Photography and The Small Business Community

To kick off 2015, I’m very excited to formally announce a series of new photography services for small business. You can read the specifics here, but this post is more about how the offering came to be.

Running a small business is tough, even when things are going well. The demands are never-ending, and “delegation” is a term I seem to have left in the corporate world.

As my own journey into working full-time as a headshot and portrait photographer has unfolded, I’ve had to learn about all aspects of running a small business — everything from accounting to marketing. In fact, saying I’m a full-time photographer is a bit of stretch: yes, I’m engaged full-time in running my photography business, but only some of that time is spent behind the camera.

If you’ve ever pursued an entrepreneurial venture, you know what I mean: it seems like you’ve got to spend a lot of time doing the thing that is not “your thing” in order for people to see that you can do “your thing” well.

Keeping up a social media presence and website can be some of the most time-consuming things we’ve got to do to help our small businesses succeed. And I’ve actually got an advantage there: as a photographer, I’ve got a steady supply of good images to use for blog posts and Facebook updates. I know from talking with other small business owners that the social media slog is even tougher when you don’t have the tools on hand to make quality images whenever you need them.

Working on various projects with all kinds of professionals in Gurnee, Libertyville, and the broader Lake County and Chicagoland area, I’ve realized when I do my thing, I’m actually in a perfect position to help my fellow entrepreneurs and small business owners get back to doing their thing.

I’ve got experience with headshots, lifestyle portraits, and photographing interiors and real estate. These are very different kinds of work requiring very different equipment and expertise — trust me. There’s a lot to be said for focusing on just one discipline, but now I’ve realized that, together, these services form a natural package that meet the needs of small business owners. I can help the folks who, like me, want to present themselves and their business to the world with polish and professionalism. They need sharp headshots of their people, great images of their products, and inviting pictures of their space.  

My goal in 2015 is to get our small businesses looking their best, one shoot at a time. We often hear of the importance of small businesses in our economy. It is so true, entrepreneurs are vital to every community. It’s time we look the part.

So if you’re a small business owner, give me a call and let’s get started. If you notice your favorite local business (salon, restaurant, bakery, insurance agent, dentist, accountant) could use some help, let the owner know of my offering. Ask them to contact me, or any local photographer.

Shannon's New Headshot

With winter in full force, Shannon met me at the Libertyville studio for a headshot session. Her last headshot didn't quite capture her current career standing. With additional education and new responsibilities, she had basically advanced out of her current photo.

So we worked through a few different options and a range of expressions that will set her up for the next few years! Obviously, she nailed it! Her LinkedIn profile will now have the right photo to match her executive level resume.

If you're headshot isn't keeping up with your resume, give me a call or drop me a note!

Headshots and The Chicago Acting Community

Much of my recent adult headshot work, was made in a studio environment. This is a sharp contrast to my children and family portrait look, which has a lifestyle flavor. Each style serves a different purpose. Studio headshots offer a very clean and consistent image, a handy feature if you need several headshots of your company staff. And the lighting is very flattering–all those photons find their way into every corner of your face. Wrinkles and imperfections fade away…

But as I continue to expand my headshot work, I happened to meet a couple Chicago actors. Actors need headshots. And interestingly, Chicago headshots tend to carry a natural lifestyle look. So that got me thinking… why not bring a few lifestyle headshots into my work?

So Pam, Christian and I met up in the city for a round of headshots. It was fascinating to hear them discuss the differences between New York, LA and Chicago. The look of a Chicago headshot is distinctly natural. You’ll see very little sense of a studio in the finished shot, but luckily, light still behaves the same. Chicago’s acting community is very supportive and collaborative. In fact, just before our session, Chicago had suffered a couple tragic losses in the acting community. It was clear, these women had lost not just a colleague, but a dear friend.

So who or what set this style? I had the same question. But there’s not a definitive answer. Chicago’s midwestern brand is probably most as work here. And there’s an expectation to see ‘normal’ people filling the roles. They’re not supermodels (and proud of it) and they don’t have handlers. But they work just as hard, if not harder than their colleagues on the coasts.

Working with Pam and Christian was a real privilege. It was a true collaboration, and we made some great art! As a photographer, working with actors is a blast. A good actor can change expressions on a dime–from a powerful district attorney to down and out single mother. It’s my job to capture this range because they never know what the next role will demand.

A Headshot with Randy in Libertyville

Randy dropped by the new Libertyville studio just last week for a headshot session. Officially retired, he doesn't need to worry about the job hunt. But he lives a very active life in retirement. So his new headshot will serve him well for years as he takes on new roles around his community.

In fact, he just signed on as treasurer at his church. That's some serious responsibility, and he's got to look the part. His new headshot is perfect. It conveys his confidence and provides assurance to anyone browsing the church bios.

New Libertyville Studio

The new Libertyville studio is open! I’ve partnered with Studio Share Illinois to offer a full service studio location to all clients.

As a headshot photographer, the Libertyville location brings me just a bit closer to Chicago. And now, groups and large props are easily accommodated. So if your entire office needs headshots, let me know!

Behind the scenes in the new studio.

And as a family lifestyle photographer, the studio space will serve as a practical alternative in the event of uncooperative weather (yep, I’m not in Florida anymore…). It also adds another dimension to family shoots. Fully equipped with props, toys, chairs etc–the options are endless. Simply put, a great studio is a photographer’s blank canvas - ripe to create anything the mind can imagine!

The location is also stocked with coffee, snacks, and even a big screen tv, which will be great for proofing your new images in person on a cozy couch.

Whether you’re in Libertyville, Gurnee, or in the surrounding Lake County area, this studio will be a wonderful asset to the area. Don’t wait, contact me about scheduling a session soon!