tone, provide context, and ground the content. When I am writing more practical content, I use photographs for illustrative purposes. Regardless of the specific use, photographs are always providing visual reinforcement for my message: think deeply, act kindly, move through life thoughtfully.
What was your favorite part of the photoshoot experience?
I actually love photoshoots! I love the mood on set: creative, collaborative, relaxed, fun.
Nataliya and I have a great rapport, and that translates into a great shoot!
If you could go back to "Day 1" of your business journey and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Hire help sooner.
My work is based on ideas, and it was absolutely critical to forge my own way in order to protect the primacy my voice. That applies to branding and photography as much as it does to content. That being said, I knew that I needed help navigating the logistics of getting my voice out into the world, and I would have loved to have had the budget to hire administrative support sooner.
What is next for Mallory Blake? Are there any upcoming projects, launches, or goals you are excited to share?
Yes! I am at a pivot point, shifting the balance of time I spend on building and creating. These are deeply intertwined, and always will be, but I am excited to shift more of my time to creating.
2025 was all about building the structure to house content: website, IG accounts, and Substack. It is a tremendous amount of work to build out all of those things, develop the skills to use them effectively, and develop routines to keep them running smoothly.
2026 is all about shifting from building to creating: writing, research, professional development, participation in groups associated with my interests. I can’t wait to see the creative output that will emerge this year!
Productivity Hack: What is one tool, app, or habit that keeps your business running smoothly?
The best hack I have is a not a “what,” but a “who”: John Nomis is the capable, creative and kind person keeps things running smoothly. In addition to providing an excellent support system, he is an excellent sounding board and a sound thinker.
John and I are very intentional about setting up sustainable routines, and we rely on that framework to keep ourselves on track.
Inspiration: Who is one mentor, author, or creator who inspires your work right now?
It is impossible to narrow it down to one! If absolutely required to name one, I would go with Yuval Noah Harari and his book Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI. I have read the book and listened to the audio (twice!) this year. His storytelling skills bring vibrancy and clarity to the complex factors that constitute the most critical issue of our time: the transition to a society with non-human participants, many of which present as human.
The best way to get an idea of who’s ideas inspire me, however, is to look through my 2025 lists: fiction, non-fiction, streaming and art:
Unwind: After a long week of running a business, how do you recharge?
Reading, walking, jumping on my trampoline and looking at the sky. I love clouds and skyscapes!
This was just a small look behind the scenes, with a tiny fraction of the images we’ve captured over the years, so be sure to follow Mallory Blake on Instagram and check out her beautifully designed website! And if you’d like to learn more about brand photography, feel free to click below.
