While we do headshots of men and women--headshots for women, especially women over 40--are a speciality. If you're a woman in the workplace you know how important image is. Your headshot is no different. We will assist you with makeup --if you need help--we have access to great hair & makeup artists. You can easily see their information and book with them right off our website. Go here for more information on hair and makeup.
Read MoreHow A Great Profile Photo Can Help Land That Perfect Job
Having a great well lit professional done profile photo can go a long way towards helping you land that perfect job. Why? Well for one thing a great profile photo can help you stand out from the competition. You wouldn’t believe how many people use either selfies or have someone line them up against a white wall and use their iPhone for the photo. Then there are those that use ones better suited for Facebook personal page—like a vacation photo.
Did you know that your online profile (LinkedIn, other business sites) is 10 times more likely to be viewed with a profile photo than without? Now that said your profile photo has much to say about you. What does yours say about you? Too cheesy? Too serious? A great business portrait conveys approachability.
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Don't Use Use Generic (Stock) Photos on Your Website
Why shouldn’t you use stock photos on your website—after all there are many to choose from—they’re really sharp and professionally lit and frankly can look great.
I'm not against using stock photography on occasion but I see some websites using it all the time and it concerns me. Why? Well there are a number of reasons but here are a few:
1. Using a broad range of photographs from different photographers and graphic artists doesn't reinforce your brand. It's an inconsistent look.
2. You aren't showing yourself or your staff or products and are missing out on the chance to familiarize people to YOU—which is the key to your business. Because people don't buy from companies, they buy the people who own or work for those companies.They purchase the brand.
3. Stock photography can look good—but almost too good—overly polished and frankly inauthentic.
Read MoreWhy Have A Professional Business Head Shot?
Does a good business portrait really matter? Well it does if you want to be taken seriously in your chosen field of business. Perhaps you don't use your portrait on your business card but a business portrait is very useful on business networking sites like LinkedIn, your company website, for publications for your profession or if you've had a significant achievement that gets published in the paper.
And keeping your business portrait up to date is important as well. If you've aged more than 6-7 years from your last portrait or made a significant change (hair style, facial hair, weight loss etc) then you really should get an updated portrait taken. Or if you've started a new business or changed your career field it's a great time to get a business portrait taken
Are You A Team Player?
If you work as a team with others we can have the whole team photographed. This can be teams like realtors, mortgage or banking teams, financial planning teams, or even the whole staff. We offer special pricing for business teams so that you can get a team portrait as well as individual portraits at the same time. If you have a large staff we can even come to your business and do head shots of your whole staff at a special rate. Contact us for details.
Want Something Different? Or Outside?
Maybe a head and should portrait is not what you are looking for. We can design a creative portrait just for you. One that reflects your profession.
Sometimes a studio portrait is not a good fit either. We can take an Environmental Portrait of you in your place of business. Or we can go outdoors. Realtors, authors and others have asked to have their portrait taken outside.
What Should I Wear?
We get this questions a lot—for business portraits. Check this blog post out on this https://tara-patty.squarespace.com/blog/2015/7/6/what-to-wear-for-your-business-portrait
Why not put your best foot forward and get a professional business portrait taken today. For more info or to book your business portrait today email us or call the studio @719.475.0160.
Call today. We know you're busy so we will work you in our schedule to accommodate yours.
Making Head Shots Quick And Easy
“Wow, that wasn’t as long or painful as I thought it was going to be.”
That’s the comment I get quite often from new clients who have gone through a portrait session with me. Usually it’s from the dads or in individual head shot sessions the men. Most people think that going to a portrait photographer is like going to a dentist.
I believe in giving my portrait clients the best possible experience—however I know that most people are in a rush—time crunch—so I try to get people in and out as soon as possible. This is especially true with business portraits. Time is money so I don’t like to waste my clients time. However I do work to capture the essence of the client—their personality—in the allotted time I have. We photograph tethered to a tv monitor so you can see what we’re capturing as the session is taking place. This usually helps people relax and know that it’s going much better than they thought. For most the reaction is “hey, that’s not too bad!” after seeing the first few images on the larger screen.
Read MorePersonal Branding Portraits: Putting You Into Your Brand
With any business you are your brand. As your customers associate your business with you by default you become part of the brand. What does that brand look like? Does it truly reflect who you are?
Increasingly many business owners are turning to branded portraits to promote their brand. And it’s not just realtors, authors, motivational speakers or business coaches it’s attorneys, boutique owners, architects, entrepreneurs.
Business Head shots are one thing but a true branded portrait or series of portraits are something else. Think of some of the larger brands and think how their chief executives or chief spokesperson is the face of their business. Large or small, companies of all sizes are increasingly branded in this manner. That’s just how the public perceives them.
