Do you understand the importance of impactful brand images with YOU front and center? However, do you also internally cringe at the idea of stepping in front of the lens? If Yes, to both then friend, I feel you! I have lived in this spot for quite a while. Read on to get a few of my tips for getting comfortable and confident in front of the camera for your personal brand photos.
Say Goodbye to Handshakes and Hello to Social Profile Pictures
Before I get right to the heart of this, let me first explain why your personal brand photos are so vital. We live in an increasingly digital world, and the process was only expedited by 2020. Gone are the days where a handshake was your best first impression, and we are living in the era of split-second first impressions coming virtually. Whether you’re ready for it or not.
Your first “touch” to a customer is increasingly becoming a profile picture from social media or your headshot on an About Page. This reality isn’t just for online bloggers and fitness coaches. I’m talking doctors, lawyers, financial planners, and content creators.
Your customers are looking online, and my question to you is, what are they finding?
If your brand’s photography is lacking, don’t worry. You know that Chinese proverb about the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, but the second-best time is now? Well, the best time to update your photos might have been last year, but the second-best time is today. I’m ready to give you a few ideas to take the anxiety out of your next photoshoot, whether that’s with a photographer (cough, cough me….) or your BF and their iPhone.
Props for Confidence Building
If the thought of standing empty-handed in front of a camera gives you cold sweats, think about props. Not just any prop but something specific to your brand or your personality. Something as simple as a coffee cup that is your brand color, working on a laptop, or writing in a journal.
For me, I even brought my dog to a photo shoot. Why? Well, one, I instantly feel better when I can drag my dog around. Secondly, dogs, and animals in general, are very much a part of my personal brand. I value my business being pet friendly and sometimes with a dose of chaos. Finding beauty in chaos is how I like to roll.
Personal Brand Photos – Comfortable and Confident All Planned Out
The above might sound like a no brainer but write it down.
- What poses are must-have?
- What are your brand colors?
- Where do you want to use the photos?
- What about props?
Plan it ALL out. Even the order in which you want to do the poses and your clothing changes. Do you need to stick to it on the shoot day? Nope! However, writing it down puts order to the anxiety of the shoot by separating it into bite-size chunks.
Posing Tips for Confidence
One thing that breeds insecurities in front of the camera is not knowing what to do. Does anyone else feel like a deer in the headlights when a camera comes your way? These are 6 ways to level up a pose.
- Adjust your weight so it’s on one leg.
- Angle your feet 45 degrees from the camera
- Lean forward one or two inches towards the camera. Have you noticed how realtors and newscasters seem like they are leaning into you? Leaning in promotes a welcoming vibe. Leaning away can be distant and aloof. While this might be alright for a divorce attorney, I think most of us should probably lean in.
- If it bends, bend it. Not a lot, but a little bend in the knee and arm is flattering.
- Pull your arm away from your body enough to create some space at your waist. You can accomplish this by reading number 4. Bend that elbow.
- Fix your shirt ALL THE TIME. Seriously. Every time you readjust for a new pose, your shirt probably needs to be fixed too.
Find a Champion for Your Personal Brand Photos to Get Comfortable and Confident
I think this one is perhaps the most important. Find a photographer just as excited about helping you grow your business. Whether this is with a professional photographer or your friend holding an iPhone, make sure to establish a connection.
Confidence and excitement are contagious, but so is indifference. I’ve been down the road of teaming up with people that are the BEST at what they do, but in the first meeting, I didn’t feel that they believed in what I do. The biggest mistake I made was going forward in those situations. These partnerships resulted in never really feeling confident about what I was doing.
If you hire a photographer, find one that makes you feel great about your business and what you do. That confidence will reflect in the photos.
In fact, friend, don’t hire ANYONE that doesn’t make you feel great about what you’re doing. You are great! It takes time to find that right team.
People want to see you for a connection, not to find perfection
I hope this helps make your next personal brand photos feel comfortable and confident. I promise the most crucial part is to show up. People want to see you for a connection, not to find perfection. For that, you only need to be there.
If you have more questions, you can check out my personal branding and commercial photography here servicing Spokane, WA, and surrounding communities
Cheers!
MB
