How commercial photography can help your business

Commercial photography can be a powerful tool for telling your business story. Whether you are looking to create promotional materials, website content, or just highlight the people and products associated with your company, commercial photography has the potential to connect with your audience in a meaningful way. In this blog post, we will look at some of the different ways that commercial photography can help you tell your story and establish an emotional bond with customers.

First and foremost, commercial photography is all about storytelling. It allows you to capture images that bring out the best qualities of your business, products and services. Whether it’s headshots of key team members or product images showcasing their use cases, a professional photographer can help craft visuals that build a compelling narrative around what you do.

Second, commercial photography helps establish trust with potential customers by conveying authenticity. For instance, having photos of real people using your products or services in their daily lives can demonstrate how much value they get from them. High-quality photographs also show that you take customer experience seriously and prioritize attention to detail – two traits which customers appreciate when making decisions about where to spend their money.

Finally, commercial photography gives businesses the chance to express their unique personality through creative visuals that capture their “brand spirit”. By utilizing props and sets that reflect the values of the company – such as colors, textures and small details – photographers can help create visuals that embody the essence of what makes a business special and stand out from its competitors.

In conclusion, if you’re looking for an effective way to tell your business story then employing professional commercial photography could be just what you need! Through thoughtful imagery, clever compositions and well-constructed stories, talented photographers have the ability to make even ordinary subjects come alive with vibrancy and energy - enabling businesses everywhere to showcase what makes them truly special!

The importance of having a good online presence

Introduction

Have you ever had an awkward first date with someone because they were not what they seemed in their profile picture? This is a common problem for many people who use dating sites or professional organizations. With the advent of smartphones and selfies, we often upload pictures to represent ourselves on social media platforms. These photos can often be misleading and misrepresent our true selves, leaving us open to criticism and embarrassment from others. It's important that we all take into consideration how others might perceive us when uploading these types of images. One way to do this is by consulting with a photographer for headshots in order to have professional quality photos taken which accurately depict your personality!

The importance of having a good online presence

Having a good online presence is important for a number of reasons. It can help you to build relationships with potential employers, friends, and romantic partners. In addition, having a strong online presence can help you to establish yourself as an expert in your field. It's important to remember that the internet is a public space, and that anything you post online can be seen by anyone. This is why it's important to have professional quality photos taken of yourself for your online profiles. These headshots can help you to present yourself in a positive light, so that when others are browsing your profiles they have the highest quality photos possible.

Headshots for online presence

Professional photos are important when it come to digital presentations of oneself. The advent of mobile phones cameras has made people accustomed to taking their own picture. While these images are okay, they are often less than ideal when it comes to professional settings. This is why you should go to a photography studio for headshots. A photographer can ensure that you have the best possible images taken which accurately represent who you are in every situation. They can also help give you tips on posing or wearing your hair to get the best results. It's important to remember that while these pictures are just for enhancing your online presence, they can be used in other applications as well, such as dating sites and professional organizations.

Why you need a professional headshot photo

When it comes to having a good online presence, having a professional headshot photo is essential. A good headshot can help you to build relationships with potential employers, friends, and romantic partners. In addition, having a strong online presence can help you to establish yourself as an expert in your field. It's important to remember that the internet is a public space, and that anything you post online can be seen by anyone. This is why it's important to have professional quality photos taken of yourself for your online profiles. These headshots can help you to present yourself in a positive light, so that when others are browsing your profiles they have the highest quality photos possible.

Having a professional headshot photo is important for a number of reasons. It can help you to build relationships with potential employers, friends, and romantic partners. In addition, having a strong online presence can help you to establish yourself as an expert in your field. It's important to remember that the internet is a public space, and that anything you post online can be seen by anyone. This is why it's important to have professional quality photos taken of yourself for your online profiles. These headshots can help you to present yourself in a positive light, so that when others are browsing your profiles they have the highest quality photos possible.

How to prepare for your headshot photo shoot

Preparing for a headshot photograph is easy, but there are some things you need to keep in mind. For example, it is important to know the message that you want to present to others when they're taking a good look at your profile picture. Are you being playful? Professional? Mature? Knowing exactly what type of personality you wish to convey will help ensure that your photo matches with your needs. In order to do this you need to make sure that you prepare for your photo shoot with the following steps:

• Pick out your clothes

• Pick the right makeup

• Make sure your hair looks good

• Get a good night's sleep

• Don't drink alcohol the night before

• Do drink plenty of water the day before

You never know when someone might be looking at or judging one of your profiles. It's important to take care in how you're presenting yourself for this reason. As we've mentioned before, having a professional headshot photo taken will help with this process because it gives people an accurate idea about who you are. Your photograph is the first thing people notice about your profile and the most important factor when deciding if they wish to engage with you.

