New Year, New Headshot!

If you’re a small business owner, a headshot is a crucial branding component. In fact, I would argue that it’s the most important piece. Because without you, your business is just another business. You define your business and you make it special. Your headshot is the very first impression most future clients will see.

So to kick of the new year, I started with a headshot of Krissy in my Libertyville studio. A local photographer herself, she’s in the process of rebranding her business with a new website, logo and more. And now she has the headshot to match.

If your headshot could use a boost in 2015, drop me a note and we'll get to work.

The Adventure of 2014

2014 is nearly behind us — what a year and what an adventure!

One year ago this time, my flip-flops were always on standby. The odds of finding some random beach sand around the house was pretty good.

Since then, we’ve made the jump from Florida to Chicago. It’s been terrific. Our first three seasons here have been refreshingly temperate. Now we’re bracing for our first winter in many years. I’m excited, but the kids remain skeptical, #FloridaNatives!

As I grow my photo business in this new market, I’ve seen my headshot business pick up. It’s an honor to help each client step up their online presence with a stellar new image, and I enjoy connecting with those clients as fellow entrepreneurs, small business owners, and innovative professionals.

I lucked out and just happened to be living minutes from perhaps the best photo studio in Lake County. Partnering with the studio has brought new business, and new friends and colleagues into my life. Looking ahead, the opportunities are so exciting… Stay tuned!

My lifestyle portrait work with families and children has seen new growth as well. Part of the thrill of the school photo projects and the development of my day-in-the-life family sessions is that I’m not just making images, I’m also getting to develop whole new ways of operating. I get to stay true to my own natural creative instincts while responding to the unique needs of the people I work with.

Thanks to all who have supported my work through this huge transition. To celebrate, I put together this little video with some favorite images of 2014. I hope you’ll stay in touch by subscribing to my newsletter and ‘Liking’ my Facebook page.

Make 2015 a good one! 

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.

Thoughts On iPhone 6

The point and shoot camera is dead. That's right. As a portrait photographer and father, I declare that the point-and-shoot camera is history. An iPhone (millions actually) has taken it’s place.

I grabbed this shot while on a jog. Apple's built in HDR function is way beyond most 'pro' cameras.

In the last few weeks, I’ve gotten questions from several friends asking the “what camera should I buy” question. The budget for each was around $500 or less. In each case, without hesitation, I recommended simply sticking with an iPhone. If you’re still itching to spend a few dollars, look for a good book geared towards photo composition or study the detailed features of your phone’s camera. Practice taking pictures in low light, bright light, or try following a moving object.

Why am I so confident of this claim? For most people looking to make snapshots of kids, family & friends, or to record the next vacation, an iPhone 6 is a near perfect solution. The iPhone has an amazing ability to do things that even professional level cameras can’t or can’t do as easily. Time-lapse and slo-mo videos are two features that come to mind. Each distorts time, one slowing it down, the other speeding it up. Used appropriately, these features are very effective in telling your visual story. Slow motion videos are very handy with kids, water, or anything that moves fast. My only worry is that they’ll go the way of cat videos–so use your discretion. And for time lapse videos, pick up a little smartphone tripod, and go crazy! The video below is just a quick sample of the possibilities.

Another huge reason why iPhones are the superior option is that they’re usually within arm’s reach. They’re ready to go with a flick of a thumb. Most people carry their bigger cameras packed in a fancy case. At first glance, it seems to make sense. You keep nice things in a case for protection. But a case works against you when that special moment occurs. You have to stop, find the zipper, open the case, get the camera, remove the lens cap, turn it on, and hope the settings are about right. Odds are, by the time you can push the button, the moment is gone (especially with kids). And the moment makes the picture (not the technical details).

So save your money, read up on your phone’s camera features, and enjoy the moments! And don’t forget to back up those photos...