Virtual and On-Location Photography

5 WAYS TO USE PROPS IN YOUR PERSONAL BRAND PHOTOS Props aren't just for the shelf. There are so many ways to enhance your personal brand photoshoot. Can you guess what this entrepreneur does in her 'spare time'? Sure you can. Now you know her a little bit better. Following are 5 of the ways you can use props to enhance your brand with authenticity! 1. Props can be used to bring in your brand colors. Cushions or pillows on a couch or different color files, notebooks or pens are just some examples of how you can incorporate pops of color.  If you’re incorporating any electronics such as your phone or laptop, you could get a cover that matches your brand as a way to feature your brand colors. 2. Props can be used to help personalize your photos. Incorporate items that help showcase what you do during the day. A funky planning board is a good example. 3. Props can also be used to create a connection with a potential client. Showcasing certain books on your ...

3 TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTO SESSION Whether you're planning a session now or sometime down the road these tips will help in your planning process.  Before Your Session - Confirm any hair and makeup appointments and confirm the address one week prior to your session. If you will be coloring your hair, this is the time to do it.  The day before your session prepare your outfits, ensuring that they’re steamed, pressed and on hangers. If you want to look great in your photos, make sure you are well hydrated on the day prior and be sure to go to bed early so you will look and feel well rested. The Day of the Session - Now it’s all about relaxing and enjoying the experience. Your photographer will direct you on how to pose and ensure that you get the best possible shots.  There should be a mix of lifestyle images and headshots to give your audience a better view of what you do on a daily basis. Behind the scenes shots lend a more person...

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. Here's the list that you can consider and decide what works best for you. 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 along with your bio when you have a speaking engagement. In your email signature. On print materials like rack cards, brochures, mailers or other. Building y...

Everyone is photogenic but many of my clients start out thinking 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....

How to streamline our social media & content creation management Today’s challenge won’t cause you major frustrations like some of the other mistakes, but by avoiding this one, you’re going to get the most out of your personal brand photography investment and not miss out on any key images. So far in this series, I’ve revealed these common mistakes: Challenge #1: Hiring a traditional photographer instead of someone who specializes in Personal Brand Photography Challenge #2: Not asking if a commercial use license is included Challenge #3: Not getting the right to edit the images Challenge #4: Hiring a photographer who requires you to give them credit If you missed any of these, go back and find the email in your inbox. Avoiding these challenge will save you lots of frustration down the road and will help increase your conversions rates. What is the final mistake I see people make when they hire a personal brand photographer? Challenge #5: Shooting wit...

Linda Kazares, Photographer, linda@LindaKazares.com Article 6 of 6 Series In my post, I shared a few “To Do’s” and "To Don'ts." Today, we’re wrapping up with some things that you should NOT do on session day. Don’t get a new haircut just before the session. Give it a week. Don’t wear something that might “clash” with the background. Don’t wear white unless you are wearing layers and it is underneath. Don’t wear jewelry that will distract from your face or that is very trendy and might look dated down the road. Don’t overdress. Don’t wear “big” jewelry, big scarves, big hair. Don’t wear loud stripes or checks. Avoid herringbone. No short sleeve shirts, please. Don’t wear a turtleneck (unless it is a very good look for you). In general, a v-neck style will be more attractive. Don’t wear a jacket you cannot button, or that you have to stretch to be able to button. It will not look good and you will not feel good about it. Bring something that fits pro...

This error will lower your conversion rate... Today’s challenge is HUGE if you care about converting your audience into paying clients. If you make this mistake, your conversion rate will drop. But first, in case you missed an email, let’s do a quick review of what we’ve covered so far. Mistake #1: Hiring a traditional photographer instead of someone who specializes in Personal Brand Photography Mistake #2: Not asking if a commercial use license is included Mistake #3: Not getting the right to edit the images Which brings us to today… Challenge #4: Hiring a photographer who requires you to give them credit Traditional photographers usually allow you to use images online if you link to their website or credit them whenever you use the image. They may even require you to use a watermarked version of the image. If you have to link to their site on a sales page, on your Facebook ads or anywhere else, it will lower your conversion rate. Anytime you add links to ...