Coming Soon — Troy Photography Studio

What better way to kick off 2019 than to announce my new Troy Photography Studio!

In just a few short weeks, I’ll be moving in. All the details will follow. At the moment, I’m buried in all the planning details. Furniture decisions, space planning, technology considerations, internet access, light stands, backdrops and so many other random little details. Thankfully, my wife got me the most important detail — a coffee maker!

Thanks to your support, this past year was my best by far. The need for a dedicated studio space became very clear over the summer. It’s something I’ve been pondering for a long time. But this was the first time it just made sense.

Individual Headshot Clients

Individual clients will benefit from a fixed space where I can really refine the entire client experience. And with a location in Troy, right off I-75, I’ll be more accessible to the larger metro Detroit area.

Corporate Photography Clients

Corporate clients will benefit as well. I’ll still be available to travel to a conference room near you, but as my corporate base grows, the need for makeup and new hire sessions grow too. When photographing lots of people in a day or two, things come up. The dreaded fire drill email from the boss, a pressing client need, or illness all are quite common. Accommodating these last minute changes will be just a simple calendar appointment away.

The studio will also be a great meeting place. Client and networking meetings will be a snap. And I’m also looking at the possibility of offering small workshops. Do you have an idea for a workshop? Or would you like to partner on a workshop? Send me a note!

Look for appointments in the new studio very soon

If you want to pencil something in, let me know. The month will book up fast. Otherwise, keep an eye on the blog for updates. If you’re not already getting my newsletter, I’ll be sending an update there as well.

Thanks again for your support. Make it a great year!

Meet Psychotherapist Vince Anthony Pitre

Many of my headshot clients are therapists. They all realize the power of a warm and welcoming first impression. Not unlike an attorney or physician, we trust therapists with the most sensitive challenges that life tends to lob our way. Vince humbly exudes that sense of trust and approachability. It was my honor to help him with a professional image.

Tell us about your business.

As a psychotherapist for over twenty-one years, I’ve helped a national park full of people to quit smoking, release weight and anxiety. My clients are mostly women and men between the ages of 25 – 55 and teens with support of a parent. My practice is located at 16 ½ and Mound in Sterling Heights, MI.

What’s unique about how you do what you do?

Common talk therapy engages conscious thoughts, feelings and behaviors in a useful process that’s like pruning a tree. Even though I do great talk therapy, for clients who are ready to go beyond that, I love to go deeper by addressing the roots of symptoms. By working together to correct the conditions underlying symptoms at the root, the insides can gradually match the outsides as clients grow out of their problems while developing mobility, stability, strength and power from the inside out.

What’s the one thing most people don’t know about your industry, but should?

An effective therapist has extensive experience, training and above all has found the courage to find themselves, facing both their light and darkness in an ongoing evolving process to better help, encourage and inspire others to live their best life. An effective client is someone who goes to therapy because they initially feel a need to release pain, bad habits and navigate changes. They discover that they've been in therapy with themselves all along. Now they're coming to therapy for professional guidance to augment their own process not from a sense of need but rather from a sense of wonderment and want for discovering the true nature of how they can uniquely learn, heal and harmonize with change to become their best.

Where can readers go to learn more?

Ready to be, do and have your best? Set up a free 20-minute phone consultation: newoutcomestherapy.com/contact/

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If you’d like to discuss updating your image for a new website or rebrand, let’s chat.

How to get uniquely authentic photos for your business

You don’t get a second chance to make a great first impression. That’s one of my favorite mantras around headshot photography. The idea extends beyond headshots to any visuals used in your business. Enter my new offering: Custom Stock Photography. Think of it as headshots for your business. We’ll cover your products, show your services, and highlight your unique space or storefront. Check out the new services page here.

Show the world what it’s really like to be a patient in your office.

Headshots are still the core of my business, so this offering will be very limited at first. The focus will be to serve small businesses around Troy and Rochester. If time permits, I’ll venture around the Detroit metro area.

Wondering if Custom Stock is right for your business? I’ve put together a few basics on stock photography to give you a better sense of the mission. Even in you’re not around Detroit, you’ll be in good shape to find a professional photographer in your area.

What is stock photography?

Stock photography has become quite ubiquitous in the last few years. Simply log on to one of the countless sites that offer these photos and search for what you want. Some sites even allow you to search color themes, moods, etc. If you can think it, there’s a stock site that will serve it.

What purpose does stock photography serve?

