Simon is Redefining Photography and Business Growth Through Branding and Strategy

In my life, I have never seen someone as agile, proactive, and dedicated as Simon ‘Lines’ Chege. In Swahili, we call this kujituma! I met Lines back in 2017 when I was jobless, having just been fired for being too good at my work. I was so exceptional that, in a moment of excitement, my boss promised to double my salary only to later realize she had made a mistake. Instead of honoring her words, she fired me on the grounds of non-performance.

To make ends meet, I had to act fast and do something with my hands. That’s how Siloma Photography, which later became Brait Photography, was born. At the time, Lines was already a photographer, and I met him through a childhood friend. So, why does he call himself Lines? This is a brand story I created for him while revamping his business.

“Lines Photography was founded over a decade ago by Simon Chege, who transitioned from the Kenyan music scene to photography after his captivating images gained more attention than his performances. Starting with a simple Sony camera, his passion quickly grew into a full-fledged business. In 2016, after acquiring his first professional camera, Lines Photography was officially born, inspired by his stage name Mistari (Swahili for “Lines”). Specializing in family portraits and corporate photography, the brand has built a reputation for delivering not just beautiful photos but memorable experiences.“

Lines approached me and said, “Siloma, I see your discipline, consistency, and the tips you share on social media. I’m stuck, and I believe you can help me get unstuck!” I took on the challenge, even though I had never coached or mentored a peer before.

Lines runs a large and influential photography WhatsApp community called Learning With Lines, where he has helped many photographers find their footing in the industry. However, he admitted that his students were now doing better than him.

He was juggling everything; photography teacher, music deejay, product photographer, real estate photographer, family photographer, and studio photographer. He had even owned a studio before shutting it down. He was also a biker who documented his riding sessions on social media. His online presence was cluttered with all these different aspects of his work.

When I asked him about his target audience, he, like many others, gave broad terms like middle-class clients, big corporates, and women. We went back to the fundamentals; understanding his product and defining his niche in photography. He downloaded the Digital Moran Brand Strategy Toolkit and filled it out. Together, we refined his target audience through audience segmentation and created detailed buyer personas. He discovered his brand archetype, voice, and character, and soon realized that his logo did not align with his ideal clients. This is what he had before.

I designed a new logo for him, but like many creatives, he struggled with change and criticism. He remained attached to his old ways and processes that never worked.

This is the logo I designed for him.

At first, he was skeptical about his new logo, so I encouraged him to seek feedback from his audience. I reminded him that the logo wasn’t about him, it was about his target audience. I had to break the common misconception about branding. Branding isn’t just about how your logo, typography, and colors look and feel to you; it’s about what they evoke in your clients about you. This was his response.

I told him that branding isn’t just about his logo, portfolio, colors, or website it’s also about him as a person. The way he looks and how he dresses for his shoots are part of his branding too. I advised him to overhaul his entire wardrobe.

He later told me that a simple change like upgrading his wardrobe landed him more jobs and allowed him to charge higher rates. We then revamped his portfolio and website, and things have been looking great for him. He has been receiving very positive feedback from his clients, and he sent me this heartwarming message.

You can hire him at – https://linesphotography.co.ke/