Seeing Therapists
Portraits with Roxy & Ussama
Occasionally, my themed photography projects are simply combinations of commissioned work that pop up unexpectedly during the same time period.
Late last year, my friends Roxanne Watson and Ussama Taha responded to a headshot promotion I shared online. Both talk therapists; they were in the process of creating branding materials for their respective private practices and the door opened for a great pair of collaborations.
I’ve always enjoyed designing images in support of small business branding, but I was especially energized by requests from those working in the field of psychotherapy. I’ve seen talk therapists on a consistent basis in my personal life for the past 10 years and the benefits have exceeded anything I could describe. The professionals who offer these services have my utmost respect and showcasing that in my photography is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
Our collaborations revealed different form & function goals for each counselor.
Roxy wanted a collection of images that could be utilized across a future website and her Psychology Today profile. During our brainstorming phase, her main points of concern were lighting style, color tones, facial expression and posture. We held three different photo sessions from December to January to complete her collection, bouncing between my studio, her office and a nearby outdoor park setting.
Ussama’s image collection was exclusively intended for the website he had under construction at the time. He wanted to complement pointed messages of outreach to marginalized communities, social justice and a range of session approaches, like EDMR and psychedelic-assisted therapy. We completed his images in a single December session combining studio techniques with the natural light of downtown Austin.
See Both Sites
Roxanne Watson
www.counselingaustin.com/roxanne-watson
Ussama Taha
www.ussamatahacounseling.com