Tag Archives: personal branding photography

Personal branding and being visible in your business.

Personal branding and being visible in your business – what does it mean for you?

If you are considering using someones services or their products, what’s an initial thing you might do? Check them out – their website, their social media channels and Trust pilot are all things you might look for. You will quickly form an opinion according to what you find… or as importantly, what you don’t find. But you will form an opinion and it could influence your decision on whether to buy from, or work with who you are checking out.

Let’s turn this round to you and your potential clients who could be checking you out. First of all, that’s great, that’s exactly what you want them to do … and what will they find?

It’s is really important to get yourself visible for your audience, but what if you just don’t feel comfortable doing this?

Your brand encompasses a lot more than your logo.

You are very much part of your brand, the way you speak, your values, beliefs, why you do what you do and your personal visibility. It’s all part of what makes up your personal brand.

So here’s the thing, your potential clients want to know who you are, today, now, not an old inappropriate shot from some years back or on holiday. If you form an opinion of someone when you see these, they will do the same for you.

Becoming comfortable and at ease to do this is priority so you project the genuine you. Good clear headshots showing you as the friendly and approachable person you are is a great start.
Love Your Image offers a headshot session, specifically to help you find your confidence: Explore Your Image

But you can do so much more with it.

There is no getting away from it, that photographs and videos are an important part of establishing your brand. But you can ease yourself into it, taking one step at a time and find your feet.

Find your stories

Big, little, personal, business, using photographs and videos to tell them. It is very common that a personal post receives more engagement than a more regular business post, so your posts don’t always need to be business related. They don’t need to be your life story – many will relate to little snippets of what’s going on in your world.

I’ve been photographing Kim both personally and professionally since 2012.

Kim started out, all those years ago, not so comfortable being photographed, to now being a very prolific content creator.
She has many, many photos of herself, living, relaxing and working and can find the right image to go with the right post.

Personal and professional authentic shots of Kim

Kim working from home

Kim relaxing on a beach near her home

Kim relaxing at home

She still uses some of those photographs from years ago, to illustrate a relevant post, as well as many up to date ones from our last shoot in 2023:

Kim in touch with her online presence during a photoshoot

Kim presenting to her audience about social media

Kim’s website can be found here – Morr Marketing

How did we achieve this?

As the professional guiding, it’s important I establish a good rapport with you from the outset. Put you in a place where you can feel at ease and able to be yourself is paramount. I have to earn your trust. What better way, than to start with a cup of tea/coffee and find some mutual ground 🙂

It’s also important to discuss what you would like and what you are hoping to achieve. Finding the right photographer who is going to listen and guide you where they feel it’s necessary with creative ideas, or in areas that you’ve asked for their help and suggestions.

You don’t need to struggle!

Help is at hand and we can quite literally take it one step at a time, until you have conquered your fears and can be yourself in front of a camera.

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What’s really going on in a photograph – Part 2

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Have you ever had your photograph de-constructed?

Well why would you… unless you don’t like what you see?

What’s really going on in a photograph? Last year I wrote a blog on this subject to deconstruct what brings a photograph together. This broke down the various elements to explain why we don’t see beyond what’s directly in front of us. This is particularly relevant if you don’t like getting in front of a camera and think a poor result is all your fault.

If you haven’t already read it, I’m sharing a link to that blog again:

What’s really going on in a photograph?

It’s all about a good conversation.

Recent conversations brought last years observations to mind and worthy of adding another angle on the subject (pun intended). An image is essentially the result of a conversation, or communication between two parties. The success of the photo/s depends on the quality of that connection. Both sides of the conversation would like a good outcome that shows in the results, for their own agendas. But they both have to give the other something to achieve that.

Let’s assume for a moment that the technical side is all good and ok when capturing the image.

However, there still needs a good rapport going in order to get the engagement and guarantee great results. As in a normal conversation, if one always dominates and doesn’t consider or understand the others needs or point of view then the connection may not achieve the results you’d hope for.

Equate this to taking a photograph:

Person being photographed:

Do you feel comfortable with the photographer?
Do they talk you through the process and put you at ease?
Do they give you confidence, that enables you to trust you’ll get good results?
Do you feel out of control?

