What makes a BRAND photographer GOOD (how to choose one for you)

Most people hiring a brand photographer for the 1st time can't tell a “good photographer” from the hole in the wall.

Run through this quick checklist to see if the photog you’re eyeing for your brand shoot has what it takes to meet and exceed your expectations. And yes, you want someone to exceed them – the world is difficult enough for us to settle on anything less harmonious.

(I'm focusing in this blog on "people brands" (personality-based, human-represented), if you're looking for another type of brand photography head here for a list of available niches.)

There's no denying that some of these are self-evident, but I wanted to break things down to eliminate the vague and bring clarity and help you focus. Like this 1st one...

1. They must be GOOD AT PHOTOGRAPHY:

What's that mean??
 

• Knows and uses the rules of composition and knows when it’s good to break them

• Knows and uses the variety of lighting situations, and knows how to manipulate the light to create mood and visual effects

• Knows how to guide uncomfortable and squirmy people into naturally good looking poses and situations consistently

• Is proficient with whatever camera and lens gear they bring to use at your shoot

• Is a professional (read “no drama”). Calm yet fun to be around. Relaxed but keeps things going like clockwork. Got the shot? Onto the next. Portrait photographer sets the rhythm of the shoot and they must be able to carry the energy of everyone involved in the project. They must have that strong will that overcomes whatever obstacles come their way to getting the shot. That's what "professional" means in the world of photography.

2. “ARTIST” IS OPTIONAL.

Let me explain… not that this person doesn’t have a vision or a style, but… they’re working on building brands for other people - each with their own vision and style. And therefore they have no need (and often capacity) to create their own vision and style, because this won’t be what people hire them for anyway. Who would want to replicate someone else's brand? I hope we're on the same page here!

3. RUNS AN ACTUAL BIZ

With solid and repeatable results. Meaning - has a working system and can guarantee success (with your brand photos) AND knows a thing or two about marketing a business. Which is worth repeating, so...

4. KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT MARKETING YOUR BIZ

Means - consistently works with people/brands just like you, and knows what you need, why you need it and how to connect your needs to what they do in that magical way that delivers sparkle and engagement with your audience.

5. KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT VISUAL AESTHETICS

Interested in design, graphics, visual aspects of everything. Is into arts, is into design, has a good eye and taste and is aesthetic (means interested in how something looks and feels. An example of someone who is aesthetic might be any visual artist).


6. (And my not so humble opinion is that your photog should be able to) DELIVER IMAGES IN THE STYLE THAT YOUR BRAND NEEDS. Which means that they either have to have that kind of photographic style, or they should be able to deliver in a whole variety of styles - being that they are a pro at executing a visual idea, and don’t just pursue some camera settings that they learned to bang out pretty pictures with. 


7. You’ll prob need them to BE AN ART DIRECTOR for you as well.

(I’m covering what that means in the next post.)

Most people who hire a photog ASS-U-ME that the photog is supposed to play that role - read “they should know exactly what images I need”.  But they have no idea what kind of skillset that entails. So this assumption is wrong on a whole other level of bad – I cannot even begin to shake my head, 'cause my ears will fall off from all the enthusiasm.

Remember that the photog you’re hiring (unless they hit all the points above) is most likely gonna ONLY be great at executing a very specific vision (at best!), but not creating a consistent vision FOR you. Not for the day rate they’re probably charging you anyway. Cause that's what art directors do! 

So take good care of planning this collaboration and decide in advance whether you’re in a place to just get anything at all, or you'd like to invest in a consistent library of visual assets that truly represent your personality, style and a brand message.

Questions? Pop them in! I'm here for it.

Why 99.9% of people poorly use their photos, and how you can QUICKLY fix yours

Photos and Video for your online biz brand are the whipped cream in your frappuccino, cheese in your macaroni, and a banana in your smoothie. Whatever you’re serving up to your customers is ohhh-so-much-better with quirky and unique on-brand personality-infused visuals that show people just WHO YOU ARE, what you’re like, and why they might wanna eat you up (or leave you untouched to get cold on the plate). The difference is that drastic. (And nobody ever gets fat!)

In your brand visuals people want to see your perfectly imperfect face, smile at the dimples in your cheeks, and adore the way your toes touch when you sit on your sofa and nerd out about your business ideas and principles.

They connect with your facial and body expressions.

They are curious about the paper-folded bird on your desk and the unusual ring on your finger - the story. And they’re interested in the weird painting behind your left shoulder (something catchy)…

They get a consistent brand impression (your shirts are pressed, your nails are trimmed, hair - clean, you’re positive and exude good energy) and values all across the platform (promoting drinking fair-trade monkey-poo coffee, supporting your local chipmunk preservation society, and donating used clothes to people who are rich with experiences but not with money)… all this good stuff shows up in our visuals and registers in their mind WITHOUT anyone having to make an effort to read a single line. It’s stupid fast! And it is impactful! Or rather - it CAN BE.

