"I look mean in this photo - I would never use it."

“I look mean in this photo - I would never use it.”

Before you make up your mind, think before you delete.

I’ve heard the above comment countless times during a photo review session, and it blurted out of a client’s mouth during a recent shoot. 

We were reviewing and selecting a series of lifestyle photos of her sitting at a table, brainstorming ideas with her pen and moleskine. 

There was one photo, in particular, that drew her attention...and ire. 

In that shot, she was looking up from the book and peering out the window of her front porch, thinking to herself. 

The moment we landed on it, she wanted me to immediately get rid of it. 

My reaction?

Yes, there is a hint of anger and upset in your expression. 

Cut to…

And yes, that’s a good thing, and it shouldn’t be deleted.

Why?

As I explained to her, and everyone else who has this reaction to a photo where they’re not looking smiling and happy, you want to exhibit a healthy amount of visual variety in your image content portfolio. 

Visual variety is influenced by a variety of factors - the locations in which you’re photographed, the outfits you’re wearing, the activities in which you’re engaged in front of the camera…

...and, your facial expression. 

Since she shares stories that exhibit emotional sentiments across the spectrum, you need image content that compliments all of these stories, from vulnerable shares to celebrations. 

I mean, how weird would it be if she wrote this heartfelt story about a major failure in her life and the takeaways from that experience, and then paired it with a photo of her laughing wildly? 

There is a disconnect between the visual and the story, which waters down the emotional impact this piece of content can have on the viewer.   

With that said, I suggested to her to hold onto this photo because, at some point, it might come in handy.

For example, what if she created a teachable moment for her audience through a rant-type story? This photo would be tailor-made to visually punctuate that type of story.

Would it work for expressing gratitude for a client, advocate or colleague? 

No, and it wouldn’t need to - she has warmer, friendlier and more approachable images that would serve well to visually punctuate that specific story. 

Long story short, it’s important not to draw conclusions of the validity and usefulness of a photo without taking into account the context of the stories you share with your audience. 

If the photo is flattering beyond the facial expression concerns they may have, I suggest for them to keep it in their portfolio because the time will come when it becomes the visual punctuation to a highly specified story you want to share with those you serve. 

It’s better to have these images on hand and not use them for months, rather than scrambling to figure out Option B.

At the end of the day, she decided to keep the photo in the portfolio.

And, you should, too :) 

For more information on how to position yourself as the authority in your space of expertise while also being a relatable and empathetic human being, sign up for my newsletter. I share all the good stuff there, and it’ll save you the commute to my blog :)