CULT of PERSONALITY

The right photograph can make all the difference when it comes to showcasing your clients.

 

by Audra Tiner 

CEO, Articulate Communications

As communications professionals, our goal is to tell a comprehensive story that presents our clients in a positive light. We construct bios, pitches, case studies, live events and more in an effort to showcase their unique offerings, articulate their value and differentiate them from the field.

One thing we can’t overlook is the importance of also being excellent visual storytellers. We can secure a brilliant editorial piece that includes quotes, testimonials and the full PR package, but if we lack the right supporting photographs and materials, we are missing a huge opportunity. Capturing the personality of a client with the right photograph is integral to our greater goal, and can transform a good piece into a great one. In the same vein, pairing the wrong visual with even the strongest story can decrease the impact of the piece.

We all know that coaxing the right emotion and energy level from our subjects can often be a challenge. The secret is to find a photographer with an eye for framing a distinctive shot, a creative approach to even the most straightforward assignments, and a personality that puts the subject at ease. What you ultimately want is a partner with a willingness to work in concert with you and your client to ensure every piece conveys the desired message and delivers the maximum value.

Each of our clients has a unique story to tell, and it is our job to communicate it with as much soul and range as possible. By ensuring our client’s personality and individuality shines through, a communications pro and their photographer can truly bring a story to life.

*Originally printed in AEFP FOCUSED Issue 1 / Volume 1

So Your Company isn’t Footing the Bill for New Headshots?

 

by Amanda D’Aquila / Suggestions from the AEFP studio procrastinatrix

Anyone in business knows: sometimes, doing something yourself is the best way to get it done. While there are many things that can only be handled through diplomacy, proper management channels and ‘getting everyone on board’, some are simply a matter of taking initiative and going first.

It’s undeniable that having a professional photo is beneficial for your personal marketability. As for your company, an expert team is the best commodity that any business can have… and customers respond to people (that’s why even the most recognizable brands routinely employ spokespeople). People respond to people. People trust people. People love people. The same often can’t be said for a corporation. A.E. Fletcher Photography consistently works with businesses that understand this principle.

If your company isn’t ready to update and humanize their website with executive and staff photos right now, that doesn’t mean that you can’t reap all the benefits of a professional photo. Just as businesses are made from their people, their people’s success reflects well on the business. In most cases, no one will stop you from looking good and promoting your online presence, booking speaking engagements or publishing expert articles. This initiative and positive notoriety reflects back on positively for your employer. Wouldn’t we all like to be in the position that our bosses are inspired to keep us (and keep us happy)?

Booking a professional photography session at A.E. Fletcher Photography is a powerful step in self-promotion. When dealing with our many corporate clients we say, “When you are media worthy, it’s important to look media worthy.” We will make sure that your best, media-worthy self shines through in your headshot.

Our headquarters is conveniently located in Downtown Brooklyn and provides a professional setting, great light and a comfortable experience. To find out more about booking an individual session with Amy, contact us.

Sincerely,

Amanda

AEFP Studio Manager & Procrastinatrix – amanda@aefletcher.com

YOUR HEADSHOT… Quick Advice to Look Nice

by Amy Fletcher

ADVICE FROM AEFP HQ

Many variables go into making a great headshot. Of course the right light and atmosphere (and photographer!) can make a big difference. However, as the subject, you don’t always have a lot of control over those things… especially in a “line 'em up and move 'em through” corporate conveyer-belt style shoot. What you can control is how YOU look.

I generally suggest that my clients style themselves as the BEST version of how they would comfortably look at work. A friend recently summed this up perfectly by suggesting, for a business headshot, you should dress like you are going to an important client lunch.

These specific recommendations below can help you make the most out of your headshot session (at AEFP or anywhere).

Good luck!

-Amy

"leave the posing for the models"

EXPRESSION: For a basic business headshot, I suggest squaring your face to the camera, chin slightly down (and leave the posing for the models). Do your best to find a natural, relaxed smile. Sometimes photographers will offer (bad) jokes and witty banter to try to catch a smile. If that doesn’t work for you, try thinking of a funny secret you can’t tell anyone… this can usually bring out a sly (but real) smile that works well for photos. To see more samples of natural business headshots, take a look here at the AEFP “Signature Headshots” portfolio.

 

What to wear and regarding your hair...

