An Australian family-owned business extending from Fortitude Valley and Rushcutters bay, to South Melbourne and Surrey Hills, the Verve experience is a family experience, like no other.
I sat down with with Verve founder Holly, on her journey building Verve portraits over it’s twelve years in operation, and what the business means to her and her family today..
“Our family is a very tight knit family, and we’ve always (and still do this day) celebrate together. Through our three generations, we’ve always remained really close, through sharing our connection of the business together as well. Family has always been first and foremost for us, so to be able to deliver an experience for other families, and capture the special connections that they share, is incredibly important to all of us.”
– Holly, Verve founder.
They want every family member to look back on their time at Verve as unforgettable, and therefore have been crafting and honing the experience for years, to ensure that this is very much the case.
“I’ve always wanted the Verve studios to be a place where people feel once they’ve stepped inside, that they are guests within our home. The studios are fitted out with comfortable couches and guests are served refreshments as they soak up the atmosphere and get to know their photographer. We’ve always wanted an environment where people feel totally at ease. Where clients are so comfortable, that they forget they are having a photo shoot. They (the photographers) are giving you an awesome, fun experience. SO enjoyable that before they know it, the shoot is over!”
Everyone in team Verve, is a collection of storytellers.
They are passionate about hearing our clients stories, and what makes them unique. There’s no cookie cutter experience to be seen here! For each and every family they want to fully customise, dig deep, and showcase what truly makes them they way they are. This is evident in their photography, as the individuality of each person truly shines through.
They recognise that minutiae of everyday life, and our constant busyness so often gets in the way of time for special moments of connection, so they have been driven to create something that helps facilitate those moments of true bonding. Giving people a genuine opportunity to truly disconnect from outside life for a while, and be together with those they love.
For Holly and the family, building true connection has always been a priority.
“One thing that’s always been a thread from day one when we opened, is that you would see clients hugging the photographer as they walk out the door. Each and every one of our photographers are gifted storytellers as well as being technically skilled. But most importantly, they are passionate about people- about human connection.”
When observing these portrait sessions I see phones are put down, and hearts are opened as family after family comes through the Verve studio doors, to experience something they seldom get to enjoy- uninterrupted time together.
Completely distraction-free, the guests simply let go and give in to the moment, Holly says when she sees her guests do this, it always takes their images to a whole new level.
“What we want for any family who takes up a portrait session, our ultimate aim – is that they receive an incredible experience to enjoy with their entire family. To take time outside of their busy world, step inside the Verve world, and take their moments to enjoy together. Our aim is also that everyone gets an authentic experience.”
What you will remember from your Verve session
“Our hope is a feeling of connection, I hope they feel pride when they are in the design room, and when they see their images displayed for the first time. Parents often don’t get to have this kind of uninterrupted time together, to experience this time as a whole, seeing the entire family unit connect through the photoshoot, and seeing their photos come up on the screen in front of them afterwards. For parents to see their children up there, it’s one of those moments where you go ‘Oh my god, we created these children, these beautiful people!’ You see their personalities really shine. Especially for the parent that normally takes all the photos, to see themselves up there together, with their family. I don’t want them to miss out looking back, and realise they weren’t in the images.”
The ‘Verve’ touch
Verve clients often describe their finished photography as ‘The emotion is hanging on the wall”. , This is exactly what Verve believes in. They customise every piece of artwork they send out, and everything is made right here in Australia- so that the images can be displayed in a way that allows their guests to relive the emotions they felt on the day, everytime they look at their portraits hanging in their homes.
“The emotions that come out, depending where you hang them on the wall, will really change the mood of the home.”
Going beyond just the beautiful aesthetic, it’s also the experience that sits behind every frame. The moments they enjoyed together at Verve, sit with the photograph and evoke different emotions every time.
The customer journey.
The customer journey for every guest at verve is one that has been ever changing at evolving. They are consistently looking at the lifestyle of modern families, and how to best meet their needs. The process is constantly changing with the times to suit the lifestyle of their clientele.
“We are constantly refining, and constantly looking at the lifestyle of families. It was very different 12 years ago when we started the business. About a year ago we started doing home delivery of the artwork, for example…Wherever we can make it easier for the family, we want to do that.
We added in design consultations, which can be held from the comfort of your living room. We often have families that come from rural areas to our studios in the city, because they want the verve experience, it’s something that can’t be replicated elsewhere.
The virtual artwork consultations were developed from certain clients wanting to customise their shoot, and specify the palette, aesthetic and style to their imagery to suit their own home.We have a lot of clients who have a strong focus on interior design and they have their own vision for their decor and overall look. For these customers the virtual consults are perfect, as they can also share their home with us, to truly customise their finished product to their own specifications.”
The team/ The Family.
When it comes to each photographer at Verve, they’re not just skilled photographers, they truly understand human relationships and the psyche, and they are chosen to be part of the team for these important reasons. They each possess a unique ability to bring emotion and laughter, creating a really safe space for families to be themselves and be affectionate with one another.
A family business, with heart at the centre of everything they do-The Verve experience is so very special.
If you’d like to find out more about the Verve photo sessions and what it looks like for you and your family, get in touch with our friendly team here to find out more.
The team can’t wait to meet you x
