Behind the lens of many Elkhorn City Lifestyle brand photo shoots sits Cara Bresette-Yates: Wife, mom, photographer, and all-around cheerleader for brands looking to grow and develop their identity and own the space they’re in. We sat down with Bresette-Yates to discuss her love for photography and learn what drives her thriving business.
Settled into our interview with a chai tea and her camera in tow, it’s easy to see the passion she has for the brands she works with. Her interest in photography started young, as she found herself behind the camera photographing for her 4-H club in elementary school. Her eye for design eventually led her to pursue a graphic design degree before stepping into the corporate world for a time.
“I was working in corporate America and unfortunately, I could tell the company I was working for was preparing to close its doors. My husband had gotten me a DSLR camera. I started dabbling in family photography and then weddings, and it snowballed for me,” said Bresette-Yates.
There was a span of time where she certainly felt like she was trying to do it all. On top of parenting her young children, she was working at her job in corporate America, while also trying to start a freelance graphic design business, and working to get a photography portfolio built.
Bresette-Yates credits her amazing work ethic to her late father. As the owner of a construction company, he often worked multiple side projects with various deadlines and commitments. It was him who instilled in Bresette-Yates, at a young age, the idea that she could have whatever she wanted. She just had to be willing to work for it.
“He taught us, my brother and me, to keep our word when making commitments. I credit my work ethic to him and often hear his voice in my ear when I stay up late editing to deliver to a client on time,” Bresette-Yates said.
But her father also knew balance was important. And he knew family was important. Bresette-Yates recalls Sundays spent with her father, as that was always a sacred day, set aside for family — a practice she now tries to implement with her own family.
While she still “does it all,” she has scaled back her family and wedding work as her love for brands has truly been what catapulted her business forward. Bresette-Yates has built a system within CB Yates Photo for helping brands, both small and large, figure out who they want to be, and the story they want to tell.
“I do it all because I love it all. But the brand side of photography has become what I’m most passionate about,” she explained. “Often times brands come to me, especially women-owned brands, and they don’t want to feel like they’re making it all about them. I help them overcome the mentality of a brand session being ‘self-absorbed.' I help tell their story in a unique way that helps them stand out."
A brand session with CB Yates Photo looks different depending on a brand's individualized needs.
Said Bresette-Yates, “So you’re a Realtor… Everyone knows what a Realtor does, but let’s tell the story of how you’re different. People won’t know if you don’t tell them, and that’s what we need to illustrate in your brand photography. That’s how we connect you to your ideal client.”
A typical session starts with a brand questionnaire, allowing Bresette-Yates to understand your business and what you want to communicate. Then comes a scheduled call with her to talk through ideas, goals, style and location. Yates then creates a brand guide for her partners clearly listing the goals and objectives of their shoot. From there, a shot list, as well as an image bank, to give her partners a visual. All this is sent in advance for the client to review so there are no surprises. The brand knows what the shoot will look like, what props they may want to bring, and how to style themselves for the day.
While these elements may seem daunting, when you work with CB Yates Photo, it’s a breeze. Having built a network of trusted partners, Bresette-Yates is well connected and can suggest studio spaces, stylists, makeup artists, you name it. Everyone goes in prepared.
“We know what we want, and how to get there,” Bresette-Yates affirmed. “I want to make it easy for people to confidently show up in their business and give them images they are excited to share. The best thing for me is when people reach out after a shoot and tell me I’ve helped them elevate their brand, and it’s getting them in front of the right people.”
To learn more about CB Yates Photo, visit cbyatesphoto.com.
I want to make it easy for people to confidently show up in their business and give them images they are excited to share. The best thing is when people reach out after a shoot and tell me I’ve helped them elevate their brand.