Read MoreHey! I look Like My Profile Head Shot
I was at my annual convention recently when I was stopped by a gentleman calling out my name—he approached me and told me “I knew it was you, you look just like your head shot.” Now to me at first that seemed a bit scary—wow I look that bad? I look like my Profile picture? (I’m active on my professional forum). But then I realized it’s really a good thing. As the convention wore on a few others told me this as well.
So at least people could identify me. And I guess that’s what we want, right? I mean what’s the point of having an old or otherwise outdated photo of you on your business card, website or marketing materials? If it doesn’t really look like you then get a new one, right?
Read MoreHow Can A Photograph Help Your Business?
Everywhere you look today there is visual stimuli—photos and video everyone online and in print promoting and selling something. How can your business stand out?
Do you have marketing photos you regularly use for your business: For website, marketing collateral, advertisements? If so you are on the right track. Now, can you say you have original material? Meaning you haven’t purchased a stock image online or had your designer do so in creating your website or materials. Not that stock is inherently bad. On the contrary there are lots of great uses for a good stock photograph. However does it accurately represent your business? Does it clearly communicate what it is you do? And—this is a big one—is it unique? Chances are it’s not super accurate for your business—not your location or your staff. And I’m guessing it’s not unique. You might think so until you click on a website that is using the exact same image. Ouch. Double ouch if it’s in your same market.
So what to do? Work with a photographer who is familiar with photographing for companies. One who can create a great series of images for you to choose from. A great photograph or series of photos custom designed for your business can speak volumes. It shows your location/office/warehouse/business etc. It shows staff or even if you’ve use models for an advertising shot it pretty much represents your staff and customers.
Custom photographs for your business will allow you to stand out—it will allow you to be unique and more accurately get your message across to yourtarget market. So how do you get started?
How To Work With A Photographer
After you’ve made the decision to hire a photographer for marketing photographs here are a few things you need to know. First, do you have a budget set aside for your marketing materials and advertising? This may be the first question a photographer asks you after you ask how much something costs. You will most likely be licensing the image. The photographer will retain copyright of the image but will craft a license for you to use the image for a certain fee. You may ask, don’t I own the image? The short answer is no—not useless you pay much more than you will have most likely determined as a budget. Clearly communicate with your photographer up front about your desired use for the images. It makes a big difference if you are using a custom photograph on your website or on a company billboard, in a trade magazine and in all your marketing materials.
Your use license will most likely spell out how long you can use the image—some licenses are unlimited use while others are for a predetermined length of time. Meet with your photographer to discuss the scope of the project. Hammer out all the details so the photographer can craft a contract spelling out what each party is responsible for. Having a contract is best for both the photographer and the business owner.
How Do You Find A Good Photographer?
While Google is used for just about everything—including finding great photographers—it may be much faster to get a referral from a graphic designer you’ve worked with. Or check out the local chapters of some of the professional photography associations such as American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) or Professional Photographers of America. (PPA).
Working with a professional photographer can make a big difference between having just a photograph in your marketing materials and an image that will positively impact your business.
Why Settle for Less Than the Best
Many people are okay with mediocrity—in fact they have become addicted to it. But when it comes to a professional business portrait why leave out the “professional” piece?
We all want our business to be the best—at least that would be the general assumption, otherwise why would you be in business in the first place? We purchase and use the best technology we can afford, we have great systems in place, great marketing materials and web sites (if not then hire a good graphic designer please). But when it comes to putting a “face” on our business we’re willing to settle for less? Okay, not everyone is settling but I do see enough of them. And I’ve done the “do over” for someone else who performed less than the best.
Read MoreWhat Does Your Business Photo Say About You?
Did you know that your online profile (LinkedIn, other business sites) is 10 times more likely to be viewed with a profile photo than without? Now that said your profile photo has much to say about you. What does yours say about you? Too cheesy? Too serious? A great business portrait conveys approachability.
Here are some common mistakes people make with regard to an online business portrait for a profile photo.
The Oldie
Is your profile photo old enough to have it’s own driver’s license? If so it might be time to update your photo. Your portrait on a business networking site like LinkedIn says a lot about your personal brand. If you have a current photo it says you care about your brand.
Read MoreEnhance Your Professional Image in 2016
As we begin a new year we begin to take stock of our business and where we are headed. As December is often so crazy I use January to take a breather and begin to lay out goals and objectives for the coming year. Many businesses I know do the same.
If you are using a head shot to promote your business (and if you’re on LinkedIn this counts) is your head shot current? And is it even a professional business portrait? I see numerous head shots on LinkedIn that you can pretty much assume the person used wither a phone for a selfie or even the dreaded computer cam. Is this the image you want to project for your industry?
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