If you are here, you probably understand the importance of having ... READ MORE »
Making The most of your Headshots & Personal Branding sessions
If you are here, you probably understand the importance of having amazing headshots and branding photography. That doesn’t mean you want to do it.
Don’t worry, I get how uncomfortable it is being in front of the camera. A key benefit to being a photographer is I get to be behind the camera all the time not in front! But I do my absolute best to make you feel comfortable. We will work together before hand to figure out what you need to get from your session and how we will achieve that. I find this helps clients have more confidence in the session and having an end goal keeps you focused on the importance of why you need to do this.
On the day of the shoot, I will give gentle guidance on posing and I also love to incorporate action and movement as this really helps people relax. This can be as simple as you showing me what you do.
Bringing along props. This can be as simple as your laptop, planners or your phone. If you make products, bring some along, show me how you make them, use them or package them.
Can you show me your inspiration, ingredients or tools you use? All of this takes the emphasis away from being on you all the time while still giving your clients an amazing way to connect with you and your business.
How to use your photos after you receive them?
First up is to look to your website. A good bio is one thing but people do love to see who you are. It creates a stronger connection and familiarity that words alone won’t do. Having professional headshots done makes this easier, look more finished and professional. It shows your clients you know your business is worth investing in and you want to make an effort to connect with them.
Social Media
Stuck for content? We all are! Having personal branding shots done means you can easily introduce yourself to your audience and keep doing so as you gain new followers. You can show clients your products, your service in action or your craft. Whats your inspiration, your why? A before and after shot shows how your business has progressed. What tools do you use?
A well planned branding shoot can cover so much. Once you book with me I have a Planning Prompts guide that help you pull together so many ideas, keeping your feed full of personalised content just right for your business. No more relying on stock photos that aren’t quite right.
Third Party Publishers
Local magazines and newspapers are always looking for content to publish, whether online or in a printed publication. Reach out to them and ask how to get a feature. If you have an exciting upcoming launch, sometimes its a matter of simply submitting an article and image to them (make their life really easy). Sometimes they may want to interview you and may well offer you advertisement space. Having your own set of branding images is going to ensure you make the most of this and control your image in the public sphere.
Offline
Going offline is equally important. Are you going to any networking events? Business showcases? Or Industry exhibitions? Leaflets/posters placed in the right spots can work amazing too. Having personalised banners, leaflets and even business cards with your own images can really make you stand out and be memorable.
The Importance of Headshots and Personal Branding
According to Forbes, we make a decision to trust someone within 100 milliseconds of seeing their face. That is an incredibly short time to make a good first impression! And let’s face, in today’s world, a huge portion of our interactions are no longer at a shop front, but instead online. That could be on your own website, social media, LinkdIn or any number of third party websites or listings. This is where a great headshot comes in. This can lead to a lasting impression of warmth, professionalism and trust. This can be the make or break on whether someone books with you or buys your product.
Now I know what everyone thinks about headshots, they can be stiff and formal and might not even look like you. That is definitely true of many traditional headshots but it doesn’t mean that’s what you need to get.
I am a big believer in coming as you are and photographs should reflect what you look like and who you are. Your best version of yourself, absolutely. Wear what you would wear if you were going to meet your ideal client, employer or collaborator. Equally, your makeup should reflect your norm. For some that is super glam, others more down to earth and natural. Ideally this will reflect your brand and speak to your ideal client. Because guess what, when people are in the research phase of their buying journey, they will check out your about page and it is increasingly important to know who you are buying from. Especially for SMEs. You don’t have a fraction of the budget of a huge corporation.
This is where being a small business can be more beneficial. YOU are a massive part of your own brand. You are often what distinguishes your business from your competitors. So give your ideal clients an insight into your why and how of business. What is your inspiration? Show us your craft. People love seeing all of this. You will be the reason people book or buy, and you will be the reason they will come back. Forget about the traditional headshot, they may still have their place in some corporate fields but I believe that is even changing. If you are a business owner or self-employed, you need to think of it as personal branding because that is what it is.
Breaffy House Hotel Summer Wedding, Co Mayo
Martyna and Vjaceslavs had a gorgeous summer wedding at Breaffy House. Their wedding was truly unique and very much done in their own way. They got ready together (definitely easier when you have a little one who wants both Mama and Papa nearby). We took couple photos before the ceremony so they could make the most of the drinks reception and have more time with their guests. We had a lovely short wander through the woodlands to capture some gorgeous, relaxed couple shots. A beautiful indoor ceremony featuring plenty of readings and singing by friends and family (including a few tear jerkers) followed by yummy drinks reception, family photos in a beautiful shaded area off one of the loop walks and then of course the meal and party time!
I am a big fan of Breaffy house, yes it is just on my doorstep which is amazing but the house itself still retains an element of a country house feel while being a big hotel and having all the amenities associated with that. The grounds are gorgeous. Its about 100 acres of Irish countryside, featuring beautiful woodland and a small lake with a lovely water feature and red bridge. Lastly, my daughter would be very upset if I didn’t mention the playground and best of all, a great climbing tree (all the kids will find it).
