Virtual and On-Location Photography

  In the past, I've written a lot about virtual meetings and the visual impact on your brand.  As a  virtual photographer , my eye starts to recognize opportunities for improving how you appear at a virtual meeting.  The tweaks are subtle.   Following are the three next level suggestions for improving your image during a virtual meeting.  💡Color of light. The most common color on an attendee's face on a virtual meeting is yellow, followed by orange. That often means the lights used are incandescent. Solution: Soft white lights are a good solution. A techie option is to go for a light rated close to 5500k (kelvins), a neutral. Many ring lights have options that include Warm White, Cool White, and Daylight. 2. 👀 Glasses. I wear them. Half of my clients do as well. They are a challenge. Solution:  Look straight at the screen. Do not have the screen positioned so that you have to look up. Have lights slightly above your screen an...

  We live in a visual world especially now that for many much of our communications are strictly  online. Professional photography  has never been as important as it is right now when communicating with prospects and influencing your market. You are the literal face of your business and you want your prospects and clients to know who you are. Here's the list... Throughout your  website In posts on you  social media  platforms In your newsletter,  blogs  and e-blasts. In proposals to prospective clients. In the contracts you present to your clients. Press releases about an event or new offering you have. Profile photo  refreshing every few months so that people see a new  image of you. In your sales and landing pages. Submit an image  (not just a headshot) along with your bio when you  have a speaking engagement. In your email signature On print materials like rack cards, brochures, mailers or other With a strategic library you'...

  How did you feel that last time you posted a new professional headshot? I'm guessing pretty good. What I've noticed on social media is when a client posts a new headshot the comments like these start to explode.                                                        Love it Gorgeous Wow You're so pretty Very professional... You look younger than ever Fabulous as always only more so... Awesome So handsome. Keep up the good work. You're looking good... Who took that photo? I want to look like you. When I read the comments and see clients' social media likes it's an endorphin rush. There are so many reasons why you'll want to update your headshot.  It will attract new viewers. Have you ever bought a book twice because the cover was changed? You get the idea. An updated headshot will keep you in front of clients and prosp...

                                                           📸   Capturing holiday memories is going to be a little different this year …  They'll probably be laid-back but can be magical if you plan for how to adapt.  Part of the mix for capturing your holiday memories can still include professional (or not so selfies) portraits.  A  virtual photoshoot  is an option if you don't want to leave your home. Your remote family members can also have a virtual photoshoot wherever they are to capture this same moment in time for everyone.   Whether you hire a photographer or take the DIY route you can adapt these to virtual or in-person photoshoots.  ✌  Here are some tips for taking your holiday photos. 🗓 Plan your wardrobe.  It makes such a difference to coordinate colors...

For real. It's not a futuristic idea, Virtual Impact Photography is here. Technology has had a profound effect on how we do business and how we acquire clients, partne rs and services. Photography is the unifying visual element that brings focus to you, your brand and products.  Virtual Impact Photography (VIP) launched a remote photography and coaching service that mirrors a professional studio photoshoot experience for headshots and personal branding. A VIP experience lets clients feel comfortable and safe in their own surroundings while a professional photographer coaches them afar for the best poses, and best lighting and most effective setting before snapping the shutter remotely.  Photos taken during a virtual photoshoot are actual live mobile camera shots in the client’s own environment, NOT screen shots or fake backdrops. The photoshoot is conducted in real time anywhere in the world, managed by the photographer who makes suggestions for poses, ...

In spite of the fact that we're not meeting in person, why is it less important that we present ourselves in a professional manner online? Think of your online video image as personal branding. This article is a little bit of a rant - very little - but I've noticed a few things during an online meeting that I want to share. I am definitely guilty of some of the following so let's improve together as we learn more about the technology and the fact that we will be using it for a long time going forward.   This meeting participant totally shocked me. I was in a meeting for professional women and this one was in addition to sitting just like you see her, she was also crocheting. Then she would get up, come back, get up, move around. She's the prime example of what not to do in 1, 2 and 3 in this post. Pay Attention  - It's frustrating to see someone who is presenting or part of a group discussion when others are doing paperwork, looking bored, general...

We're all selfie-obsessed!  My sister and I were doing selfies decades ago with film (huh!) cameras but had no way to share. The digital mobile phone has turned Selfies into a necessary component of socializing even to only to share online if you're sheltering in place. Over 17 million self-photos are uploaded to social media every week - with those individuals over-55 taking more pics than those aged 18-24. If that many pics are being uploaded imagine how many are being taken daily ~ badly! With summer NOW and Selfies an obsession we're in for quite a season of dropping our phones, bumping into people and falling over anyone in our way.  These 3 tips will help you take better Selfies and avoid walking into traffic when we eventually can walk around in traffic! These tips also work well with or without a mask.  1 - Make sure the light is toward or at least a 45 degree angle to your face. Note: Do not face bright sun without some sort of shade...

