Veteran. Strategist. Documentary photographer.
Building strategic foundations and visual stories for purpose-driven work.
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Who I am
I'm Kimberly Harper-Colucci—brand strategist, documentary photographer, and design educator building Harper Collab Studio from Bluffton, South Carolina.
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I help purpose-driven entrepreneurs and leadership coaches find clarity before they touch design. Strategy first. Aesthetics second. Always.
My work combines two practices that most people keep separate: brand strategy that builds a foundation, and documentary photography that captures authenticity. Together, they create brands that resonate because they're rooted in truth.
I'm currently completing a BFA in Advertising & Branding with a minor in Advertising Photography at SCAD, graduating Fall 2027. I already hold a degree in Communications and maintain a 4.0 GPA on the Dean's List while running Harper Collab Studio and teaching full-time.
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My professional foundation includes service in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army, followed by civilian work with the Department of the Army in communications and public relations. That background taught me how to distill complex messaging into clear, strategic communication—skills that directly inform how I approach brand development today.
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I'm in my first year teaching Introduction to the World of Design at Hilton Head Preparatory School, where I developed a curriculum that introduces middle school students to branding, design, color theory, and the full Adobe Creative Suite. The goal isn't just teaching software—it's opening doors to creative careers they didn't know existed.
Background
Why Foundation-First
Harper Collab Studio launched in June 2024 because I kept seeing the same pattern: people asking me about branding while having no clarity on their own foundation.
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Coaches and entrepreneurs would come to me wanting logos, websites, and photography—but when I asked basic questions about their brand, they had no clear answers. They were ready to build the house before pouring the foundation.
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Social media amplified the problem. Everyone is copying everyone else. Surface-level aesthetics with no strategic substance. Brands that looked polished but felt hollow.
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I realized what was missing: clarity before creation.
That's what The Foundation Studio provides. Ten weeks of strategic work that answers the questions most people skip: Who are you really serving? What do you actually stand for? Why does your voice matter? What's the transformation you create?
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Only after that foundation is solid do we move into visual identity, messaging architecture, and implementation.
Why Foundation-First
Harper Collab Studio launched in June 2024 because I kept seeing the same pattern: people asking me about branding while having no clarity on their own foundation.
​
Coaches and entrepreneurs would come to me wanting logos, websites, and photography—but when I asked basic questions about their brand, they had no clear answers. They were ready to build the house before pouring the foundation.
​
Social media amplified the problem. Everyone is copying everyone else. Surface-level aesthetics with no strategic substance. Brands that looked polished but felt hollow.
​
I realized what was missing: clarity before creation.
That's what The Foundation Studio provides. Ten weeks of strategic work that answers the questions most people skip: Who are you really serving? What do you actually stand for? Why does your voice matter? What's the transformation you create?
​
Only after that foundation is solid do we move into visual identity, messaging architecture, and implementation.
I've always been drawn to authenticity over artifice.
When I started photographing brands, I noticed a gap: stylized imagery that felt performative instead of true. People present curated versions of themselves instead of showing up as they actually are.
So I shoot like a documentarian. Patient observation. Anticipating moments instead of manufacturing them. Capturing people in their natural environment doing the work they're called to do.
The goal isn't perfection. It's truth.
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Because brands built on authenticity don't need to shout. They resonate.
The Documentary Approach
What Drives This Work
I want to be the catalyst for people realizing their full potential.
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Too many talented people hide behind borrowed aesthetics and templated messaging because they don't believe their authentic self is enough. They think they need to be someone else to succeed.
My work—both strategic and visual—exists to prove them wrong.
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When clients leave The Foundation Studio or a documentary session with me, the transformation isn't just tactical. It's permission to show up as themselves.
That's the problem I solve that others don't: clarity paired with confidence.
Who I serve Best
Based in Bluffton and Beyond
I live and work in the South Carolina Lowcountry, but serve clients remotely and regionally. The Foundation Studio is fully virtual. Photography is available throughout the Lowcountry and Southeast.