Gimme props...
Do you use props during your keynote?
Let your photographer know beforehand so they can capture you in the act of using them on stage.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned while capturing hundreds of presentations, it’s that there’s no one way to tell a story and motivate an audience into action.
Some folks use slides.
Others use whiteboards and flip charts.
While the rest simply talk to their audiences.
Either way, in order to create a comprehensive image portfolio that shows what it looks like when you’re on stage delivering your magical message of transformation, have your photographer capture those moments from as many vantage points as possible.
This visual variety will offer your design team a slew of options when putting together your marketing materials.
If you want to look like an authority who is worth every penny they charge, don’t use 1 photo in 25 different places. It feels cheap…
…and if you think I’m talking to you specifically by pointing this out, YES, I’m talking to YOU! :)
Another way to add a visual layer to your image portfolio is if you use props during your presentations.
The more props the better!
During a recent keynote with Kim, I had my hands full with all of the props that she uses throughout the various sections of her talk.
Beanie Babies. Bag phone. Rejection letters. Cards. A sling shot…
The night before her morning keynote, we talked about each of them, and where they roughly present themselves during her 60 minutes on stage.
I wanted to be prepared for when they came out so I was in position to capture them from as many angles as possible.
Here’s what we ended up creating:
When you think of professional keynote photos, you might typically default to envisioning a super wide shot with the speaker looking very tiny in a very large room full of people.
Now, those shots certainly have a place in your portfolio, no doubt about it.
But, those photos are merely one piece of the entire story.
You need way more than that in order to set your marketing and design teams up for success. And images like the ones above help to achieve that goal.
While they’re not ideal as promotional images that can be included in your one sheet, they are certainly valuable when thinking about leveraging them as website imagery and online content.
What you need in your portfolio, overall, is a collection of unique moments.
Unique facial expressions, body language, movement, and positioning on the stage in order to create as much visual variety as possible.
And when you add in the props component, that adds another layer of visual diversity from shot-to-shot.
If you use props on stage and plan to have your next keynote photographed, be sure to talk with your photographer beforehand so they’re prepared to capture these visual elements for your image portfolio.
Your creative team will thank you for having that conversation later :)
For more visual storytelling strategies and insights for experts, I’ll talk your eyes off through my blog.Sign up to receive them directly in your inbox, and if you have any questions,set up a time to chat with me and then I’ll talk your ears off, too :)