Photography: You Are Your Brand

Let’s talk about branding and how important it is for an individual such as an actor, or a model, or a writer, or a businessperson to actualize what their brand is. THEY are their BRAND.  And what’s a brand? It’s what makes you immediately recognize a person or thing and know exactly what it is without even seeing the name.  Let’s take the example of the pretty woman I uploaded a headshot of.  Her name is Margaret Belton.  You can tell that she could be an actor, model, writer, or businesswoman.  Right?  This headshot has elements of who she might be: the black jacket might mean business, the head band might mean she is creative, her make-up (incuding the red lipstick) might mean she is getting ready to appear on television as a newscaster, and her eyes show she is committed to self-expression.   SHE is her BRAND.    So.  What is she?  She is an entertainer, a singer, an actor, model. http://www.margaretbelton.com/

In my headshot sessions, I spend time going through the person’s clothes that they bring to the studio, and together, we go through who they are and how they want to portray themselves. Colors, shapes, styles all work together to create this brand. They may need a prop or two, or they may not.  They may be able to convey what they’re offering with facial expressions. A lot of thought has to go into this.  If not, something might be missed. Then my job is to catch the right moments so that the image is clear, with no ambiguity.  I call this process Personal Branding. It works!  Try it! You’ll like it!