Do your photos have soul?

Before you select a photo, ask yourself this:

Does this photo have any soul?

The other day I was chatting with a colleague about one of the self portraits that I used in a social media post. 

At first, she assumed that I took the picture with my professional Nikon camera. When I told her that it actually was taken with my IPhone, she remarked, “Wow, I didn’t realize that you could capture so much soul in a photo with a phone.”

My response?

“It’s not about the technology; it’s about the intention and purpose behind the motivation to take the picture.”

When you know exactly why you want to capture a photo and how you plan to use it, you could take a photo with a disposable camera and it will still offer you a valuable asset to visually punctuate the sentiment of the story you attach to that image. 

Listen - a crappy photo - poor composition, bad lighting, out-of-focus, etc. - is going to be seen as a crappy photo regardless of the camera used to capture it. 

And, believe me, I know from experience, :)

When you hire a photographer to capture image content or snap a photo on your own, the goal is to ensure that pieces of your personality and disposition is captured from shot-to-shot in order to allow your audience a chance to get to know you beyond the ways that you can help them. 

By bearing a piece of your “soul,” you’re essentially offering those you serve a chance to gain access into your world by demystifying how and why you do the things you do. 

This creates a deeper connection.

That’s why if you simply focus on looking good in front of the camera, you’re leaving a lot off the table. 

This forces your audience to fill in the gaps and makes assumptions of your personality...and you know what happens when you leave things up to ASS-umptions, right? 

Does this mean you can look like shit in your photos? 

No - I am not suggesting that by any stretch of the imagination. 

But I am suggesting that you need to dig deeper whenever you’re in front of the camera. 

When you put in the work to do this, that will go a long way to ensuring that you attract the types of people who not only need your help, but also will positively respond to the way in which you communicate and educate them.

If you have a goofy side to your personality, show it. Same if you are intense and in-your-face. If you’re the quiet, reflective type, show that in your image content. 

If you’re a pain in the ass like me...well, I’m still trying to figure out how to capture that in my photos, so I’ll keep you posted on that, :) 

Keep that in mind the next time you plan on updating your image content portfolio, whether that involves a professional or self-portrait session. 

Give your people a lil’ soul to snack on and that will be a major first step to developing a relationship with your audience beyond the work. 

If you found this article valuable, can you do me a favor and share it with your audience by using the share buttons at the bottom of this article? 

I’m looking to spread the persuasive visual storytelling gospel and could use your help. I thank you in advance for the assist, :)