Journal
It’s about presence. How you see yourself — and how the world learns to see you.
This is where I share what I’ve learned through 18 years behind the camera: personal branding, visual identity, creative direction, confidence, preparation, and the art of becoming visible without becoming someone you’re not.
Visual identityOctober 3, 2026 · 3 min read
The difference between a headshot session and a personal branding session, what each costs in time and money, and how to tell which one your business needs.
Read the entry: Headshots or Personal Branding Photography? Which One Your Business NeedsExperiencesOctober 3, 2026 · 4 min read
The exact sequence a client goes through with Irma Lion: the Vision Call, the mood board, booking a date, the agreement and deposit, the session itself, and the gallery.
Read the entry: How a Brand Session Works: From Vision Call to GalleryStudioOctober 3, 2026 · 3 min read
ID STUDIO in Mission Viejo rents by the hour with a two-hour minimum: backdrops, props, a private changing room and makeup area, booked and paid online. How it works.
Read the entry: Renting a Photo Studio in Orange County: What ID STUDIO IncludesPresenceOctober 2, 2026 · 3 min read
For founders who avoid the camera: why presence is a skill, what really happens in a session when you are nervous, and how to prepare your head as well as your wardrobe.
Read the entry: Being in the Frame When You Would Rather Be Behind ItVisual identityOctober 2, 2026 · 3 min read
Why a personal brand is built from one palette, one quality of light and one point of view, repeated across LinkedIn, your website and Instagram.
Read the entry: Consistency Is the BrandExperiencesOctober 2, 2026 · 3 min read
Why a two-hour creative shoot paired with a one-hour recorded interview produces 15 edited images, 6 reels and a behind-the-scenes film that a photoshoot alone cannot.
Read the entry: The Hot Seat Experience, ExplainedExperiencesOctober 2, 2026 · 3 min read
What happens in each of the four phases of The CEO Project, Irma Lion's four-month personal brand experience: strategy, production, refinement and expansion.
Read the entry: Four Months to a Visual Brand: Inside The CEO ProjectStudioOctober 2, 2026 · 3 min read
What natural light and studio light each do to skin, fabric and mood, and how to choose between ID STUDIO and a location in Orange County for a brand session.
Read the entry: Natural Light or Studio Light for Brand Portraits?PreparationOctober 2, 2026 · 3 min read
A day-by-day checklist for the ten days before a personal branding session: wardrobe, grooming, sleep, the mood board, the night before and the morning of.
Read the entry: Ten Days Before Your Shoot: The Preparation ChecklistVisual identityOctober 2, 2026 · 3 min read
Twelve places a founder's brand photographs belong, from the website hero to the podcast guest page, and how to plan a session so every one of them is covered.
Read the entry: Twelve Places Your Brand Photographs Should Be WorkingPresenceOctober 2, 2026 · 3 min read
Cinematic is the most overused word in portrait photography. What it actually means: light with direction, a frame with intent, restraint, and a subject doing something.
Read the entry: What "Cinematic" Means in a PortraitPreparationOctober 1, 2026 · 5 min read
A founder's guide to wardrobe for a brand session in Los Angeles or Orange County: color, fabric, fit, the three-look system, and what to bring on the day.
Read the entry: What to Wear for a Personal Branding PhotoshootFollow along by RSS, or start with a Vision Call.