Here’s why I said “can be”, and not “is”.

Even though brand photography is at the highest point of popularity it ever was, unfortunately 99.9% of the online coaches either ignore, or don’t know about this high horse-power widget they’re missing out on. “Unfortunately” because if they didn’t ignore it - they’d be finding that growing their business, the hustle, the time it takes to become recognized - it’s all so much easier when your images TRULY support your efforts online.

Which is why I’m here, in my rented kitchen in Florence (Italy), where I currently work from and live in - on my nomadic adventure across the World, (and Europe specifically as of Fall 2021). And I’m fidgeting impatiently, editing this magnificent evidence to the value of my work - on the tip of this rustic kitchen chair, with the crick in my neck from too many hours in a non-ergonomic workspace - ALL FOR YOU, my friend. In hopes to help you blaze brighter and live louder.

Let’s take a quick run through all the good things images CAN do for you if you plan them right (and some things that happen despite your not planning, and that can work against you, if you’re not mindful). I’ll also give you examples to illustrate my thought-process when I work on a list of potential brand images for someone like you.

Visuals are the 1st thing we see

… and grasp with our conscious and unconscious mind.

It’s a given! After all - words are also images, but usually much smaller, and there’s a lot more of them. But, of course, people who are trying to prove the efficiency of visuals even go as far as making up stats like “images are processed 60,000 times faster than copy. Makes me roll my eyes so hard that I see green spots.

Which copy exactly? Which image did they use? How did they measure that?

It’s impossible to get a number like that. My friends who have their PhDs in neuroscience agree and chuckle along with me.

So let’s just accept that images are the 1st thing we see - always - and continue below to find out what exactly it means to us.

seT the mood

Visuals are the best mood setters (and obviously the most efficient) so be sure to create and manage that MOOD.

Are you grounding your viewer?

Do they feel elevated?

Are you pulling them into their dream destinations or feelings, leaving behind the ho-hum of everyday working grind?

Is your page comforting, like a big brotherly hug?

Or do you make them feel cold?

You can learn all about this and stimulate all human senses with my “5 Senses Framework” mini training (it is being re-recorded at the moment, pls signup to Newsletter to hear when it’s back up!).

Make people notice

notice YOU, and notice your content online.

Not every image will get you noticed. Most coaching brands use these dull perfected photos with their hands and legs “just so”. Photos that fail to create a connection with us. The only thing I (personally) notice about those photos is how much they make me shudder.

What most of us are drawn to is the CONTRAST. Contrast in light, in colors, in stories. Contrast in ideas, and in the way of life.

Stories. Not perfection.

Choice of an image will make or break the performance of your content piece when it’s placed in a feed to compete against other content for your attention. Scrollers do what they do best - they scroll and scan for something that will grab them by their eyeballs (or heartstrings). Will yours be lost in that sea?

MAKE US TAKE ACTION

Visuals trigger further consumption of your content. From headline, to the call to action - they often are the biggest reason people take the plunge down your slippery slide of a content piece. And there, in the end - they encourage us to take action. Or not! Are YOUR photos actionable? (which means they have to be EMOTIVE!).

Are you making your people want to read the title, read the caption, take the action? Or are you just using the image because it’s mandatory in order to create a post on Instagram?

Photos entertain

At least they are MEANT to!

One of my recent surveys shows that people look for very specific things in the photos they see. Once the image has caught their attention:

• they love checking out all the details in your photos

• want to see something new they haven’t experienced yet (e.g. in your travels)

• look for a “deeper” element or meaning - something that makes them “feel stuff”.

And you can make your photos MORE interesting by exaggerating your pose or expression, using props, and applying other elements of visual storytelling.

You also want to break patterns.

For example, if you have a highly expressive face, and all your photos and videos look like you’re clowning around, then a good contrast that catches their attention will be a photo of you looking completely normal, and not grimacing to make things super entertaining. Keep the variety up!

CONTRAST IS YOUR FRIEND.

trigger the emotion

photos have the biggest potential to trigger the emotion in our viewer. Visuals are processed by both hemispheres, and the emotional side gets to things much faster than the logical. Why use “flat” images when you can stir up powerful emotion in your people?

Go over your main messaging THEME-points and figure out what images would set the mood and get the emotion going. For example: 

If your message is “catch the wave/train/flight or any other opportunity for transformation” - then illustrate an act of grabbing that opportunity. Ideally with an entertaining twist (see the point above). 

make meaningful connection

And they do it fast (do YOUR photos do that?).

For example, when you look into the camera, you are connecting to the viewer with your eyes.

Eye-contact is so incredibly basic - people overlook it ALL THE TIME. But it’s very powerful. They are connecting with you and don’t even know it. So make sure there are enough closeups of you providing that eye-contact across your platforms.

How you come across and what’s your body language - these things are equally (if not more) important (depending on the image), so we’re being mindful of that when we think up the images for our shot list.