Outdoor Wedding Ceremony, Ireland
Take a peak at a complete real life wedding from morning prep to first dance.
I get it, you don’t just want to see highlights you want to see what a complete wedding might look like. So here you go. This is an album design I put together of Sarah and Claytons wedding in Co Wicklow. An absolutely gorgeous barn wedding full of emotions and dancing (soooo much dancing, three conga lines before dinner kind of dancing!).
What is Personal Branding?
Personal Branding Photography is taking the classic headshot and injecting it with a whole load of personality.
It is exactly what it sounds like: Photography of your personal brand and for a whole load of entrepreneurs and SME’s that equates to YOU! For small to medium business owners their business is so deeply connected with who they are, what their values are and how they want to make their clients’ lives better. We all want to find the perfect fit client, but that can be hard, right? Especially when let’s face it, I am sure you have a ton of competitors offering similar products or services. HOWEVER the one thing a competitor can never offer is your unique personality and what you instil into your product and service. That’s where personal branding photography comes in. Let your clients see who is behind the business. Let them see how personal this is to you. Let them gain an insight into your work flow, how you run your business or how you make your products.
When done properly you will have a whole selection of images that will be perfect not only for your website but for social media too.
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What to expect for your portrait shoot?
Beforehand…
Once you get in touch we will figure out a time, date and location for your shoot. We will have a chat about what you need, priority shots or any ideas you might have. I will send a contract to sign and a link to pay a deposit. These must be completed to confirm your booking. I will then send you a questionnaire that I ask you to complete. It can spark ideas for you but for me it provides invaluable information about who is in the shoot and helps me create a shoot unique to you.
During the shoot..
Once we have all arrived at the chosen location we will get started. We will move through the location to capture a variety of shots. Some will be set up, lots will be captured as you move, play and interact with each other. I aim to keep every session fun, relaxed and as natural as possible. Most clients find an hour flys by and kids have had a good run around!
After the session..
I will curate a selection of the best shots – that basically means I get rid of any awkward poses/faces, anything that doesnt work and narrow it down to only the best shots. I then edit each image to create the best version of it. This does take time, so I like to provide a sneak peak of a few shots, as a little taster of what is to come. While I do my absolute best to get fully edited galleries out within 3 to 4 weeks at busy times and for bigger galleries this can sometimes take longer. I will give you an indication at the time of shoot.
In the gallery..
A complete gallery is usually a minimum of 40 images but can be anything up to 100 shots for an hour’s shoot. Depending on your package you may have to choose a selection of shots or you may prefer to upgrade to download the whole gallery.
When all your images are ready to go I will share your private online gallery with you. You can then download & share this gallery with as many people as you like. The galleries have a whole heap of features that allows you to mark favourites, hide any images you may not want to share and allows you to purchase prints, albums and framed pieces. I highly recommend you save your images in a number of locations, cloud storage, eternal hard drives, USB keys etc. Of course I honestly believe there is no back up quite like prints, so print print print!
What is the best age to have my baby photographed?
Newborn photography has exploded in popularity in recent years and for very good reason. Those days are so fleeting. They are still so small and squished up, it all leads to incredibly beautiful, emotive photographs. I do love doing newborn lifestyle sessions in clients home. I believe it leads to a really relaxed atmosphere and my hope is that is is easier for more clients to manage. If this stage is when you really want to have documented I highly recommend getting in touch well in advance of your due date as this needs to be done by 7 – 14 days, maybe 21 days old if baby is born a little early.
However I really believe there is no right or wrong age to have your baby photographed. I hear lots of people say they never had their kids photographed when they were newborns & felt they had missed out. Either did I and I’m obsessed with photographing my kids, but it is a crazy time so whats the next best option? Now! Honestly I have photographed babies at every stage and there is always something precious to capture.
When they are a few weeks/months old you are more likely to have them awake and therefore more likely to get eye contact which is incredible. As they become more expressive you might catch any range of emotions from curiosity, confusion, or of course their amazing first smiles.
Throughout the first year or two there is milestone after milestone to capture, from when they can first lift their heads, eat their toes, sit up, crawling and even those first tentative steps, first birthdays. Then we head into the crazy toddler years and that is just an explosion of energy and fun. Not to mention all the adorable rolls and squidgy features!! It is all incredibly exciting and they always look adorable – honestly always!!!
Of course, some of my favourite images to capture are babies with their parents and loved ones, be it siblings or grandparents. I honestly believe this is incredibly important. Your connection and relationship is precious. You are their world. You may not feel quite yourself, but they will grow up loving any images you are in more than anything. Take it from a mum photographer. My kids are always asking ‘where was I’ why wasn’t I there’ because I am always the one taking the photograph! I can see their eyes light up when I can show them one with me. It means everything to them.
So whenever you choose to have your family photographed be sure to have the whole family involved. Yes we will capture their important milestones and personalities but we will also capture what is incredibly important to them – your relationships and connections as a family.