This is going to be short and sweet. PUT A HEADSHOT ON YOUR LINKED IN ACCOUNT!!!  Do I sound like I'm screaming? Sorry - I am. I'm a little edgy right now. Hope you understand. Do you follow or trust anyone on LinkedIn who won't post a current headshot on their account? Next worse thing to no headshot is posting a 20 year old photo but that's a different argument. Once you have a proper headshot how about filling in all the blue space? It's prime advertising space. Even just a logo is better than blue. I like blue but not on a LinkedIn Cover Image. Use these dimensions from the LinkedIn help page when you want to update your LinkedIn photos.  TAB MODULE MINIMUM IMAGE SIZE RECOMMENDED IMAGE SIZE Page Logo Image 300 (w) x 300 (h) pixels 300 (w) x 300 (h) pixels Page Cover Image 1192 (w) x 220 (h) pixels 1584 (w) x 396(h) pixels You may not be thinking about headshots, advertising, your job, your future - it's understandable. When you do decide to...

I think a lot about headshots. I think about what's best in a headshot and can come up with a dozen ideas that suit me but maybe not you. What it boils down to is that your headshots reflect your personality, supports your story ~ all while it projects your brand. We live in a visual world. Professional photography has never been as important as it is right now when communicating with prospects and influencing your market. You are the literal face of your business and you want your prospects and clients to know who you are. Building a robust library of photos is key to maintaining a fresh portfolio of flexible visual assets. It is useful to have more than one headshot taken during a session. That provides flexibility for when and where to post your photo. It's an opportunity to always have something new to post and update your followers and clients on social media, place on  business cards, press releases, brochures, announcements and more. Decide what works best f...

Everyone is photogenic but I hear so many people think that they aren't because they believe they have never taken a good photo. And maybe they haven't. With the standard in today's world of selfies and point and shoots it's impossible for most people to show off their best features. There's a lot that goes into being photogenic and what you see in photos of celebrities isn't always who they are off camera. “Even I don't wake up looking like Cindy Crawford.”  Cindy Crawford Cindy is being modest, but all professional photos have some retouching done without compromising who the person is in the photo. Photoshop is designed for that. So much of what changes an individual's look (the photogenic factor) in photographs is lighting and angles. Angles are affected by professional posing, camera and lighting placement. Then there's an inner glow that I can't explain but it's like a light switch.  Ugly? Never. Photogenic? Always. Wan...

In Part 1 we covered Productive Ways to Use Corporate Event Photography with 14 tips to consider the next time you hire a photographer for an event. Pre-Event planning is an important step that will assure success. Without it it's like darts - hit or miss. The plan will be used to communicate with your team and photographer so everyone is on the same page when it comes to before, during and after the event. There are two key areas to define in the planning stage that should be provided by the organizer to the photographer: a check list of shots that will be needed depending on how the photos will be used and tactical instructions.   Suggested “shot list” many include: Pre-event setup. This can involve set-up, preparation and decoration throughout the construction phase before the attendees arrive A step and repeat at the 'Red carpet' location as the attendees arrive Posed and candid shots of VIPS such as speakers, awardees, key clients etc. Crowds m...

 (Part 2 Will Cover How Pre-Event Planning will Enhance the Results of Corporate Event Photograph y) The original title of this article was 'Where do your event photos go to die?' It seemed a little harsh. Practically speaking, though, I know that most photos taken at an event will end up in a digital boneyard. Why? Because... Organizers don’t know what to do with them The person responsible is too busy to follow-up The company may lack a marketing perspective The company uses stock photos. One hopes it doesn’t show up on a competitor’s website, just sayin’! It’s been known to happen. A strategic plan wasn't put into place prior to the event  Finally, Who cares! Wow. I have to confess that when I produced events in the 90’s I didn’t have photos taken. That was before the ubiquitous availability of digital photography. Do I wish I had?  You bet because there are so many relevant and valuable uses for the photos from events. Let’s go through some he...

Taking photos is just the beginning if your plan is to print and hang a single or gallery of portraits. Hanging photo groupings can be a challenge. Check out this video for installing multiple photos using a template and simple tools to install something similar to this client's annual photos.  The template used for this wall was provided by the lab for use specifically with these displays but you can create your own templates with a little planning, paper, tape measure and pencil. Go to Video! Any questions get in touch. Call me at 480-353-9415 or email. Enjoy!

We're all selfie-obsessed! The digital mobile phone has turned Selfies into a necessary component of socializing but definitely not an art.   Did you know that over 17 million self-photos are uploaded to social media every week - with those individuals over-55 taking more pics than those aged 18-24. If that many pics are being uploaded imagine how many are being taken daily. Astonishing. With a new year ahead of us and Selfies an obsession we're in for quite a year of dropping our phones, bumping into people or falling over anyone in our way to get that very special selfie.   These examples will help you take better Selfies and avoid walking into traffic. Photo 1 through 4 were taken in the same room within a 10 minute timeframe. You can see how direction can impact the resulting photo. Photo 5 was in a meeting room with overhead lighting. Photo 1 ~  Make sure the light is toward or at least a 45 degree angle to your face. Th...

As the New Year begins, it is the perfect time to evaluate, renew and refresh you branding and marketing materials. This should include your written content as well as your visuals such as video and photographs.  Both should clearly reflect your branding image.   Last year, I decided to add videos into my Branding mix.  I had planned to use them for several scheduled promotional opportunities.  The videographer and I had a prior general discussion, but in retrospect, not thorough enough. I didn’t have experience with this medium and process and frankly, didn’t know what to ask. The results were misaligned with the outcome I envisioned and they didn’t meet my quality expectations.  It was an expensive lesson. The purpose of this article is to provide you with guidance and preparation when photography is involved in your branding and marketing plan.  Here are 5 important steps that will result in a successful photography branding session. Be Clear ...