Photography's impact on your business

In today's marketplace we are innundated with so many offers and messages from similar businesses that it is imperative to figure out a way to set yourself and your business apart from the others in your field.

Be a trendsetter in your field.

You do your work differently than everyone else, you're not just like the other guy and you certainly have your unique way of doing things. It's time for you to take the bull by the horns and become a trendsetter. One thing that will put in front of the curve is to take the photography of yourself and your products a more seriously. The photograph is the first thing that most people see when they come to your site. In the the case of a product, it's what they are going to base their buying decision on, yet today so many entrepreneurs compromise on this very important part of their marketing. They justify it by telling themselves it's too expensive or they'll do it themselves or get a friend with a camera to do it.

Why compromise on such an important part of your business?  

Photography is as an investment in your company.  It is a reflection of how you view yourself and your business. We come from a place of service holding our customers in the highest regard giving them our best and part of our service to them is to hold ourselves in high esteem as well by honoring the image that we project in public.  This includes our photographic image.

Take a look at your own marketing materials, your website, ezine etc...

What is it that sets you apart from the plethora of people in your same industry?

How will you draw attention to yourself and get your brand identified?

There are several components to this one is the graphic presentation, another is unique attention grabbing headlines but the one thing that will set you apart immediately and communicate your message quickly is a great photograph or series of photographs that captures who you are or captures your products in the most visually arresting way possible.

We've all seen the typical headshot that makes you look like a very respectable person, but what does that photograph say about you and who you are? In addition we've seen photographs of products or facilities that are plain, don't show much detail, aren't well lit or just plain don't bring out the true quality of the product that you are selling.

One suggestion I would have would be to invest in a series of photographic images that set you apart from the others in your field. If you're a life coach or professional think of all the things that you do the hats that you wear in your business. Your customers will have an opportunity to get to know you a bit better through your use of photography on your website. When choosing a photographer look for someone who you feel comfortable with. Who brings something different to the party and can create a unique set of images that you can use in your marketing.

A great example of this is the way one of my clients Dennis Chamberland used the photographs that I took of him to create a unique web presence and business cards showing a more authentic side of his personality. It has allowed his prospects to get to know him a bit better visually without the need to read everything on his website.

Once you have the series of images created then have fun with them. Some clients use the images for different marketing pieces to accentuate the meaning of the piece. If you are in a specific field then you may want images that are photographed using an environment that is similar to the industries that you serve. The important thing is don't let the images go stale. Keep them fresh just as you do your business and the programs, products or services that you offer.

Remember it's your image so have fun with it and keep it fresh and alive, just as you do your growing business.

Headshots are not just for actors

Today more and more people are using the internet as their primary place of business and social interaction. So now more than ever a headshot or photo of you is the first impression someone gets to put the words, concept, business with a face. So it's great to have a photo or series of photos of you that reflect who you are.

Recently hired to do a shoot for an associate who wanted to create a series of photographs of himself that would reflect a more accurate image of his personality. He didn’t want, as my mother used to say “instant respectability portraits”. He was looking for something with a more relaxed photojournalistic feel. In addition he had a vision for his website of some photographs of him against a white background that could be placed anywhere.

We decided to do the shoot both outdoors and do some shots indoors against a white background.

Since we were in Laguna I decided that a trip into town would provide many options for locations to shoot. When I shoot people I like to get a feeling for them and to form a connection between the two of us and the locations we are shooting in. I like to use the setting and natural lighting to inspire each shot.

So we wandered around Laguna looking at the light and settings to have a fun time shooting. We came across this wall in a parking lot and I loved the way the light was hitting it. I knew that we would get some great shadows as well. So that was our first stop. Dennis looked at me a bit like a crazy person but he was a good sport and went with the flow. Next we walked down the main street in Laguna and came across a British telephone booth. I was thinking about what it would be like to be in the booth staring out at everyone and being insulated from the passers by. I got Dennis to let go a bit and have some fun with the photos pressing his face up against the glass to get a different perspective. After that the sky was the limit.

He found this doorway to a dry cleaner and we worked with that then a church with these wonderful arches and strong shadows casting across them. A few more shots and Dennis was hungry and it was time to eat dinner. Did I mention that his girlfriend Shirley was with us. She thought I was a bit crazed but enjoyed watching me put Dennis through his paces and having a good time. She was also a good assistant holding the reflector at times when I needed it.

Ok so dinner is over and it's time to get back to the house to do the indoor shoot. Shooting Dennis indoors had a given set of circumstances, we were going to drop out the background so he was against white. I ended up using 5 lights to create the lighting for the shot. That was fairly straight forward. We did a series of shots both full length, medium and close up. I even got a shot of he and Shirley at the end of the shoot. We had a great time.

I spent some time going through the shots back in my digital darkroom. First making cuts and then doing some global adjustments to them and finally creating a web-proof portfolio for Dennis to look at and choose which images he wanted me to finalize for him. I sent him the link and awaited his reply -


"OMG! I can't lose.... those all look fantastic! Wow... I like almost every shot within each wardrobe/site segment... hard to choose just a couple. You are my hero!"

Dennis Chamberland - Chamberland Consulting

I think that says it all.

If you are interested in having a photographic session with me feel free to email or call me to discuss how I can best be of service to you.