The importance of having a good online presence.

By  Dan Cantero  |   https://dancanteroheadshots.com.au/services

Why headshot photographs are so important.

A headshot is the perfect way to show your personality online. It's also a great marketing tool for any business. If you are looking to get headshots done, don't just pick the first photographer you find - do some research! There are so many talented photographers out there who can help bring out your best features in an artistic and flattering manner. Here are five reasons why everybody needs a good headshot photograph for their online profile!

Business Headshots

Whether you are looking to get business headshots done for your website or LinkedIn, it's important that they show off who you really are. To stand out from the crowd and be taken seriously in an industry where looks can sometimes matter more than ability, having a set of professional headshots is essential! If you think that you are not getting the social media engagement that you should be getting, this could be for a number of reasons. Not having the right headshots to represent you on your social media profiles is one of them!

A Great Way To Showcase Your Personality

There are few things that show off somebody's personality better than their headshot photograph. If you work in an industry where it can sometimes feel like everybody judges a book by its cover, you need to convey the right message and having the right photo is essential to doing this.

It shows that you are professional

Your headshot photo is the first thing that somebody sees when they click on you. If it's not up to scratch, this could be seen as unprofessional and people may see your work in a different light than what you intended them to! The last thing that anybody wants is for clients to jump to conclusions because your photo is not up to scratch.

You take your profession seriously.

When you put yourself out there, whether it be through your online profiles or business cards, people are going to judge you. This is simply the nature of how we work and live in our society today. If they see that you look a bit rough in your headshot photo then this will reflect poorly on them and their opinion about what level of service you provide

Stop the scroll

There has never been a more difficult time in history to stand out. Today everyone scrolls past at a lighting speed so how do you make them stop and read your profile? You can do this with a high quality headshot photo that captures their attention and engages them to read more about you and why they want to engage with you.

BONUS REASON

Your success depends on it

In an age where everyone has access to the internet, there are now more opportunities than ever before for people to start businesses from home or work as independent contractors. A good looking, professional headshot photograph will set you apart from everyone else that is using a selfie. You will come across as more professional person and with higher quality than other profiles. You are not there to tell them how amazing your are so instead you need to let your photo tell them!

Dan Cantero

HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER

Things to consider about headshot photography

The best executive headshots can help you become the most successful version of yourself. In addition, this type of photography may be able to increase your visibility and get more clients for those who take it seriously enough with a professional photographer. However, while taking photos in front of well-sculpted faces is alluring on some level because people are always drawn towards beauty; keep in mind that there's no guarantee if or how much success these types will bring when they're using them as their main marketing tool at work (or any other time). Here are several things you should consider.

How can you make the best choice for your photoshoot? Do you need a digital camera, or will a phone camera be good enough? It all comes down to what kind of photography experience and skillset that person has with these kinds of cameras. If they are not familiar with using current photography equipment it might be better to stick using a phone.  Otherwise, a good DSLR or mirrorless camera with a lens around the 75mm focal range should be considered.

There are many advantages to having your headshot taken in a professional photographer's office. This is because people usually feel more comfortable and at ease when they're surrounded by familiar things, so this method will not only provide an interesting backdrop for the photo but also help you look relaxed and natural on camera.

Whether we like it or not, we all make judgments on the looks of other people. Just because you have a great photo of yourself, it doesn’t mean that it is an appropriate photo to use as a professional representation of yourself.  That's why it is important for a photographer to have an understanding and knowledge about what type of business headshot their subject wants before snapping any pictures. If this sounds complicated or confusing (or both), know that many photographers want input from clients on these types of photos because different industries typically require certain styles in order for them to help enhance someone's image when looking at resumes or portfolios.

Working with a photographer is worth the time and money, as it will be one of your first impressions to an employer. The last thing you want them to see is a dull photo that does not highlight who you are or what makes you interesting. So before settling on a professional photographer, make sure you check out their work to make sure that it meets your expectation.

Is your headshot photograph hurting you?

This questions comes up often. We all know that the first thing we look at when checking out a profile is the photo. You make a first impression within seconds. First impressions are hard to shake. Someone may not even both reading through your qualifications if they don’t like your photo. If you understand this, you need to make sure that the first impression is good. So let’s take a look at some statistics that are very telling. Below is the number of people that have selfies as their professional headshot photograph. The numbers are by the JDP analysis performed in 2018.

