Alone in your thoughts...

There are several ways to create compelling and genuine visual assets during a branded lifestyle portrait session. 

Headshots and wider portraits offer a chance to make an immediate impression on potential clients as you lock eyes with them digitally. 

Candid, lifestyle portraits offer a fly-on-the-wall experience into your life and shows them what it’s like to work directly with you. 

While these two scenarios cover a wealth of image content possibilities, there’s a third option as well:

Being alone with your thoughts. 

While these THINKING TO SELF photos may seem trivial, they actually hold a lot of creative value in terms of the marketing assets that your team can create. 

Take a recent portrait session I had with Allison Shapira.

In the midst of capturing a variety of headshots and wider portraits, I’d occasionally ask her to stop looking directly into the camera, and look off into the distance. 

I then directed her to think about aspects of her life and business that would elicit various emotional expressions on her face. 

Moments of vulnerability, rumination, introspection, confidence, wins, and overall joy.

Why? 

Because these distinct emotions create unique sentiments that can visually punctuate a wide variety of the stories that she wants to share online, whether it’s a photo for her website, newsletter or social media content. 

While this collection of images satisfies her need for diverse visual assets, it also provides her audience a front row seat into getting to know her better, as well. 

While the scenarios in which the photos were created were contrived, the expressions captured are REAL. 

This dose of genuine personality helps them to determine whether they want to learn more about how she can help solve their problems based on how the image makes them FEEL. 

As a result, this specific collection of photos within her overall image portfolio are an essential addition. 

When strategizing with your photographer before your next session, be sure to mention the THINKING TO YOURSELF  photos as a must-have on the shot list. 

Your design team will thank you for it.