ATTIRE: Avoid wearing white or too much black. White can sometimes appear too bright and distracting in photos, even under a suit. Even worse, white doesn’t do great things for your skin tone. Black can be a bit harsh and, depending on the lighting, it can look dusty or brown or blue or just plain strange. Women can sometimes get away with wearing black if the accessories add good color. In general, stay away from drab neutral tones. A splash of color always helps (in the form of accessories, ties, etc).

  • For women: Bold patterns, bright/neon/metallic colors, and fabrics that wrinkle easily are usually NOT good choices. Classic solid colors always look good. Accessories are a plus. For corporate photos, don’t show too much skin. NOTE: If your neckline is too low, it may be cropped out, and that can leave too much to the imagination.
  • For men: I recommend NOT wearing a white shirt (light blue, purple, stripes, etc will look better). I suggest always wearing a jacket or blazer, even if you are going for a more casual photo. The jacket will add nice contrast, and shirts without jackets can look frumpy. Tie choice is key (if you wear a tie, of course)… take a few ties to your shoot if you are unsure.

HAIR: Men, I recommend that you do NOT get a new haircut on the day (or within a few days) of your shoot… New haircuts can sometimes look too new. If you get a new haircut, especially in the summer, your trim may uncover a hair tan line you didn’t know you had. Women, you can go ahead and get a new haircut, if you'd like (but I would avoid debuting a whole new hairstyle).

Most importantly... HAVE FUN!

Next, just for laughs, check out our post about why you should check your teeth before your photo shoot: About your teeth...

JUST BOOK IT

preserve your visual memories

 

by Amy Fletcher 

ADVICE FROM AEFP HQ 

I RECENTLY OVERHEARD a woman tell her husband that she needs a new Blackberry because she ran out of space and couldn’t take anymore photos of their new baby.  Two problems here:  She was documenting her child’s life with her Blackberry, and she was not downloading (or printing) any of the photos.  They were just living on her phone.

MY DEAR FRIENDS:  It’s time for you to take all of your most meaningful digital photos from the last few years and print them in a book so that they can be enjoyed! Right now, you probably have a computer or phone full of photos that have never seen the light of day… photos that you briefly looked at when you first shot them, but they’ve since been forgotten.

 

THE FORGOTTEN: Gone are the days of running into a box of old photos and having a little walk down memory lane. We only look for specific digital photos when we need them, and even then they are difficult to find, unless you developed a meticulous filing system early on. For me, any personal photos from 2000 through 2006 are practically impossible to find. I recently spent some time searching through old unlabeled files from an ancient hard drive, and I couldn’t believe how many fun photos I found (rock-n-roll haircuts, old friends, etc)!

THE LOST: If you are anything like me, you have lost many, many photos over the years. Early on, there were rolls of film you never developed, then, a while back, you lost your little point-n-shoot digital that was full of photos you never downloaded. Maybe, in the last few years, your computer crashed, and, oops!, you had never backed up 5 years worth of photos. And, most recently, your phone was stolen along with all the photo gems (and embarrassments) it contained.

IN 2011, I SPENT A WEEK IN ICELAND WITH MY PARENTS.  It was their 40th anniversary, and they wanted me to join them.  How could I turn that down?  I didn’t feel like lugging my big camera with me, so I photographed that trip exclusively with my phone.  Initially, I posted a few of the photos on social media, I showed a few to friends, and that was it.  Those memories were destined to disappear the next time I lost my phone.

After that trip, I decided I needed to make a book with these photos as a gift for my parents. I had only ever made photo books for clients, never for myself. I downloaded all the photos to my computer, created a book online, and placed the order.  It was very easy and very inexpensive… a simple 5×7 paperback book containing all of the fun memories from that trip. Two copies. One for them, one for me.

A few weeks later, my phone was stolen.

 

SO MAKE A BOOK!