We all have a pretty good understanding that a selfie is not a good headshot photograph. So going by these numbers, and depending on the industry that you are in, you know for a fact that you are going to be ahead of the curve by a significant distance. Let’s have a look at another statistic.

These are the percentage of people that have cropped a group photograph and are using that as their professional corporate headshot. These numbers are even worse. When you put both of these charts together you start to see a picture that just by having a good photograph, you will stand out as more professional. This is the photo that is going to speak for you and against your competition when you are not there. Given this, why would you not want your headshot photograph to be the best it can be?

If you’d like to know the 7 best tips for mastering headshot photography click HERE

Want to know more about how you get get an amazing headshot photo that will make people want to work with you? CLICK HERE

Working & planning during COVID-19

So we are all stuck at home. Unfortunately we don’t know how long this lockdown is going to be around for. The current rules have come as a shock to many of us and it seems that most people are choosing one of two ways to handle it. You could binge on Netflix, video games, sleeping in and watching TV. Or…. you could plan what your strategy will be once these restrictions are lifted. One thing is for sure, working from home may become the norm as everyone works out the technical issues and gets used to this new way of working. Once the restrictions are lifted, some people will continue working this way. This means that things may not go back to normal.

Because of this, we need to come up with some strategies that will address this change in the way we do business. There is going to be a lot more digital content around. Without the option of meeting people face to face, digital connections and digital content will become more important than at any other time.

So what are you going to do to stand out. We are working hard on new products and services to offer our customers. From corporate headshots, digital marketing, copywriting, website design and management to video. All of this things are going to become extremely important to the survival of our business and we want to be ready to help everyone we can.

So let us know if there are any problems or issues that we might be able to help you with, let’s start talking now so that we can hit the ground running when these restrictions are lifted. In the meantime, stay safe.

A message about COVID-19

A message regarding COVID-19.

We know that you have been bombarded with information so we want to qualify you from having to read the following.

If you are cancelling events, training or presentations, the following, may be of assistance.  We have the ability to prepare presentations and training material online for your staff to view in a safe environment.  We are taking extreme measures to produce your content and taking every available step to reduce the risk as much as possible.

 COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on most of us.  Unfortunately, this is likely to continue for at least the next few months so, I wanted to update you on what we are doing to try to support others by explaining the changes we have made to the services we offer.  We have been working hard putting solutions in place to address some of the needs of our clients and work around the limitations being imposed.

 Seminars & Workshops

The majority of seminars and workshops are being cancelled due to the risk of having large numbers of people in one room.  To get around this problem we have put together video production solutions that allow you to record the session and present it online for your attendees to view in a safe environment.  These seminar presentations can be recorded with only the presenter and a small video crew present and can even be streamed live for real-time interaction with attendees including Q&As.

 Headshot photography

We have put in place a new process that limits exposure by shooting tethered.  This means that we provide the client with their own screen that they can preview images limiting the contact and proximity to the production crew.  In fact, there is no contact with the photographer, and by using specialised, longer lenses we maintain a considerable distance from the client.

We are also giving or clients the option of shooting outside.  We have locations where people don’t frequent that are ideal for an environmental headshot and they look fantastic.

 Online portfolios

Reviewing images now takes place online.  We provide a link to the gallery and all feedback, editing, and delivery is done online.

 Hair and Makeup

We have put together easy to follow guides on preparing your hair and makeup.  This reduces the risk if you do not want to have someone else doing this for you.

 We come to you

We know that in these instances, people prefer to not have to travel especially if it requires public transport.  For this reason, we bring our equipment to you and photograph or film at your premises.

 Sanitation

All our equipment is wiped down and disinfected after every job to ensure the most sanitised environment possible.

We believe that by doing our part in helping business to continue their activities whilst still being responsible.

Your online presence has just become more important than ever.

The world is heading into uncharted territory. The coronavirus is throwing uncertainty into all business and everyone is trying to work out how to react. One thing is for certain, as more people are encouraged to self-isolate we are going to see a slowdown in some areas. In situations where a client would visit a store, attend a seminar or meet with a client, you may find that they will choose to conduct these activities online. Some businesses are well-positioned to respond. These are the ones that will benefit from the number of prospective clients looking to change their behaviour in how they conduct business. Having a strong online presence is now more important than ever. But what makes a good online presence? Below are my recommendations that you should take into account to make sure you don’t go unnoticed in a sea of content.

