The close-up is your friend
The closer the camera is to your face…
…the closer your audience is to understanding who you really are.
On more than one occasion, clients have jumped up and blurted out, “whoa, whoa, whoa - back up, you’re too close to my face!”
I’ve been jamming my camera in people’s faces for over 20 years, so it’s not new to me.
I’m not doing it because I want to torture them…
…it’s because they need them.
You see, when it comes to creating a dynamic and versatile image content portfolio, you need a wide variety of visuals.
Wide shots that use the space to help accentuate the expert’s brand, personality and lifestyle.
Medium shots that focus more on the activity in the frame.
And close-ups that focus on the expert’s facial expression and body language to convey specific types of genuine emotion, whether participating in an activity or thinking to themselves.
While some people freak out at having their face photographed so closely, these images are an extremely important aspect of their image content portfolio.
Close-ups create an instant, emotional reaction - especially when the subject is not making eye-contact with the camera.
Why?
It allows the audience to feel like they’re a fly on the wall watching you live out a genuine moment in your life. And that draws people into that moment.
Think about the shows and movies that you watch.
Whenever there is a powerful and emotional conversation between two characters, what types of camera shots do you see throughout the interaction?
Yup, close-ups.
Those scenes often feel like a tennis match as the camera swings back-and-forth from close-up to close up.
The director chose these frames because they know that in order to drive home the importance and emotion of this scene, they need to bring the characters closer to the audience to allow them to digest what’s really going on.
And this same philosophy applies to the visuals you leverage throughout your online presence.
While you don’t need to share a close-up of your face thinking, reflecting, participating in an activity or being vulnerable everywhere, all the time, online, it’s certainly something that you can sprinkle in your content when it makes sense.
The next time you step in front of a camera, don’t be afraid to let your photographer know that you’re ready for your close-up.
These photos will help draw your audience in to create an emotional reaction that could lead to them learning more about how you can help solve their problem.
Over to you…
What are your feelings on close-ups? Yay or nay? Why?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.