It’s no secret that a picture tells a
thousand words.
Imagery is an incredibly powerful
tool and should be taken into consideration when planning your business
photoshoot.
I love using props at all my photo
shoots as it’s the perfect way to relax you when someone is poking a camera in
your face.
Prop ideas are endless and no two
business owners would ever bring the same props to a shoot.
Here are some tips to help you
consider which props would be right for you for your next business shoot.
Industry related props:
Tools of the trade. What do you use every day in your business? You could take it further and add a fun historical element by considering what would have been used in your business 50 years ago.
Everyone uses phones and computers, so think differently and choose an object that will make you stand out.
Do you have inspirational quotes that you run your business by? Adding quotes either on letter boards or printed quote cards is a lovely way to inspire others and get your philosophy across.
Industry prop suggestions:
Photographer – Camera.
Accountant – Calculator or computer.
Graphic designer – Pens, markers and other drawing materials.
Yoga teacher – Yoga mat, water bottle.
Health – Fresh food, cook books, weights, tape measure and vitamins.
Stylist – Colour charts, fabrics and mood boards.
Chinese medicine – Acupuncture needles, cupping equipment, natural herbs, candle, and towels.
Personal props:
This is where the fun begins.
Personal props allow you to easily
add your personality into your branding images.
Showcasing the real you to the world
helps you to connect with your customers or clients on a more personal level,
creating a sense of trust and familiarity.
The options for personal props really
are endless, but here are a few ideas:
Things on your desk such as potted plants, picture frames and small ornaments.
Your favourite mug, takeaway coffee cup, or drink bottle.
Something unique about you. You might have a nick name or an in-joke that only some of your audience will get, your favourite childhood toy or your favourite food.
Your diary and some nice pens or highlighters.
Books and magazines
Tip: Remember to consider colour.
I love colour as a way of creating a
strong visual brand for businesses and the easiest way to add colour to your
photos is with your props.
So much can be communicated through the use of colour so it’s worth considering how you can use this powerful visual tool to get your brand’s unique personality across.
Now that you’ve got a good idea of
how powerful props can be, it’s over to you. What props have you used? What
item connects with your business on a deeper level?
I’d love to hear the story behind the
props you’ve chosen!
In today’s competitive marketplace it is becoming
increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd.
Trying to project a different image from competitors can
easily become time consuming, overwhelming and distracts you from what’s really
important: doing what you do best and running the business you have worked so
hard on.
The best way to ensure your business is seen is simple, and
getting back to basics is key.
This is done by really looking at what you actually want to
achieve in your business and consider if your current branding situation is
doing its best to serve your vision.
Visual branding includes all your visual content, including
your logo, colour scheme, font, image styles and photographs.
You may discover that what you currently have going on
visually isn’t serving your overall business vision at all. When this happens,
you have two options: rebranding or refreshing.
You may consider rebranding if:
Your business name no longer serves your vision
or reflects your brands image or goals.
You want to transform your business into
something completely different.
You don’t like your logo or graphics and want a
complete design overhaul.
Rebranding is a good way to get a nice clean slate and start
off fresh with a new, more coherent vision. If you’re happy with your business
name and vision and just want a bit of an update, you might only need a
refresh.
You should consider a brand refresh if:
You currently find yourself not properly connecting
with your customers.
You don’t have consistent visuals in place.
You feel your logo needs slight tweaking, such
as different colours or font.
Your website, social media pages and business
cards all look completely different to one another an you want a more
consistent, professional look.
One of the most important things about visual branding is
consistency. Are you giving your business the best possible chance at being a
consistent, easily recognised brand that people will be able to connect with?
If you’re tired of your current branding but don’t know how to fix it or where to start, a Visual Brand Review can help. If you’re ready to build your visual brand in 2020 and start attracting your ideal customers, contact me today to book a FREE 20 MINUTE CHAT and let’s make 2020 your most visually stunning year yet!
A couple of months ago I wrote a blog post for Mayday VA. It’s very relevant so I will share it here too.
It’s no secret that in the digital age people have shorter attention spans.
In the world of
fast news and social media we are continually bombarded by information, which
makes it hard for businesses to not only get the people’s attention, but to
hold it long enough to get their message across.
