Simple tips for a successful personal brand photoshoot

by Mike Reed | Oct 22, 2024 | Clients | 0 comments

I’d committed to rebranding and had a basic website draft.
But the stock photo approach looked old and obvious and I wanted my audience to see my vision and even see me!

When you are looking to rebrand you should get plenty of help from your photographer, Katinka Kernutt certainly helped me. However, it’s your site so you’ll need to provide the direction. I’d already produced a brand strategy document that had assisted the Web Site design. The photography was the key to adding the exact mood.

You’ll need to steer the look and feel:

I spent a while looking at competitors pictures, they liked to show a postcard image of Melbourne CBD, often with the Yarra river in the foreground and then reverted to stock photos of model clients and candidates.

I wanted something real and with personality so I looked overseas. An agency in London was using this photo. It was gritty and active, and it looked much closer to the North Melbourne heartland where my clients operate.

I asked Katinka to match this style.

And trust your photographer:

Katinka suggested we meet at the Lux Foundry, a cafe near Sydney Road. I didn’t know it and was tempted to redirect. I was glad I didn’t, Katinka had taken all my requirements and found an ideal location.

It had railways, graffiti and brickwork plus it even had trams and a city view.

It was better than any location I’d come up with.

Wear your image:

I was tempted to put on my suit and dress up in my full ‘Sunday Best’. On the day I decided that I’d just be me. I wore a short sleeved shirt that I wear often and left on my everyday smart watch. It’s how you’ll find me most days and it’s made the job of using the photo’s easy.

I’ve now got a set of photos that I can use in any presentation. They are me and they fit perfectly with the message that I want to give out.

I’m very rarely seen in a suit and my dress watch doesn’t count my steps so I never wear it!