Stock photography is handy for some advertising functions. If you write a frequent blog on more intangible topics, it makes sense. Or maybe the cost of producing relevant images for your work is well beyond your budget. Think exotic places or extreme sports.

The case for having your own stock images

If you’re a local business with a unique story and message, no stock catalog in all the interwebs will have images of you, your staff, your office or your handmade artisan products.

Got an irresistible product? They deserve scroll stopping images.

Enter Custom Stock photography

Say you’re a local chiropractor. You don’t have handmade products, but you do have real patients and a genuine staff. I bet none of them have run over that same field in perfect light that you see in many of your competitors’ images. The people in these photos have nothing to do with your business. So why imply they do in your marketing materials?

Got specialized equipment? A picture is worth a thousand words…

To best connect with local clients and customers, show them what it’s like in your office or storefront. A prospective client should be able to get to know you via your website, blog and social outlets. By the time they walk in the door, they’ll be ready to buy.

In just a couple hours, a skilled photographer can capture a number of images for your business. Having a folder of 20 images on standby is super handy. You never know when a great ad opportunity will come up. Have you ever represented your business at a community or industry expo? A few great images printed large is a great tool to draw in the traffic, and you’ll instantly be able to tell your business story from the action (or products) in the photos.

Where to use your custom stock images

Of course, in addition to those expos, you’ll want to use your images on social media. Combined with some headshots, they’re a great way to introduce the staff. String these out over weeks and you’ve got a good chunk of social content ready to go.

Don’t forget about your Google Business Listing. Google is begging you for great images of your business. Keeping the Google machine happy certainly can’t hurt your rankings on search.

Why hire a pro photographer when all your front desk staff have phones?

First, you pay your front desk or reception staff to run the business, not document it. A customer in the door deserves the full attention of any staff. “Wait, while I snap this photo” is not the answer. The customer in the door, credit card in hand is more valuable to most businesses compared to a few hundred Instagram followers.

Second, a professional photographer will be able to light your office and products in a more consistent fashion. Don’t cheapen your products and services with DIY marketing.

Third, you’ll be able to confidently print the images from a professional camera (and professional technique) for any ad, or even a billboard. While pretty good online, smartphone images can quickly show their flaws when printed — especially under tricky lighting. When the printer calls to say the smartphone image won’t work, you won’t have much time to send in another option. Plan ahead.

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I hope this helps get your marketing wheels turning. Check out the official Custom Stock service page here — share it with a friend or business owner you think might benefit. If this might be right for your business, let’s set up a free consultation to discuss how I can help!

Why I Attended The Portrait Masters Conference

I recently returned from Arizona, where I attended the Portrait Masters Conference, hosted by Sue Bryce, one the best educators and mentors in the business.

Photography conferences are typically a mix of speakers with some opportunity to do a little shooting. And there’s always a trade show where manufacturers show off the latest cameras, lights, bags, albums and gadgets.

Relative to other photography conferences, this event was quite small — about 500 people. A few of these conferences reach over 10,000 people in attendance — which can be overwhelming. But with a manageable few hundred attendees, we had all easily made a few new friends. It’s a group sized right to see the same faces a few times, reducing the awkward “I’m not sure if she remembers me from yesterday” thoughts. Oh, and there were a few Oprah-style giveaway moments for added excitement!

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The Keynote Talk

All the speakers were outstanding. In fact, as soon as I saw the speaker list, I was sold. Platon opened the event with a truly riveting keynote talk. We were on the edge of our seats the entire two hours — it was that good! If you’re not familiar with Platon, look up the the Netflix show “Abstract.” He’s featured in a photography episode. Platon has photographed some of the world's most powerful, controversial and mysterious people — Snowden, Putin, Clinton, the Obamas.

“As photographers, we’ve got to be bold.”

— Platon

His message was partially a reminder that we, as photographers, can (and do) change the world with a picture. Now much of his work includes “ordinary” people in a particular struggle. Of course, his status brings attention to anyone he photographs, and he fully leverages that fact. Most of us don’t have millions of followers, but he was adamant in his point nevertheless. I believe it. The right picture will be elevated, even just among a few followers. But it must be shared to start.

I think this would be a good place to add a subhead since you jump back to Sue and the conference overall

Lifelong Learning as a Photographer

One rather unique piece to this conference was the ample time we had to shoot. No matter your skill level, there’s always something to learn as a photographer. Sue’s team had set up dozens of shooting areas with styled models and assistants, ready to help with posing. It was a great opportunity to try out new techniques, perfect posing guidance, and just build confidence for the newer photographers.