Interestingly,
people are more likely to stop scrolling when they see a face. This means
that personal brand photography, photography which aims to showcase the
personality of your brand, is now more important than ever in making sure your
brand not only gets seen but is also easily recognisable.
Here are my top
reasons why personal brand photography is important to any business.
It creates the
Know, Like and Trust factor.
In the current
marketplace, potential clients and customers prefer to know who they’re buying
from, and personal brand photography allows them to actually see your face.
In the era of the
heart, people don’t want to talk to a computer. They prefer more personal
communication and are looking for the real-life person behind the brand.
Having a picture of yourself on your website and across your social media creates a sense of knowing and helps to build trust and increase likeability amongst existing and potential clients.
You
can showcase your personality.
Behind every brand is a real-life person with their own
uniqueness and eccentricities.
Some brand owners have had to overcome amazing odds to get to
where they are today and these stories should be shared and celebrated.
Whether you’re classic, bold, modern, colourful or monochromatic, personal brand photography will showcase your unique personality and tell your story which will, in turn, attract your tribe.
You
become more recognisable.
Pretty
soon, people will start to recognise you and associate you with your brand. You
may find that people may recognise you at networking events or even on the
street and approach you for conversation.
Always
remember to be true to yourself. Portraying a false image is not only
misleading but will also be a nightmare to keep up with. If you always wear
bright red lipstick, keep wearing it. Stay true to you and don’t feel like you
need to change just for the camera.
Be
kind, work hard and you will be recognised for all the right reasons.
It
markets YOU!
Because
personal brand photography markets you, you will end up creating a personal
brand and be seen as the leader in your industry.
Your
personality and the brand itself will become entwined with one another in a
beautiful dance of recognition and people will think of your name when they
hear your brand mentioned.
As you
can see from the list above there are many benefits to investing in personal
brand photography.
Creating
recognition, building trust and putting a face to the business name are all
things that will help instil trust and relatability in potential clients and
customers.
In
this fast-paced world full of multinational corporations and automation, people
crave a more personal approach when doing business with someone. This means
that personal brand photography is now more important than ever in showcase
yourself and what you do best.
It’s
time to shine, get personal and show the world who you are and what you do!
Would you like to know how to use visual branding to amplify your brand? In this video, I am going to talk about my top three tips for creating a consistent and strong visual brand that will attract your ideal customer and become recognisable online.
Your brand style guide. How to use it to create a consistent visual brand.
Personal brand and personal brand photography and how to use this to create an authentic and recognisable brand for your business on and offline.
Do you need some help getting your visual brand attracting your ideal customer? Book a free 15 minute chat to discuss how I can help you achieve your goals.
I love photo shoot day. It’s busy and the best bit of my week. My Melbourne Branded Headshot Days have been quite popular. Each one has had a different set of beautiful business owners with different needs. Below features a set of women in the Health & Wellness space.
Leanne Vandeligt from Uplift Health Fitness Coaching
Leanne is a Health and Fitness coach for women who want to feel better, workout at home, lose weight and change habits. Her goal is to celebrate the older women and educate them that it’s not too late. With consistent workouts and the right tools they can feel proud of their bodies again. Leanne was after on-brand images for her fitness business that portrayed her strength and fitness as a role model for her clients.
Natalie is a Wellness coach and trainer. She mainly works with women and a lot of mums who are lacking in energy, confidence and time to be able to take care of themselves. She was looking for fresh, natural photos that women can resonate with and that reflect her business.
Nicole and Nova have recently launched Soul Link Studio in Newport offering (traumatic memory work), kinesiology, intuitive energy healing and eft. Their goal is to normalise healing and alternative therapies and support families on their journeys in everyday life. They were looking for images separately and together that looked professional and on-brand.
Megan is an intuitive healer, psychic and healing reader, flower essence practitioner and soon to be author. She works mainly with clients who have suffered from anxiety and depression. She uses the Autumn leaf to represent the need to die and be regrow again and this was important to include in her branding images.
Frances runs The Conscientious Cook. She has a passion to be a change-maker. Her goal is to look at how food nurtures or poisons us and help you discover something that helps you take control of your health and your wellbeing. Check out her business to learn how food really is medicine.
