Does your image portfolio pass the "bounce" test
Does your image content portfolio pass the “bounce” test?
WTF is the bounce test, you ask? In that case...
One of the most important aspects of an image content portfolio that you leverage to promote your business is that it’s full of images that visually punctuate the sentiments of the stories you impart on your audience.
In the process, you also don’t want to bore the hell out of them with the same types of photos over and over again, so there needs to be visual variety and diversity.
When you scroll through the album quickly, you want to notice a “bounce” from shot-to-shot.
This “bounce” I speak of can take several forms:
Do the photos in your portfolio “bounce” from wide shots to close-ups?
Are you positioned in different areas of the frame so that you “bounce” from both the left and right sides?
Does the action of the image “bounce” to all areas of the frame - up, down, left and right?
Does your expression “bounce” from emotion-to-emotion, especially in your headshots?
Do your outfits “bounce” from look-to- look?
Do you “bounce” from activity to activity?
Do your images bounce from location to location?
Yes, lots of variables of which to be mindful - most of which falls squarely on your photographer’s shoulders - but, with that added layer of thought comes a huge swath of creative latitude to get diverse with the types of images captured.
To give you a better sense of what I mean, here is a recent image content portfolio that I captured with my client, Kristi. Take note of all the different type of “bouncing” going on from shot-to-shot and activity-to-activity:
I am pretty maniacal about building in a natural “bounce” in my clients’ image content portfolios because I’ve had to clean up several messes left by other photographers who basically handed off a pile of 200-300 images taken in the same location with the same outfit and similar expressions throughout the ENTIRE folder.
No bueno, folks.
You’re visually punctuating a wide emotional range of stories that teach lessons for your audience, and having 300 of the same image isn’t going to cut it. You could have 2000 images at your disposal…
...but, if they don’t “bounce,” they don’t matter.
They’re better off in the trash than having you stare at them and get pissed off at their lack of functionality.
In order to ensure that your next round of branded lifestyle portraits pass the “bounce” test, here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
Emphasize to your photographer the need for them to capture you from a wide variety of angles during every activity in which you re-enact and in every outfit that you wear.
Bring a variety of outfits, accessories that you feel confident wearing both when client-facing and working by yourself.
Props - books and other objects that emotionally resonate with you - are your best friends during these sessions - make sure to bring them along with you.
Realize the importance of location - not only in that they need to compliment your personality, brand and lifestyle preferences, but that these locations also have some juicy nooks and crannies built into them so that wherever the camera is pointed, there’s uniqueness from shot-to-shot.
And, this is the biggest one of them all - make sure you have a rapport with the photographer so that he/she inspires you to drop your guard and keeps you present in the moment so that your expressions are natural and diverse and uniquely you.
Investing in a branded lifestyle portrait session is just that, an investment. If you are mindful of the goals of the session and communicate those goals effectively with your photographer, you will be able to not only have an image content portfolio that “bounces,” but, it also will shine brightly, too :)
So, does your image content portfolio pass the “bounce” test?
If so, woo hoo! Keep posting those bad boys!
If not, then it might be time for us to have a conversation…
Schedule a call with me and let’s see if we’re a fit to work together.
PS - For those of you who aren’t in the know, I mail out these blogs 3x a week, and lemme tell you, they’re a real party, so, if you’d like to get in on this, sign up for it here and I’ll throw in a free gift for you, because I care, :)