I’ve attended several workshops over the last few years, and it’s a treat to have professional models in the mix. But it’s easy to get spoiled. A good model will just keep moving. It’s honesty difficult to take a bad shot. Upon getting back to the real world, it’s a bit of shock when you expect clients to prance around the set. Instead, most will stare back nervously, waiting for some direction. To me, this is what most fulfills me about photography — helping a ordinary person feel like a supermodel for an hour.

Running a photography business is easily 80 percent business and 20 percent taking pictures. Sue Bryce stands out in the crowded industry of photographic educators as one who knows this and doesn’t ignore it. It goes without saying that her teaching of photography is excellent. It happens that her point of view is much more fine art in nature than my corporate portraiture, but all the lessons still apply in some way. It’s the way she teaches business that I believe really sets her apart. She addresses head on so many challenges that all creative small business owners face (regardless of industry). Confidence and networking are two big topics. It’s the kind of stuff not taught in business school, but couldn’t be more critical to success.

I can’t wait to go back next year.

What's the Difference Between a Headshot and a Portrait?

The terms professional headshot and portrait are often used interchangeably. While these types of photos do have some overlap, there are differences. Knowing these differences will help you better communicate to your photographer the type of look you need to promote yourself, your work, or your business. You might also want to check out my course, The Headshot Maximizer to help you prepare for a headshot session.

Headshot or portrait? What do you think?

In simplest terms, a professional headshot is a type of portrait. A headshot is a tightly cropped photo of the face, from the shoulders up. The subject is camera aware — typically looking right in the lens.

Years ago, headshots were reserved for actors and models. For talent, these images are in some ways more important than a resume. A casting director can scour through hundreds of photos in search of the perfect face for the role at hand.

In today’s socially connected world, a modern headshot comes in handy for anyone looking to market themselves professionally (or personally — don’t forget about online dating profiles).

If you don’t have a professional image of yourself (or the staff in your organization), then I always recommend starting with a headshot.

A portrait is a much broader term — essentially any image where the subject is aware she’s being photographed (even if she’s not looking at the camera). Depending on the specifics, you might be able to use a portrait where a headshot really makes the most sense. But because there are few rules when it comes to portraits, working in the context of a headshot is much simpler as you discuss possibilities with your photographer.

Lighting

Lighting in a headshot is usually broad — think soft even light. The entire face is lit. Contemporary portrait light can range from that same even light to a super dramatic edgy setup.

Just a sliver of light might illuminate the face in dramatic portrait or editorial shot. As cool as that might look, it’s not where you want to start for a headshot (even an actor’s headshot).

Note the highlight on the right side of the frame — a classic kicker light.

You may notice some edge or rim lighting in either case (also referred to as a kicker light). This is the light that skims the side of the face or body. It helps to separate the subject from the background and is the mark of a more sophisticated light setup. Is it any better? Not necessarily; it’s just a little fancier. Because rim lighting is typically customized to the individual, you’ll be less likely to see this type of lighting in higher volume projects.

Lately, you might see colored light in a portrait. In this style, a gel, or colored plastic sheet are placed over the light. This can add another level of mood or artistry to the image. You might see this in a headshot, but it will likely be subtle.

Cropping

In a headshot, the face should fill most of the frame. Think LinkedIn or other social profiles. Your photo isn’t that large to begin with on these sites, so make the most use of the pixels you have. You want viewers to recognize you as quickly as possible. Distracting clothing just takes the emphasis off you.

A great vertical portrait, definitely not a headshot though.

Some first time headshot clients cringe at the idea of their face filling with the whole frame. But remember, in most cases, the image won’t be viewed much larger than a business card size (or smaller). Think LinkedIn or other social profiles — the avatar photo is small. Viewers won’t be blowing up your photo to inspect your skin imperfections, trust me.

When it comes to portraits and cropping...you guessed it. Throw the rules out the window. Photographers can and do place the subject anywhere in the frame in portraits.

One functional tip for any ad or web layout: If you use a photo of the subject looking or facing one direction, pick an option with the subject looking into the frame, not off the page. The exception is if you’re trying to create tension.

Posing

While it’s just head and shoulders, there’s still quite of bit of posing in a headshot. An inch or two of movement in any direction is huge. Good posing can hide or reduce a double chin. It can mean the difference between a standoffish feel or a warm approachable look.

