I won’t be comparing Facebook and LinkedIn here and lecturing you on the importance of appearing professional on BOTH of those social media platforms (and more!). Nowadays, where practically all employers are researching their candidates online, having a clean professional image of yourself is just a must. As I browse through LinkedIn, I cannot help but notice the huge amount of badly lit and unflattering selfies, female photos with too much cleavage, someone else’s hands on people’s shoulders that have been cropped out, etc. Or a complete lack of a profile photo whatsoever. The majority of my clients are local small business owners – realtors, skin care specialists, fellow photographers, etc. I even photographed such cool people as a team of a forensic psychologist and a detective! Seriously, love my job!
In the years of doing personal branding photos, I have come across a few common doubts from clients when it comes to professional headshots and I’m here to clear them up:
- “But I hate having my photo taken!” Do you value your business? Do you believe your business needs to be professionally represented through you and your staff online? Sometimes there are things we need to do for our businesses we may not entirely like doing but that are necessary (like I despise doing accounting hence I outsource it). The best part about hiring a professional photographer is that they know their craft and can create a beautiful and professional image in a very short period of time, thus making it less painful for you. If you only need 1-2 images I have a very convenient 15-minute package for you and you’ll be good to go!
- “But I’m not comfortable in front of the camera!” Sort of similar to the first one, but this one has more to do with the photographer’s ability to make you feel comfortable during the photo session. Literally all my clients comment on how fun the sessions were and how comfortable they ended up feeling despite their fear of cameras. I do pride myself on the ability to connect with my clients and pose them in a way they feel good about themselves and not awkward and forced.
- “But I don’t know what to wear!” That’s why I’m here – I can coach you on best clothing for your photo session, as I want this session to be as much success as you do. Each personal branding client gets a link with clothing suggestions to ensure you’re successful in preparing for your photo shoot.
- “But it’s cold outside!” I have access to a studio and sometimes I shoot out of luxury and beautifully staged show homes. Enough said 🙂
- “But it’s too expensive!” What’s a professional image worth to you? To me it’s worth my time and experience, editing skills and customer service. Professional images can be claimed as a business expense during tax season and I provide an invoice with every shoot. My personal branding packages start at $275 and I can guarantee you will love your photos, or we will reshoot (which has never happened before btw :)).
Now if you’re still reading, thank you and I have a GIFT for you. Email me at info@svetlanayanova.com mentioning this article and receive a $50 credit towards your professional personal branding images if you book your session before March 31, 2017!*deposit will be required. I want to prove you can look AMAZING in your photos!
Svetlana