Category Archives: Penny Morgan

Quick tips to consider when taking part in online meetings…

As we are all plunged into a situation never experienced before and not wishing to go on about what we can’t do, I’m trying (like many of us) to focus on what we can do.

I’ve listed a few quick tips for you to consider when engaging in online meetings, so you can be seen and heard clearly, communicate effectively, be professional, but also be yourself:

As with any meeting, make sure you are ready beforehand – This might mean making sure you have any relevant notes and/or writing materials to hand. Know who is going to initiate contact with who and that you have the right software on your device/computer. Make sure your video and audio are switched on and working and is at a reasonable audio sound level.

Face the best source of available light in your room – to avoid your face being in almost darkness, make sure you are well lit, even if its just natural light in front of you and avoid bright daylight streaming through a window behind you. This should help reduce the camera on your device from constantly trying to adjust the exposure as you move around in front of it.

Consider what distractions there may be and try to minimise – many of us will be holding our conversations from a home office and its your choice if you wish to roll up to your meeting in your PJ’s… but, its a good idea to close doors and windows to minimise people and pets walking in, outside traffic noise or roadworks and perhaps remove that stand of washing that’s behind your chair!

Have the camera on your computer at eye level – if your camera level is too low, others will have a lovely view straight up your nose, it’s a very unflattering angle for you and is not the level we communicate with people when we are face to face. A simple pile of books, or a small box might just be sufficient to raise your device. Have your monitor as close to vertical as possible.

Try to hold eye contact with the camera lens in your device – its more tempting to watch the other persons face on the monitor, but, that means you are unlikely to be holding eye contact. Maintaining good eye contact shows the other person you are giving them your full attention.

Allow for a small time delay when responding to speak online – always speak clearly and try not to talk over someone, or jump into the conversation too quickly. Allow an extra moment before responding to speak, that way you minimise having to ask the other person to repeat what they said.

Happy and productive meetings everyone – please get in touch should you need further advise.

https://archive.pennymorgan.co.uk/contact

communicating, online, meetings, Online Meetings
Image copyright – Penny Morgan Photography

Animate Your Image

Do testimonials work… do you read them or skip over??

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When you’ve completed a successful shoot and your client is really pleased… should you always remember to ask for a review or testimonial? This is usually the bit I forget!! … although some clients spontaneously provide one anyway 🙂

I’m told google likes them, and sources like ‘Trust Pilot’ wouldn’t exist if people didn’t look for them – LInkedIn and Facebook have a business page ‘review’ feature, so I guess the answer is that you should. It feels like ‘self praise’ and blowing your own trumpet, but nowadays it’s much more about showing you are a credible and trustworthy business and who better to authenticate your services than happy customers.

So, do you read reviews and testimonials? Well, yes if I’m purchasing items from a source that I don’t know personally, they are very helpful. Or, researching the best item to buy on say, camera equipment. Does this apply to services too, especially those that are hugely personal, such as photography? In addition to ‘reviews’ and ‘testimonials’ we should add ‘recommendations’, as these are frequently asked for on places like Facebook. I ask this, because most of my work comes via face to face networking and getting to know people, who in turn use and recommend my services.

Perhaps reviews, in addition to a solid portfolio, are mainly part of a credible and true presence online, including all the various social media platforms … will you read any further 🙂 ??

” I can not begin to express the delight I felt when I saw our photos however the outstanding service started months before we got them!
For my 50th I wanted a picture of my family so hubby duly got a voucher from Penny and then handed over to me! Oh my what a pain pinning 4 sets of families and diaries to one Saturday. Penny was supportive and patient, no pressure just gentle reassurance that we would get there. So we got a date and we all turned up at the most beautiful house and gardens… chaos ensued with sorting two 3 year olds, two under 12 months and one teenager who needed to be serious.
Penny had taken the time to ask questions before hand so she knew all the likes and dislikes and all the names, plus Terry supported Penny and entertained the children and took additional pictures.

Thank you thank you thank you 😊

If you are looking for someone who cares about the service they give and the shots they take then please use Penny – you will not be disappointed

Venitia Billings “

All ready for delivery..

All ready for delivery…

#portrait #suffolk #family #together Family gathering

People can be amazingly kind in their testimonials…

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Christmas 2018 seems long gone now, however wanted to share a pleasant surprise last month, from the contact who booked my services to cover their Christmas Parties. Along with two other very good photographers over 13 evenings, we captured several hundred people all enjoying the festive time at both The Apex and The Athenaeum in Bury St Edmunds. To receive the attached testimonial was brilliant!

I’ll let the following link do the talking!

Penny Morgan Photography Testimonial

The Athenaeum Christmas Parties, 2018, Bury St Edmunds

A little reflection can help in moving forward…

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I may have written about this before (and hope it’s not too far into January to mention again), but it never fails to amaze me how varied a year can be and how much has been achieved. Not just for me, but for others too. It’s been a year of achievements, losses and above all, a journey and hope you can look back at an incredible 2018 with everything it brought you.