Photographer:

How closely do you observe your subject?
Do you know what you’re looking for and how to get it?
Do you start a conversation and keep it going?
Are you able to recognise if your subject is feeling anxious?

Let’s add another consideration…

This is not a professional shoot and someone has their phone camera out. This is traditionally where any conversation ends. There is also unlikely to be any guidance on the assumption you know how to stand/sit/smile. The photographer is intent on looking at their phone and before you know it… the photograph is taken. You are left with no idea how that image looks and perhaps a feeling of apprehension of its result. The photographer doesn’t see this through the same eyes as you.

If you express your feelings of “do we have to do this?” – it can be met with “you’ll be fine – don’t worry about it”.

So, you can now understand a bit more of what really goes on in a photograph, whether you are being captured, or, you are the one taking the photograph. If you want great results, start with great engagement with those you have in your camera site 🙂

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The YouTube channel continues to have things added to it. There will be another series of top tips soon, leading up to the Christmas period to help you when the cameras are out – Love Your Image on You Tube

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What’s really going on in a photograph?

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I’m just not photogenic… or am I?

What’s really going on in a photograph? When we see an image of ourselves, we don’t see past it. We just see it as something perhaps we like or we don’t. If it’s one you like, great! But if it’s not, it can be part of a subconscious downward spiral to constant disappointment – leading you to believe you are not photogenic.

There are different reasons we do or don’t like an image.

But our decision will be based on a judgement about ourselves. Understanding a bit more of what’s happening in a photograph can be essential to helping you improve any dislike of an image. Not to necessarily like it, but to realise why it didn’t turn out so well – this doesn’t mean you are not photogenic!

A photograph captures a split second in time.

It brings together many elements. That single moment is all important to how you view the results. Let me expand on this slightly. We are producing expressions that are uniquely us, all the time, depending on where and who we are with. Because a photograph is of a single moment, it’s a skilled person who observes and captures you in an image that you will love. Not because you are a difficult subject, but because they know what it takes to capture that moment.

I’ve separated reasons into five main points and explained some of what was going on:

Photographer responsibility.
Technical issues.
Masking.
Comparing ourselves.
Judging ourselves

Photographer responsibility.

This was the topic of two earlier blogs – do take a read – Photographer responsibility Part 1 – Photographer responsibility Part 2. It could give you more insight. Who was taking the photograph? If you were captured either off-guard, or unexpectedly, perhaps the photographer wasn’t focusing on capturing you at your best, or, they didn’t know how to. Perhaps they didn’t consider how you were feeling.

Technical issues.

This was touched on in the last blog – again take a read – Using Phone Cameras and Filters – it could be helpful.

Don’t forget about the distortion that happens, if either you or someone else was capturing you on a phone camera. The camera may have been too low, or from a less than flattering angle.

The light was maybe harsh and unforgiving, perhaps because of bright midday sunlight, or, overhead artificial light. As I mentioned in the blog, people now assume that their phones will do it all for them.

Masking.

You’re requested to be in a photograph and beginning to feel anxious and uncomfortable and your stomach churns. You could also feel distracted and not know how to stand/sit/look and added to that you are not being guided. There’s no hiding at the back and you would rather not be there. So at best you grin and bear it, or put on a ‘mask’ to just get through. Tension, anxiety and feeling highly uneasy is going to show through.

These three points ARE NOT YOUR FAULT

But no-one else gives any consideration to this and leaves you berating yourself for taking a far from acceptable image, on the assumption it’s your responsibility – well it’s not!

The next two are deeply personal and individual.

Comparing ourselves to others.

Looking good in an image is actually not a competition, but many measure it this way. Social media and advertising pile on the pressure, causing us to think we should look like something/someone else. In reality, whether you can achieve it or not is another thing. We are lead to believe that if we buy a particular product, or have a particular treatment, we can! All to follow a particular trend and fit in with our peer group.

Judging ourselves.

I was recently chatting to a lady at an event about ‘Love Your Image’. She quite matter-of-fact announced that a particular lady (nearby) was beautiful and she (herself) was not. It was that black and white to her. How we see ourselves is of course deeply personal. Negative self judgement can be so ingrained, it’s barely a conscious thought or action anymore, as we do it so regularly. It has truly become a habit… a bad one. We’ve taught our brains, with our life experiences and values to automatically think that way.

