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.

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.