On the photography front – wildlife, Portugal, equestrian, music festivals, workshops, Christmas parties – family, lifestyle, commercial and headshot shoots… have all been in the mix, so a thoroughly creative time, with many plans for 2019.

I used to think that looking back in reflection was not the best thing to do and we get to December and say “where has the year gone”. But I’ve changed that thinking and try and live for the here and now at whatever point of the year we are in … savour it, deal with it, enjoy it … and always knowing life never stands still – and here we are beginning the second week of 2019!

So all those moments that have been created, happened and shared, all help in moving into the new year, however you choose to see it and hopefully with a positive expectation of whats to come.

Penny Morgan Photography 2018 reflection.

Boring old headshot… really??

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I recently saw a statement on social media that made me read further… it read ‘don’t want a boring old headshot?’ It occurred to me that I’ve never seen a ‘boring old headshot’ – a poor one perhaps, but not boring. It might be poor in its technical production, for example, poorly lit and too dark, too much contrast, out of focus, an old holiday snap, wrong angle… and then there’s the expression… stiff, nervous, apprehensive, serious and decidedly questionable. So if the offering to pep up a ‘boring old headshot’ is to put someone on a brightly coloured background, what about that expression??

90% of the success of a good headshot is in the expression. Many people who dislike their photograph being taken, will also say they would like to be captured as ‘friendly and approachable’. Yes you can have a fantastic fine art portrait of someone with a non-smiling expression. It could be wistful, contemplative, cheeky, thoughtful… but for business engagement that’s probably not the best style to go for. There is a friendly and approachable expression in all of us… after all it’s part of our personality.

Our image says a great deal about us and if you form opinions of others by their online image before you get to meet them, you can be sure others will be doing the same about you.

So if you want to encourage trust and engagement with others in your business world, friendly and approachable is the best way forward. Not fixed and posed, but natural and spontaneous… and definitely not boring, whatever background is decided upon.

Professional headshots on different backgrounds.

Professional headshots packages for those less than comfortable in front of the camera.

Video… hang on, I’ve never talked about video before??

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Are you one of those people who find yourself saying “I really should get started with video marketing”? What holds you back? Is it technical know-how, or perhaps not knowing what to say, or just complete fear of putting yourself in front of the camera?

Perhaps you are like many others and are now watching several self made videos online. You probably watch some all the way through and are happy with what you’ve seen and learned, or just been thoroughly entertained… it did what it said on the tin! But how many do you tire of all too soon and switch off? It’s pretty important to understand ‘why’ you like some and not others, if you are going to start creating your own.

Creating your own video doesn’t replace working with a professional videographer, but getting to grips with it, can set you up to confidently engage with and grow your audience, because today it’s all about building that trust and engagement. Photographs and videos can be the first thing people ever see of you.

Let me ask you this – if you were to employ yourself to represent your business or company in photographs, presentations and videos … do you think you’d get the job?

Hang on… I’m a photographer, I’ve not talked about video before, so what’s going on? Firstly, I’m not about to venture into this skill set. Having always concentrated on helping people be more confident in front of the camera for photographs, it’s been a natural progression to also build people’s skills and confidence in front of the camera for video.

You have the perfect resource to use… that’s yourself, because you and what you do, are who your audience are interested in. Learning to develop these skills is within your reach.

On the 23rd May, I will be running a half day Video Presentation Skills workshop just outside Bury St Edmunds, in collaboration with MarleyBird Communications, focusing on the importance of ‘what you should say’ and ‘how you should say it‘ to create great marketing content without costing you much more than your time.

Be one of those businesses others talk about, recommend and share your videos.

'I've really got to get to grips with Video Marketing'
‘I’ve really got to get to grips with Video Marketing’

Video Presentation Skills Workshop

Perceptions of value.

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What do you consider to be a bargain?

What is ‘good value’ – buy cheap buy twice?

We are bombarded with offers, reductions, sales, time limited deals, bogof, interest free & deferred payment.

Pricing for the modern consumer is a minefield of pitfalls for the SME. If you pitch a low price quote then you may be perceived as ‘too cheap’, on the other hand charge too much and you may put yourself out of the consumers budget.

Even after you have submitted a competitive quote there could be further ‘negotiation’. We would like a discount. But can we feasibly work for minimum wage, does it make your business viable?

If you truly believe the work/product that you produce meets the standards expected by the client then why do people feel so awkward in their pricing structure reflecting that high standard? Despite researching and obtaining a comprehensive brief from the client and meeting the exact specifications of the proposal how many providers have gulped and lost confidence at the prepared quote?

Preparing and calculating for all the possible scenarios and outcomes is a time consuming exercise and ultimately is comes down to the perception of value in your work. If providers do themselves a disservice then why should the client respect the value of their product?

Image copyright Penny Morgan Photography.

Is this you?

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We’re introduced at a networking meeting and a professional rapport was established. I viewed the photographers website and checked out their online presence. All the people in the images must be professional models as they all look great/at ease with their poses

Emails are exchanged. Hard questions have to be faced. What do I want? How can this ever work? All the what if’s………………? I really don’t like my photograph being taken. I need to do this but I’m really not comfortable in front of the camera.

