Details matter
When it comes to your branded lifestyle portraits...
…Details matter
During the strategy session before every lifestyle portrait session, I ask a laundry list of questions.
Some of the questions relate to wardrobe, and one in particular, addresses jewelry, specifically:
Do you own any jewelry that has emotional significance to you?
For many people, the answer is no. I would be one of those people, as I don’t wear any jewelry at all. But for others, this opens up a door to creative visual possibilities.
During a recent branded lifestyle portrait session, I worked with Renee, a PR specialist who was in need of new portraits she could use to add to her website and other promotional needs.
When I asked her the question about jewelry, she mentioned that her grandmother left her different pieces. I suggested that she bring some of these items and we’ll work them into the photos.
One of the jewelry pieces that she brought was a ring (photo above - it’s on her ring finger).
Now, when I’m shooting, I don’t specifically focus on outfits and jewelry for the sake of capturing the items for fashion’s sake - I mean, this isn’t a photo shoot for Vogue over here - but, I do keep them in mind within the greater context of presenting the client’s personal brand.
When I set Renee up to capture photos of her working on her laptop, that was my chance to snag some shots of that cool looking ring on her finger while she was actually responding to a client email request.
While a simple photo of her hand moving her mouse as it sits next to her laptop, this photo has creative flexibility when it comes to being leveraged as an image for her marketing and promotional efforts.
For example, she could use this photo to visually punctuate a story about doing research on behalf of her PR clients, content related to the amount of newsletters she reads daily, or more generally, a post about her passion for delivering value for her clients through her work.
Additionally, this photo would serve as an excellent choice as a banner image at the top of her newsletter or the blog section of her website.
What adds even more value is the personalization factor of the ring on her finger.
I mean, there are about 3 million stock photos of hands on a mouse that you can license online. All different types of hands, locations and mice.
But what makes this photo pop is the fact that it’s her hand and in particular, that special piece of jewelry.
The fact that it’s personalized and has significance to Renee makes it more likely that she will use this photo in one way, shape or form within her overall, online presence.
It also opens up the possibility to serve as a conversation starter with someone in her audience who comes across it.
“Hi Renee. I noticed that ring on your hand. What is the significance of 1937?”
Boom! Once that question is asked, a dialog between Renee and the curious audience member begins. It could lead to nothing more than a short, back and forth.
Or, it could lead to a much more significant conversation that is the beginning of a long-term relationship.
Who knows?
But, she’ll never know unless she shares the photo and sees what type of engagement it creates. The point is to share compelling photos that serve to captivate attention and incite engagement, and photos like this are one way to fit that bill.
The next time you plan to be in front of a camera, think about ways that you can personalize your session in the way Renee did with her jewelry.
Maybe you don’t wear jewelry, and that’s fine.
Perhaps you love to use a specific type of pen when you write down notes. Or, you like to drink your morning coffee or tea from one specific cup. Or, you own a figurine that your mother gave you as a child and it sits prominently on your office desk.
Remember - when it comes to your branded lifestyle portraits, the devil is in the details. And it’s those details that capture your audience’s attention.
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