  1. Download all of your photos (from all of your devices) to your computer.  If you are not technically savvy, ask a friend to help you.  And from now on, make sure your new photos are syncing to properly labeled files on your computer.  And, of course, make sure you have a system to back up the info on your computer.
  2. Divide photos into folders for various years or vacations or themes.  OR throw them all together in order of date, and call it a “photo anthology”.
  3. Select photo book company. There are many… I often receive emails from shutterfly.com (“Save up to 50%!”), and I know that you can create a book using iLife on your Mac.  I usually use www.MyPublisher.com for coffee table books for my clients (and I also used it for my personal project). The smallest books can start as low as $3.00, while the larger, fancier books can be well over $60.  http://www.mypublisher.com/products/sizesandprices (My little ICELAND books cost around $15 each).
  4. Decide on the size and materials and design for the book. You can easily create an upscale beautiful leather coffee table book, or a simple paperback.  I like to keep it clean and simple, steering clear of the “scrapbooking” look, but you can add all the bells and whistles you want! If you are dealing with lower-quality photos from your phone, you may opt for a smaller size book.  There are automated options that place the images for you, and you can go back to make changes… or you can design it on your own from the start.
  5. If you have the time and a lot of patience, then go ahead and caption the photos in your book… But if captioning will delay the process, then make it easy on yourself and skip that part.
  6. Order your book(s).
  7. Repeat these steps every 12 months.  You will not regret it.

And, if you want to see the amazing adventures of our Iceland trip, just schedule a visit to AEFP HQ!

Through the Lens

An editor speaks out on finding the right headshot and working with a great photographer.

 

For an editor, it is the moment of truth: The editorial submission deadline has arrived and your reporter hands in her story. You are pleased that the quotes are sharp and the facts are clear. There is only one thing missing: photographs of the people interviewed in the story. These are usually supplied by a firm’s media relations people, who certainly understand that a news article can affect the perception of their firm, but don’t seem to place the same importance on headshots of their representatives who appear in such articles.

THE KEY TO GOOD EDITOR/PHOTOGRAPHER RELATIONS IS AN OPEN RAPPORT. 

Phil Albinus edits a financial technology business-to-business magazine and interviews powerful people in financial services. When opening the digital photo of the person in the story, he says he realizes that the next few seconds are a total crap shoot. Will it be a good picture or a bad one? He shakes his head at past pictures he has seen that media relations people offer for publication.

“The pictures are usually a horror,” says Albinus. “Nine times out of 10, it will be a picture taken with a small digital camera when someone has popped into an office. We call them mug shots– the person is placed against the wall and the harshest factory flash setting is used to make this person look like a criminal.”

Albinus has no trouble remembering bad headshots. He recalls one image that was from the subject’s building security card, while another image was from a person’s passport photo at the same resolution as a matchbook cover. “I still can’t get through a PR person’s head who thinks that this is how they want their officials to be represented in a magazine.”

Albinus also recalls one picture of a bank official behind his desk. “It was clear from the angle and the look of utter disdain on his face that he told the photographer that he would be damned if he was going to get up from behind his desk and to just take the picture,” he says. The picture was so terrible that Albinus didn’t use it in the magazine.

Another challenge for editors is live events. Magazines no longer make money from paid ads and subscriptions—in business-to-business journalism, the bulk of a publication’s revenues can come from conferences, roundtables, exhibits, awards dinners and cocktail parties. These present a special challenge to the men and women who must assign a photographer to get pictures for publications. Editors must ensure that an event is going along smoothly, the guests are entertained and relaxed and that the photographer is getting a variety of shots. “These venues are almost always a huge challenge for photographers. They usually happen in hotel meeting rooms where the wallpaper, lights and carpeting are pretty dreadful,” says Albinus. A good photographer with the right equipment and a good eye for framing the shot can make almost any event at any location look good.

The key to good editor/photographer relations is an open rapport. It is hugely beneficial to tell a photographer what types of shots you want and don’t want and what kind of spirit or tone you would like the magazine to achieve. “It is amazing how many editors can’t describe what works in their magazine and what does not,” says Albinus. He adds that it helps when a photographer has to explain what shots cannot be achieved given time of day, lighting and venue.

With open rapport, a clear idea of your magazine’s tone and a respect for high-quality images, an editor and his photographer can make their publication picture-perfect.

 

*Originally published in Issue 1, Volume 1 of A.E. Fletcher Photography’s FOCUSED

 

Look Your Best on LinkedIn’s Birthday

 

On May 5th, LinkedIn turns 10 years old.

Is your LinkedIn photo 10 years old?

To celebrate LinkedIn’s 10th birthday, we are hosting 10 headshot days in the coming weeks at AEFP HQ (our NYC studio).  AND we are offering 10% off our standard price.

Our signature headshots are fresh and modern, and even a little fun.  They show that you are professional and likable.  Most importantly, they make you extremely CLICKABLE.

Contact us for more details, if you want to look this good…

 
 

© A.E. FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY 2023.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.