Time and date agreed, deposit paid, confirmation received – there’s no backing out now!

The dreaded day arrives, I have a plan, take it steady, arrive calm and relaxed – not. What a calamitous morning, heavy traffic encountered all the way to the shoot (Oh the irony, strike me down now!) running late. What do I wear – grabbed a selection of shirts – some are slightly smaller than I remembered!

I arrive at the venue and I’m greeted at the door, my nervous laughter mixed with babbling small talk – explaining the small shirts – why? What do we want to achieve – professional, friendly, approachable? All the while my insides are churning like a washing machine on spin cycle!

A backdrop, big lights with reflective umbrellas, but strangely an air of calm slowly begins to descend over me. The offer of a coffee delays the impending failure / gory experience. This is not going to work, how can I look good in a picture?

Lights, camera and action! Seated on a posing block, the heat radiating from the lights is akin to basking in the midday sun. Calming, soothing words of guidance, helping me find a comfortable position. Slight tilt of the head, right hand onto thigh and just drop those shoulders. I interact with the photographer and their assistant, use my hands, my expressive side showing through. Big smile, drop the chin, a serious look. A slurp of coffee between poses, hey, this isn’t too bad!

Wow, I have a best side, but I knew that all along and this is all feeling so much better than I had anticipated. And relax.

I’ve been sat here for thirty minutes already and time is flying by. All change and into the “smaller than I remember shirt” . I do believe that I can carry this off. The talking continues, adjusting position, lean forward from the waist, turn my face a little and back the other way.

And it’s over. Gather my things, the images will be ready within ten working days and I can view them in a password protected folder. Choose the ones that I prefer and they will be mine.

On reflection, that was a goods experience. I left feeling a lot better about how to be myself in front of the camera. Gone is the awkwardness and the toothy grimace masquerading as a smile.

Having a professional take the shots is so much more than someone just pressing a button. They can understand you and get the best out of you. That is when great shots are achieved.

Image copyright Penny Morgan Photography.

‘I could never be on stage!’

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The driving factor of networking is to engage with people, promote your business and build those trusted relationships for future work. Being amongst 30 – 40 people together in a room, grabbing a coffee just to separate a little from the throng and watch. Listening to one conversation while eaves dropping on three others in your periphery. All kinds of folk, suited and booted, leopard print heels, jeans, casual shirts and the odd donkey jacket.

The organisers are making introductions, surreptitiously moving the participants in the ever changing dynamic of the room. PA, PR, building management and a holistic health practitioner is just brushing the surface of the gathered expertise. The noise, the communication, the body language, to be heard and observed. You could interject with a yes or no, a nod or a smile. Listening to people, don’t we all like to talk about ourselves? Looking for common ground, shared ethics and views, commonality is the driver.

But what has being on stage got to do with any of this?

What if running your own business or a valued member of a bigger organisation could be likened to being in the best production you’ll ever perform in? You don’t have to learn a script, you already know it inside out… it’s the business you work in… and being yourself. Your personality, the way you dress, stand, behave and share your skills and knowledge of what you do, all tell an unfolding unique story of authenticity, honesty and personal leadership. How many of the connections you make leave you wanting to hear more, like you might in a gripping production?

Stop the room and bring a camera in, many of the participants will melt into the wings and tuck themselves away from the forefront, they will appear distracted and their demeanour will change. But helping people to be themselves, help them get over their apprehension and nerves, in front of the greatest audience they could wish for, is all the camera is facilitating… something we here at PMP Towers have made part of our own unique production.

What’s your experience networking and do you find it easy to be yourself?

Image copyright of Penny Morgan Photography

How much priority should we give ‘down time’?

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Easter is around the corner bringing with it a term holiday for those with children in school. Now what to do with the them? Is it a holiday for those in charge? ’I’ll do that, if I have the time’, or, ‘we’ll do it later’. Do we find the time, or are we chasing our tails and it feels like another working week? Remembering the simpler times when we could work out where our friends were by who’s house they’d left their bikes outside and being told as kids to be home by tea time!

No mobiles or internet, just our bikes and imagination.

Not pining for rose tinted nostalgia, too many reminders of dodgy clothing choices and shocking/questionable haircuts, but how much downtime do you book for yourself and your loved ones? The benefits of ‘head space’, enjoying the great outdoors and doing the things that bring enhancement to your life… why on earth don’t we give it a higher priority?

Future memories are being made today.

Outside is free. These things don’t have to be financially restrictive. Build a blanket den, hide & seek or get crafty – make stuff from, well, stuff! But are teenagers going to want to be involved with a ladybird search? Our past experience has included tame pheasants, quad bikes, dogs, sport, music, oh and imitating Mo Farrah and Usain Bolt, to name a few things we’ve captured with the teens of the family.

Picnic in the park, beach walks and nature trails, liking these simple things for what they are, not for the ‘likes’ it may achieve on social media is still pretty priceless.

Create your future memory this year.

Create your future memories this year. Photograph copyright of Penny Morgan Photography.