When we say that someone has an “attitude”, that often means something negative. But “attitude” doesn’t have to be that way. A person’s attitude, per the Goggle Dictionary, implies an emotional or mental state that characterizes them.

You may be thinking, “What does this have to do with my image or my portrait?” A great deal! Like it or not, the image you show of yourself can influence others’ perceptions of who you are as well as your level of expertise. So, to capitalize on the impression a photo can elicit, before you take your next portrait, think about what “attitude” you want your image to bring forward publicly … your “image-attitude.”

Some things to think about … For business portraits, there are options from the professional attire (formal buttoned-up look) to the business casual look. Do you want the look of a studio backdrop set up, an environmental shot within your office, or an outdoor portrait? Do certain colors of clothing make you look a certain way (washed out or energized)? Do you want to convey a smile or a serious expression? All of these options convey different attitudes which can impact how new clientele perceive you.

We can’t control what someone thinks of us, but we can influence it. Simply thinking ahead of time about the image attitude you want to convey can help you make choices in clothing, background, location, and expression. And if you are taking company-wide portraits, ensuring that everyone is on the same page with their image-attitude, can help create a unified and consistent message visually.

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

Thinking of rebranding your company’s image attitude with updated headshots or portraits? Call or email me to set up a portrait session. I look forward to working with you to capture the image you want to convey!

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 www.danaphotography.com

It’s something I hear quite often when I start a headshot photo session: “I never take a good portrait” or “I don’t like the way I look in pictures.”

I get it. I, too, start to nitpick how I look in a photo. But as someone close shared with me, we tend to be more critical of ourselves, and others are likely not going to even notice that which we are fretting over.

From my experience, I’ve noticed that the attitude you come into the photo shoot session with can impact the final photo. I’ve seen people come in - of all shapes and sizes - who are excited, ready to dive in, and have fun in the process. I’ve also had people come in who are nervous, don’t want to be there, and are dreading the photography experience.

#1) From my experience, if you are joyful, relaxed, comfortable with yourself … it shows up positively on film.

#2) But … what do you do if you aren’t so happy to be having your photo taken, or you wonder how to stand or what to do with your hands (put them in your pocket, behind you, in front of you???), or you feel awkward and uncomfortable … and you are sure the photo will not turn out well! Now what?!

If you are scenario #1, keep enjoying the process and keep bringing your enthusiasm, confidence, and positivity to your photo shoots.

If you are scenario #2, let me share some hope and insight that I use when I take photos. First of all, thanks for showing up for the picture! Second, please know that part of my job is to help you be able to relax and feel more comfortable with the process. So, feel free to come as you are (nervous, not wanting to be there), and let’s take it from there. We’ll chat a bit and talk over some ideas. I’ll provide some coaching to help you know how to stand or sit or what to do with those arms/hands/head. And you know what? We don’t have to get it right on the first shot. That’s the beauty of digital photography. No harm in giving something a try … no harm in taking extra photos.

True Story: I’ll never forget a headshot photo session I was doing for a company. One of their staff expressed how they didn’t like any of the photos taken of themselves in the past. My goal was to make sure this person enjoyed the process and to provide different portrait options. Well, the photo shoot came and went and I turned over the photos to the company for their internal distribution. I wondered about this particular staff person and a while later asked the company about how that person had felt about the result of their photo shoot. Come to find out … this person LOVED their photos so much that they ended asking the company representative to have more images from the portrait!

How about you? Would you like an updated headshot or family/office portrait you feel good about? Call or email me to set up a portrait session! I can come to your location to save you (and your staff) time … and gently coach you into your next great headshot or portrait.

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 danaphotography.com