So that’s the negatives covered – but all is not lost.

EVERY SINGLE POINT LISTED HAS A POSITIVE ASPECT.

Everyone can take a good photograph, yes everyone.

I once had a photograph taken to record quite a big achievement – I’d just cycled 100 miles in a day. I’d spent 3 months preparing and getting fit enough. It was a shot taken on a phone, (not mine), quite close up, so lots of distortion. I was also exhausted… it showed! 🙁 But the image doesn’t bother me, because I understand what was behind it.

I’ve shared an example to illustrate one of the above points – which point do you think these come under?

What’s going on in a photograph – this shows a group of people un-prepared for their photograph.

Happy group of people all smiling to camera

What’s going on in a photograph – a group all looking a lot more comfortable in front of the camera.

These two photographs are a perfect example of two moments in time, taken seconds apart – I remember them well, as I was there! As you can see, every single person in the group had no idea the photograph was being taken in the first image. The second is a much more pleasing image with everyone focusing towards the camera.

Do you relate to any of the points raised in this blog?

Did you know you can learn to get past all of these things?

If you haven’t already done so, do sign up to the mailing list and make sure you receive all blogs and videos as they are published. There is also now a You Tube channel for Love Your Image.

Five steps to stress free photographs

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How many times in your life has someone said to you “take it one step at a time”?

There are many relevant points on what it takes to be at ease in front of a camera. However this article shows just how easy it can be to get there, by following my five steps to stress free photographs. I’m not just talking about working with a professional photographer, I’m also talking about any time you find a camera being pointed at you.

Some of us need a goal or an incentive to step out of an uncomfortable place.

When we do, we grow personally ending up mighty pleased with ourselves and a feeling of real achievement 🙂

Imagine this analogy – the place you’re in now, with regard to being photographed, is like standing on a river bank. It’s familiar, but you want to be on the other side, because all the things you’d like to have, do or be, are over there!

You’ll get on with life in the same format that you always have. You tell yourself that you’re fine where you are, or it’s too dangerous to cross the deep water.

But you are always given a way forward when you decide you want to change something.

Finding someone to help you on that journey makes it a lot easier:

They show you how to step forward
Guide you through
Give you the tools to find your way

One step at a time can get you across to a better place on the other side of that river.

Analogy of the river when taking things one step at a time

Imagine the river has stepping stones – you can choose to take a first step and see the journey ahead. You have the option to go back, but you can’t move onto the next stone until you’ve achieved the goal of the one you’re standing on. So you always have a choice. Here are your five steps to stress free photographs.

Step 1

Is all about acknowledging where you are now and being ready to take that next step.

Step 2

It’s a bit like a ‘Photo-less Photoshoot’! We explore all the issues that affect people; identify and discuss which apply to you and discover insightful information and technique for you to move forward – no photography takes place!

Step 3

‘The safety net step’ – go through the motions and methods of working in front of a camera, BUT, no photographs are taken. It might be possible to move across step 3 quite quickly, but it’s there as a safety stone if you need it and a valuable part of your journey 😊

Step 4

Armed with information and control, using all you’ve learned so far, you ease into a photoshoot. We discuss the results and how you feel and re-cap on your available strategies to use for the future.

Step 5

Reaching the far bank and a stronger place, celebrating, and receiving your images.

When we really want to learn a new thing or change something in ourselves, without knowing where to start – it can seem like a wall right in front of you. All we see is the insurmountable task of getting past it and the stress and anxiety that brings. You can turn and look the other way, but it doesn’t get you past the wall. When someone helps you stand back and see a different picture, full of possibilities, things you probably haven’t thought of, it opens up a world of potential.

Life is not always as it seems – you always have a choice – you always have a way forward and that brings you control and confidence.

Having a free review is your first step – get in touch and you can find out more – Love Your Image 5 step success.

In the meantime, do sign up to the mailing list for Love Your Image and stay up to date with new information and blogs. There is also a You Tube channel – you get to know when a new video is published by being on the mailing list.

Proof of your success through five steps to stress free photographs.