All posts tagged: personal branding

branding photos for media

It’s Good to be a Ginger! | Personal Branding in San Diego

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As a photographer, I’m innately trained to see the beauty in everything.  But there are certain things – texture, lines and curves, pretty eyes, and red hair are especially fun to photograph.  And Ellie has some gorgeous red hair!  Plus, she’s a smart lady, world traveler, and productivity coach.  I was tickled to work with her on her personal branding for her new website! Yes, I know she’s off to one side.  Completely intentional.  Don’t be afraid of the extra blank area, known as “negative space”.  It’s actually a very good thing, because with graphic design, that’s an ideal place to place text, or your brand message.  Think about landing pages, facebook banners, and auto-responders, where you can insert your company info or a call-to-action! A white seamless background works beautifully for a clean look that is versatile for marketing materials and even book covers!  Say it after me – negative space is good space! Outside the building we photographed at was a gorgeous patch of mustard.  I’m a sucker for all the flora and …

Girl Boss Gets Branded! | Personal Branding in San Diego

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I love meeting business professionals that are moving and shaking it up!  Rebecca scheduled her branding headshots to go with being featured in a magazine, and a few other PR projects.  We went for a sophisticated business look that’s still fun and fresh.  I adore this closeup – those eyes and that smile – yes! One goal when updating your headshots is to give prospects an idea of what it’s like to do business with you.  This seated pose in the chair makes me feel like she’s ready to listen to me. Love this lacy dress, BTW. And I love how she’s leaning in, engaged, and has her ‘game face’ on! MOOD!  Great image that conveys a message of joy, happiness, and accomplishment!  Mood photos are great on social media to convey a lifestyle or feeling you want to share with prospects and clients. Save Save

25 Ways to Use Your Image & Elevate Your Brand

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Most business professionals realize they need a good profile picture for LinkedIn, but fail to realize how many other opportunities there are to leverage their image and personal brand. Trust me, they think it’s just the profile image, and then I get calls a month or two later, with – “Help!  I need a shot for a magazine I’m being featured in!”  Well, that’s a good problem to have!  I want all of you to have “that” problem! So it helps to think ahead of time about all the ways you may be able to use your personally branded image to create more visibility for your personal AND business brand. Check out some of these brilliant examples: For those who position themselves as experts in their field, there are speaking opportunities, books to be authored, and products to be made – from webinars, CDs, and more. Industry leaders, speakers, authors, and other professionals who wish to elevate their brand will need their personal brand to resonate with their audience, while still reflecting their own authentic …

Why LinkedIn Makes Me Cry!

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I made a new connection on LinkedIn last night, and then started scrolling through “other people you might now” . . . and let me tell you, it was frightening, and sad. LinkedIn makes me want to cry. I mean, some of the photos people are using on what’s considered the most “professional” and “formal” of social media . . . well, they’re simply tragic. Maybe now you’re wondering if you need a new headshot. How do you know? Here are 4 Desperate Cries for Help! YOU KNOW YOU NEED A NEW HEADSHOT IF: It currently looks like you’re in the witness protection program. If you have the anonymous avatar (no profile image), you’re not going to engage prospects or grow your audience. If you’re an entertainer, speaker, singer, etc., and you don’t have an image – what exactly are you thinking? YOU are your brand even more than other professions like “realtor” or “financial planner”.   Show yourself! You are representing yourself with a blurry/fuzzy image, it shows that you don’t care about details. Is …

5 Questions to Ask Your Headshot Photographer

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There are plenty of newbie photographers or “fauxtographers” out there that will work cheap. And the saying, “you get what you pay for” applies, which unfortunately can come with quite a sting later on. In-experienced photographers are looking for a quick buck with a “snap, flash, bye-bye” approach, and are always on the look-out for their next new client. They don’t have systems in place for good service, let alone client retention. Ultimately, they tend to burn out fast, and leave the industry. Established photographers are in this for the long haul, and they are looking for new clients to serve many times over the years – even if it’s for a “simple” headshot. They strive to provide clients with great quality, good value, and a reason to come back.   The quality is evident in their portfolio. Value comes in to play with services like complimentary retouching, archiving your purchased files in case you lose them or a hard drive fails. And of course, they want repeat business, so they stay in touch and offer …