Business Branding
Update your corporate brand perception with a killer photoshoot. Forget boring headshots! Professional services have personality AND professionalism. Project your firm as the experts you are.
Tag / business portraits
Rock your Brand Identity
Last week I had the enormous pleasure of (finally) shooting the delightful Dasha McGee of Dasha McGee Property. Dasha already had a very strong brand identity which she was using all over the place, but she wasn’t quite leveraging its potential becuase her imagery wasn’t current and not consistent with her brand in its look and feel. This inconsistency can make some clients feel uneasy about your brand, like they can’t trust it, and they might go elsewhere.
So, we worked together to craft Dasha a gorgeous personal brand collection for her to compliment her existing brand identity. Dasha had a firm idea of what she wanted and how she wanted to use the images along with a plan in place for her existing collateral such as a billboard that was in desperate need of replacement. As a local real estate agent, there’s nothing more important than “trustability”. Your clients decide on your trustability before they’ve even engaged with you, by your personal brand. Don’t underestimate the power of your personal brand. Don’t be put off by the new fancy moniker “personal brand”. Its always been there. Its just now that the interweb has sent our accessibility into hyper-drive that it has become a “thing”. What was it before the internet??? Reputation.
By Samantha Halpern
B. Visual Communications (Photography & Digital Imaging)
Dip. Fine Arts (Photography)
Fully Accredited Member of the AIPP since 2008
Owner and Principle Photographer at JettyBlue Photography
Email me to connect and book a personal consult to discuss your online business branding and how JettyBlue Photography can give you the tools to compliment your content marketing strategy.
sam@jettyblue.com.au 0414 412 069.
Get your business profile right!
A quality business portrait is a must have in these social media times. But, for some, having our business portrait taken is something that’s as excruciating as going to the dentist. But it needn’t be that way. Do you find yourself cringing at your previous business portraits? Chances are, your discomfort at being in front of the lens has come through on camera. Your face may have smiled: but did the rest of your body?
Your body language is key in business AND in your business portrait.
When a customer sees your business portrait online, they will make assumptions about you and your business based on your portrait. The main goal of a business portrait is to make you look professional but also friendly and approachable. Is your business portrait doing that?
Here are my Top Body Language Tips for the perfect Business Portrait:
1. Should you smile with your mouth open – or with your mouth closed?
Whether we smile with our mouths open or closed is something we often don’t stop to think about. Yet when your profile photograph is being used on marketing material, readers will observe a lot about you and your company based on your body language. And that body language includes smiling.
Let’s look at two examples to see the difference between smiling with your mouth closed and your mouth open:
So should you smile with your mouth open or closed? In most instances, it’s more appropriate to smile with your mouth open: after all, you’re putting your photo on your website to give your company a human face. And as you want people to contact you, it’s appropriate to look friendly and approachable.
2. Should you have your arms crossed or uncrossed?
Crossing your arms is instinctive: arms are awkward things at times and its hard to know what to do with them! But think about the body language that you’re communicating. Crossed arms is a defensive and closed-off gesture.
Both these images are in similar in style and lighting and both subjects are similarly attired. The only difference is that one man has his arms crossed, and the other one has his arms in a more casual shape. Which do you think looks more approachable?
In short: avoid crossing your arms in your profile photo! So what should you do with your arms?
In a whole body or ¾ shot, it can be difficult to know what to do with your arms – whether standing or sitting. Here’s my favourite anti awkward-arm tip:
Use props for whole-body photographs
If you want a full-length or ¾ photograph, then consider making it an ‘action’ shot or enlist the assistance of a prop. A desk (also shows off your reception area) or work tool relevant to your profession, are all great items to introduce the viewer to your business as well as yourself.
3. Jacket on or jacket off?
It really depends on your profession. Sometimes suit jackets are optional, but for some business people, suit jackets are part of the ‘uniform’. Just remember, just because a person is not wearing a jacket, doesn’t mean they are not an authority in what they do. It just means they want to convey a more approachable and friendly image.
There’s no hard-and-fast rule about whether to wear a suit jacket or not in your portrait photo: you’ll need to decide for yourself if you want to come across as authoritative, or as being more approachable.
4. Where do you look?
I like to give my clients a variety of images which include the classic “Mona Lisa” portrait (3/4 seated portrait looking straight into the camera lens) as well as a few looking out of frame, as it’ll give you plenty of flexibility in your marketing materials.
So, looking to update your professional profile image? Why don’t you call me for a chat and an obligation free quote – 0414 412 069.
During your business portrait, I aim to combine over 15 years professional experience and the perfect amount of skilled composition and lighting, with a bit of personality to create photographs that make you look and feel amazing.
Looking forward to meeting you!
Samantha Halpern
Principal Photographer and Owner, JettyBlue Photography
Dip. Fine Arts (Photography). National Art School
B. Vis Comm (Photography & Digital Imaging). UWS
Fully Accredited Member of the AIPP since 2008
Proud Member of Say I Do Weddings
Or need more info? Click here for my top shoot preparation tips:
Business Profile Shoot
This week I had a great commercial shoot with my new client, Health Associates. Some of the room shots were a bit tricky due to the tight spaces which made for some interesting perspective corrections! But it was nice to put all that technical stuff I learnt at uni to good use!
Alana & Chris’ professional profile portraits were done using a combination of the available light (which was amazing) and my professional lighting kit that I always take along to every commercial portrait shoot.
Health Kick Fitness – a Business Profile Shoot
This week’s Business Profile Shoot was for my amazing trainer, Amanda Clout of Health Kick Fitness. Amanda needed a variety of shots for her website that is currently under construction (aren’t they all!)
Mieke from Living Beauty Makeup Artistry did and amazing job with Amanda’s makeup and she looked terriffic. I can’t recommend highly enough going to the effort of having your makeup done professionally for your Business Profile Portrait, and Mieke’s your girl!
The shoot was heaps of fun, we had a good laugh. Amanda is an amazing trainer and has helped me lose nearly 10kgs and I feel AMAZING becuase of her positivity, support and expertise in nutrition as well as fitness.
Good luck in the Noosa Marathon (did I mention she’s dedicated too???). If anyone is looking for a much more effective and friendly alternative to a gym, give Amanda a call 0423 937 773 or https://www.facebook.com/healthkickfitnessPT