WEBSITE

Having a good and clear website is essential. Your website must be optimised for SEO. This means that it will be found in a google search. Navigation should be clear and it should load up fast. It should also look good on both a PC and a phone. Most content is now consumed on a mobile device so you need to take this into account.

SOCIAL MEDIA

I still meet people that refuse to accept social media as a serious platform to conduct business. The fact is that the majority of your clients are participating in social media so why would you not be taking part in it. Social media should be treated as a business tool. Only post things that are going to support your business and make sure that it is a professional-looking profile. It is a great platform to show off your products, services and professionalism.

CONTENT

You are going to see a large increase in the amount of content published in the next few months. As people are forced to stay away from others and spend time in isolation, they will go online and look for content. This leads to brand awareness and establishment of trust with specific brands. The more you participate, the bigger the piece of the pie you will get back.

E-COMMERCE

If you sell a product online, have a great site with amazing photography and videos, if you are a trainer, get your training recorded and produced and upload it online as a product if you offer your consulting services, how can you deliver it online? Others are already doing this and the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus will force people down a different engagement method that they have not used before. Delivering valuable content both free and paid will be more important than ever.

BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO ANY OF THIS!

Get help. There is an abundance of professionals that can help you with this. We can help in creating all this for you to make sure you are well-positioned in the market. But even if you don’t choose us, you should look for assistance in doing this correctly. Even if you don’t choose us to do this for you we are happy to steer you in the right direction.

THIS IS JUST TEMPORARY

They say it takes just 21 days to form a new habit. Coronavirus is going to be a problem for us for a lot longer than that. This means that a percentage of people that start doing business online for the first time will continue to do so after this has gone away. Some changes will be permanent so make sure you are well placed to compete in this space.

How will you be engaging with your clients online?

Why would they pick you?

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself that question? Step into the shoes of your potential customer and imagine why they would pick you? What is so different about your product or the service you offer? Most often, just like in social life, people like to blend in and adapt to their environment and the people they associate with. This is a natural human condition that served us well hundreds and even thousands of years ago. Being part of a tribe was safe. Conform to what everyone else is doing and you will survive.

However, in business, conforming will get you on a trajectory to the bottom. You do what everyone is doing and you provide the best possible price. You are now part of this large group of business and individuals that provide the same service. What we sometimes fail to see is that when all else is the same the client will almost always make a decision based on price. This means undercutting your competitors to the point where you make very little profit if any.

The key to solving this problem is based on your USP (Unique Selling Proposition or Unique Selling Point). Why would you spend so much more on a MacBook when you can get a similar laptop from another brand at nearly half the price? Because you can’t get a MacBook from anyone other than Apple. They are the only ones that make them so if you want one you need to buy if from them.

We should all identify or develop a USP. It could be as simple as having a "Never give up” attitude at work. This makes you the go-to person when it needs to be done right. This could be your USP.

If you are looking for a job it could be a fantastic, and rare qualification that nobody else has. It could be a professionally written CV, or a professional headshot to represent you and help you stand out.

If you are a business it could be your 100% Money back guarantee that nobody else offers, or your incredible support structure with a call centre based in Australia, or maybe, that amazing product that you have exclusive rights to. Whatever it is, this is the reason they will hire you, book you or purchase from you.

Whatever your USP, it needs to be the reason someone picks you.

In my instance, I provide my clients with imagery that they cannot get anywhere else. I know I won’t be outworked and my style is just that…… my style.

So why would they pick you?

Learn more at www.dancanteroheadshots.com.au

Should you print your photos?

We live in a world full of technology that makes it incredibly easy to access anything. Photography is something that has benefited from advancement in technology more than other things. If you are like me and started out shooting film, you will know that every time you pressed the shutter button there was a financial commitment every time. You only had 24 shots to play with and you would have to wait days, weeks or months to see what you had actually captured. This kept a lot of people away from photography because it was not as easy and it was expensive.

Fast forward to today. Almost everyone has a camera that is good enough to produce commercial-quality images. We take many times more images than we did back in the film days. But, how often do you go through your images, how many prints do you have of those images, how sure are you that your images are secure?

Have you ever taken time to browse sit down and go through a family photo album? There is a significant difference between turning the pages of a printed album than sliding your finger across the screen on a phone. I think we desensitise when we look at images on an electronic screen. Looking at a print that you are holding in your hand is a completely different experience that I encourage everyone to do.

