Why use me for your portrait photography?
You only have one chance to make a good first impression.
This old adage is increasingly more relevant in today’s digital world where the amount of time spent on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have created more first impression opportunities than ever before.
Professional Photographer for Social Media
More and more people are coming to me to capture that all important professional pose. This increased demand isn’t only for the company website or for job seekers. It’s interest comes from representing that individual to the world via social media.
Social media began as college students being social online not as a professional environment. But today sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are providing businesses and their executives an opportunity to connect where connections may have never existed before. It is difficult to find an executive with disheveled hair or a seat belt across his tie taken with a mobile phone. We see a thought-out digital representation of the individual.
How do you capture a great professional representation of yourself?
Well, there are many factors to be aware of when capturing a great portrait (Light, lens, environment, outfit, hair, skill, etc..). I want to know what people like you and me can do on our end, what we have control of, to facilitate easily a professional photographer.
Remember: as an important rule, you’re likely to get what you pay for.
Know what you want
Just like the other activities involved in branding, business portraits should be well-thought. Some things to think about:
- Has your company set a brand standard already? Bring an example of your company’s photos so that your photographer create the same look.
- What tone are you trying to express with the photo? Corporate? Serious? Approachable?
- Who is your primary audience? Other professionals and businesses or consumers? Or both?
Give yourself time to relax before shooting
Photographers like me understand that people are not used to being in front of the camera all the time and because of this unfamiliarity they are likely to get nervous about the whole process. The longer you have to relax before beginning, the better.
A great trick is to start the session in your least favorite outfit. Since you might feel nervous and awkward, it’s best to save the best for last when you’re relaxed.
Clothes make the person
Here are some dos and don’t you should consider:
DO wear solid colors! Patterns can be loud or distracting which will take away from the most important part of the photo: your face!
DON’T wear spaghetti straps or any of those crazy crisscrossed wrap/blouse things.
DO choose shirts that have something of interest around the collar and neckline.
DO bring at least 3 – 5 outfit options. Options, options, options. You’ll appreciate the flexibility when choosing settings, backgrounds, and makeup.
Invest in Options!
Milne highly recommends taking a variety of images in different outfits and settings so that you can keep your image and your various social media presences fresh while maintaining a consistent tone and message.
Having not only a great photographer but the right photographer for you will help your business and your energy in social media. By using the techniques above, I hope you will be able to capture that professional image that will help open doors and create relationships.
Session includes:
- 1 – 1.5hrs iwith approx. 45mins shooting time and 15 – 30mins for creative planning, hair/make-up and photograph selection
- Proofs of all shortlisted photographs sent to you shortly after the shoot
- 6 photographs of your selection edited and coloured in any combination of colour and B+W
- The finished high quality digital prints sent to you ready for both web and print use
- All files from the session stored for 12 months from the date of the shoot in case you need further prints at a later date
Extra photos can be edited and coloured at a cost of £15 per photograph.
I only provide high resolution digital prints of finished (i.e. edited and coloured) photos. I promise that this isn’t to be difficult. It’s down to me wanting to quality control the work that goes out under my name.