Portrait posing is all over the place and can even be intentionally awkward — especially in fashion or editorial looks. The pose will underscore the feel of the entire image, so attention must be given to the posing. As it relates to corporate or professional images, here are some tips.

1. Non-models will generally look uncomfortable unless posed. So if you need some images of staff standing at a distance from the camera, posing is essential.

2. A little asymmetry looks more natural. For example, one hand in a pocket or holding a small prop like a phone goes a long way in making an image appear organic.

3. Looking at the camera creates a human connection with the viewer. Notice that clothing or jewelry ads often have models looking off camera. This allows you to picture yourself with the products.

If you haven’t already noticed, posing your hands can be especially tricky. Here’s a dedicated video and post on the topic.

Background

Since headshots are more functional compared to a portrait in a marketing sense. A super simple background is key to a polished headshot.

My go-to options are white or a soft grey. If the viewer is distracted by the background for even a second, it’s working against you.

The other handy feature about a seamless background is that it can be easily extended (or cropped) without any major photoshop work. If you’ve ever tried to put a photo into a social media header, you know that every platform uses different proportions. And it seems like they change every couple of weeks too.

Going with a white background is also handy when it comes to integrating your branding colors. White goes with everything. Grey is a pretty safe bet too.

If you step outside for your headshot to get an organic background, be aware of the colors. Soft, out of focus trees are great, but this setup requires a little more attention to the background details. A beam of light that sneaks through the trees is the kind of thing that can wreck a good photo (our eyes are drawn to the brightest areas of an image).

When it comes to portraits, surprise surprise, anything goes for background. Aside from the neon blue streaks in a yearbook photo, you can pretty much get away with anything. Just be aware, the same guidelines apply. Your eye will be drawn to bright areas or distracting objects in the frame. If the background is essential to the feel or mood of the shot, this is great and marks a thoughtfully composed photo. The trees or light poles emerging from heads in the photos (called mergers) have the opposite effect.

Retouching

In keeping with the functional nature of a headshot, retouching covers the basics, including skin blemishes, stray hair, and facial lines, and it will brighten eyes and whiten teeth. I tell clients they’ll look like they got the best night's sleep in years.

There’s nothing wrong with a little slimming special sauce either. But that’s about it. Going overboard is a bad idea.

Time marches on and as much as we’d like, the clock shouldn’t be turned back for a headshot. You want viewers to see an honest representation of you, today. Let go of the old headshot you’re clinging to from years ago. Think of excessive retouching as wiping away years of professional experience. I bet your ideal client or employer is seeking you out because of your experience.

Styles and trends can change quickly in portrait photography. For some photographers, the editing or Photoshop work is a big part of what defines their look. Just know that anything overly trendy will appear very dated in a few years — especially in the context of professional image. If your portrait is more of a keepsake with a timeless intent, then keep the retouching simple. If you consider an image entirely artistic or creative in nature, then the rules are much more flexible.

Printing

Why print a headshot? It’s just for work, right? While you may prefer to have a framed family photo on your desk, your kids, parents or spouse would love a photo of you on their desk.

I get requests all the time from spouses of clients. A print makes a great gift for a grandchild. Okay, maybe throw in an Amazon gift card too. But there will come a day when the value of that print far exceeds any gift card you could give them.

Not too long ago, I got a call from the family of past headshot client. The client had passed away suddenly and his headshot was the last profesional photo that existed. It was an honor to provide the family whatever prints they needed for the memorial.

Some say it’s not a photograph until it’s in print. People are photographed now more than ever before. We all carry around thousands of photos in our phones. But what’s the last photo you printed? Backup and cloud technology is getting better and better. But viewing a portrait print requires no more technology than a light bulb. After an emergency or disaster, there are no passwords to guess. Archival professional prints will last a generation or more.

Detroit Portrait Studio

Thanks for sticking with me to the end! Hopefully I’ve answered some lingering questions as you begin the process of hiring a photographer. Check out my Headshot Maximizer course, for a series of videos on these topics and more.

I also hope that you’re able to scroll back up through the images in the post and understand the pros and cons of each shot in a given context.

Check out my Headshot FAQ for more posts on all things headshot photography.

If you’re in the Detroit area, I’d love to see you for a session! Hit the button below to learn about individual packages and book a session at my Troy, MI studio.

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If you’re upgrading from a selfie as your professional image, then definitely start with a headshot. Beyond that, consider a photography sessions to meet your professional and personal needs.

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If you have more questions, or would like to discuss a session for yourself or organization, let’s chat! If you found this post helpful, please share it on your social platform of choice.