Tips For Your Photographer
I won't touch a website project without gorgeous photos to work with. It's like trying to bake a cake without flour. Photos make your brand.
Most people forget that a single photo session means hundreds of options. Even the world's most beautiful super models take bad photos. It's a photographer's job to capture enough variety so that there's at least a few diamonds in the rough.
Chances are that many of you consider yourself camera shy. This is common. It's one of countless reasons why a good photographer is absolutely essential to moving your brand forward. It's his or her job to put you at ease.
Before a client heads into a photo shoot, I provide words of wisdom to pass on to the master behind the camera. Today is your lucky day because I'm sharing them with you:
Show us your personality.
No one wants to do business with someone who has head shots. They're desperate and make people uncomfortable. Get your photographer to capture who you are in a dynamic, interesting way. My photographers lean on props and environment to bring out the essence of our subjects. Don't be scared to move. You may feel uncomfortable during the shoot, but that minor discomfort will be a big win in the long run.
Choose environment wisely.
Plain white backdrops are usually boring and tells us nothing about who you are. Make sure that your photographer takes you somewhere that has numerous background options and is meaningful to you. If you're a writer, consider your local coffee shop where you feel most inspired. If you're an architect, opt for a cool alleyway that mixes both modern and historical building features.
My client Michelle Wodynski, a vivacious attorney, opted for expressive law-themed props that we laid over a bubble gum pink background. Unexpected for a law professional, but magnificent for making a fierce first impression.
Get shots that are left and right-justified.
Your photographer will naturally want to center you in shots. Don't let this happen. Being slightly left or right leaves more room to add text or graphics right beside your pretty face.
Look at the beloved Judy Stakee above for a real-life example. This graphic has been used in several places, including website and social media profiles.
Landscape, baby.
Whether it's for a Facebook cover photo, Twitter header photo or a Google+ cover, I need high res. photos that crop horizontally. Think skinny banner. That's how the Internet has adjusted to accommodate image display across different devices.
Before you meet with your photographer, share some examples of your vision so she accounts for your expectations in her shots. What brand has beautiful, branded photos? Be sure to comment below. I'm always looking for more examples to share.