Now, I’m writing this article to try to convince you to give printing a chance. And if you do, don’t go for the cheap supermarket type print. Visit a pro lab that can print your photos on a quality paper. You won’t believe the difference it will make.

If you have a printer that can handle art papers I would recommend the following types of papers. they are a little bit more expensive than the cheap glossy stuff but you will end up with an art piece that you will keep for a lifetime. If you don’t have a photo printer I would recommend anything by Canon or EPSON. Personally I use an EPSON 3880 which is no longer made but they have a newer and better version. For more information on these check out the links below.

Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer

For glossy images CANSON PREMIUM PHOTO PAPER LUSTER

For matt images CANSON RAG PHOTOGRAPHIQUE 310g or 210g

If you have any questions on printing or anything else on this article please leave them in the comment area.

HAPPY PRINTING!

How to get a great headshot.

What makes a good headshot? Is it just a case of saying “Say Cheese”?

The answer is that it depends on how you are going to use the image. If you need a shot for your personal Facebook page then usually a smiling shot works great. If we are talking about a business headshot then the answer may be different so in this article I am going to share with you what I think makes a great headshot.

• Expression. Let’s start with what I think is the most important component. Your expression needs to speak to the viewer and it needs to communicate the right message. Are you trying to come across as trusting, friendly, confident, knowledgeable, etc? Your image will form a first impression that can’t be undone so it needs to be right from the start so make sure you get it right.

• Lighting. The way your light someone’s face can change the mood and the feel of the image. It can also be flattering to specific features if you can craft the light to do so. This is something I see people get wrong all the time. They use light that is too hard and really unflattering so make sure you use soft light all the way.

• Posing. Why would posing be required to get a headshot? The way you stand affects every other part of your body, including shoulders and neck which are part of your headshot. So make sure that the way you stand and the way you pose is complementing to the overall look.

• Wardrobe/Hair/Makeup. These are huge! Did you know that your eye will automatically look at the brightest part of a photo first? If you look at images of successful business people you will notice that the clothes they are wearing compliment the photo. They don’t take over the photo. Do you also notice that successful women don’t seem to be wearing makeup? They are but it is applied so well that it appears that they are not wearing any. All these things are unconscious changes that lift the quality of the image.

• Camera, lenses, lights, photoshop, etc. I included these here in order to exclude them. That may sound like a strange sentence but the truth is that a good headshot photographer can get a great photo using nothing but a smartphone. This is because the equipment is only a tool. It’s not the tool but the knowledge of how to use that tool that is important.

Of course, the best way to get a headshot photograph is to see a headshot photographer. Even photographers have their photo taken by other photographers. It’s not expensive and you are guided the whole way. It’s an investment in you.

Want to know how I can help with your headshot or commercial photography. Click HERE

What is diffused light?

You often hear photographers refer to ‘diffused light’ and you may be wondering what this is and why it’s needed. Diffused light is simply taking a source of light and changing the characteristics. Some of these characteristics could be brightness, size and shape. A source of light is usually small. If you can imagine a flashlight being pointed straight at a AA battery, you will then notice you get some hard shadows behind the battery. This is because light travels in a straight line and cannot illuminate behind the battery. If we then introduce some card-sized diffusion material such as tracing paper, the source of the light becomes bigger. At this point, the diffuser takes over from the flashlight and it is now the source of illumination for our AA battery. But the source is now bigger which means it can illuminate it from more angles. It can now see a little more around the battery than the flashlight could. It’s a little like standing still in front of something and moving your head slightly from side to side. You will see a little more around your subject. Because of this effect, you will get soft shadows. The larger your diffused light source (in relation to your subject) the softer the light and shadows. A perfect example of this is on a cloudy day. All hard shadows are gone because it is not being illuminated by the sun, it is being illuminated by the clouds which take the light from the sun and diffuse it. All of this results in hard light being transformed into more a glow. The 2 images below demonstrate this.

Image with no diffuser

Image with diffuser (tissue paper)

There are a lot of reasons for wanting to do this. The main one is when photographing people. Soft light is more flattering on the skin because it can hide imperfection in the skin.

This is not the only option of course as they also used to get rid of shadows all together and softly illuminate products.

Diffusers come in all shapes, sizes and prices. Sometimes a white wall that you can bounce light off is all you need. Other times you may require massive octa-boxes costing thousands of dollars. But to get started head over to your local art supplier and get yourself some tracing paper or a white translucent shower curtain and experiment to see what kind of results you get.