Subscribe to my newsletter to learn all the ways we can create a connection through a still image.

unforgettable 1st impression

There are different kinds of impressions. You can come out of your house today looking like a slob and most people won’t even notice you exist. But some WILL notice and you will become imprinted in their mind as a slob, even if they see you dressed to the 9’s everyday for the next 7 days. You can correct that impression with time and consistency, but that 1st one is a strong bond with their memory and the emotion they experienced when they 1st saw you.

I don’t always follow this rule myself, being a photographer and having an excuse to wear clothes that don’t attract too much attention, but you want to leave the house looking like you’re about to meet your future forever mate. Keeping that standard high shows people that you’re serious about being a stand up person. It’s like when men used to carry a handkerchief with them at all times - for the one time in their life when they are in the presence of a crying woman, so they can offer it to her. (I don’t know why I’m incredibly amused and touched by this. Where is my knight in shining armor with a tissue box in his backpack??)

They get people curious

So take the time to bring up subjects and stories that create that curiosity. You want to use this opportunity to stop the scroll and make people wonder who the heck you are, when you’re doing something unusual or even slightly outrageous. And eventually, with your “warm” audience you want to use consistent stories that raise curiosity, like - what’s up with all the ice cream eating and never getting fat.

The bar on image curiosity is still pretty low considering how poorly most brand images are planned.

We have a whole industry of quality photographers creating images that you ask them to do, and you need to learn to ask them for stronger images. They simply CAN’T be your artistic director, it’s a separate job on it’s own. So either become one, or hire one separately to work on your brand image IDEAS. (hint-hint: art direction is my favorite thing to do for other people, and this is what you get when you work with me)

Still images are globe-trotting mediators

Photography is more universal than any other communication means. It travels across cultures and languages.

Photo is a piece of real life - but focused on and frozen in a moment in time.

Why do you think Nat Geo is so big in the world of photography? The images they publish are powerful enough to capture attention and move the entire World.

(the company is also brilliant at marketing, but that’s another story)

But let’s simplify things to prove my point above.

As someone who’s been learning and speaking non-native languages all of my adult life, and became a pro at relocating and adapting, I must extend a helping hand to those who never challenged themselves with surviving in a foreign environment. I know that the majority of people - even in the developed World - have never left their own country, and if you’re not one of them please bear with me for just a sec as I describe the basic ninja-principle of surviving in the foreign land.

Have you ever been on vacation in a place where you don’t know the language?

Imagine you’re in Peru. You can’t read or understand what anyone’s saying. How do you find the nearest ice cream parlor?

You look at all the images and signs (also images) all around you. Something that typically gives away an ice cream shop -

This was a singular most primitive example, but the same goes for more global stories. Images like below clearly trigger an agenda and an emotion in everyone across the globe. 

What do you say?

Want some of this for YOUR brand?

Here are possible next steps:

• If you’re brand new to photoshoots - grab my shoot planning bundle to understand how the successful brand shoots are planned and what images you need to get you started.

• If you want to enhance your existing image creation efforts (you create ongoing videos - LIVE or recorded, you have done a photoshoot of two and feel like you can do better) - check out the “5 Senses” mini-training (it’s being re-recorded but signup to get news when it’s up!) that teaches you exactly how to use all senses stimulation to create more emotional images even before you get to your own act inside the frame.

• Want some serious and undivided 1:1 attention? There’s a 90 min 1:1 sesh we can start with, and after that you see if a VIP package or an ongoing project with me is something that’s a good fit for your marketing goals.

For me - the ultimate goal in branding with photos is for you to be blown away and inspired by your own brand. I don’t want to ever hear you say “I can’t seem to get it right, and after every shoot I still feel like something’s missing”.

Cover photo by Alex Radelich on Unsplash

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Easy tricks (that you probably FORGET) to add personality to your brand

Visual branding used to be simple until people realized what power lies in using their lifestyle photos in marketing their business.

A few years ago - circa 2015 - online coaching World reached a tipping point and became it’s own horizontal (or vertical, depending on who’s looking) industry, and now it’s a niche that many (including myself) are serving quite happily and successfully. And for these folks (the personality-based, and not the product-based businesses) - branding became a whole new ballgame. For these folks branding with photos and videos carries more weight than anything else combined.

And now that “personality-based” brands are obsessed with what they look like in their photos, and how to bring out their best natural self - I see that most of us forget to cover some visual branding basics.

And I fell victim to this too! (Don’t feel too bad)

These basics are important and inexpensive (time+money) and I’m here to help you REMEMBER. (You can play shamanic sounds or do the singing bowls while you read this article if it helps in your transformation. I could be whispering with my eyes closed as I light a candle - “Wooo… I’ll help you remember who you really are…”)

And because I myself fell into the trap of “I’ll just let my photos to do all the talking”, and completely forgot about the things that are much more readily accessible, things that actually support the structure of your branded portraits and videos as a foundation - in your web and visual content design… because of my own “DUH” (or “AHA”) moment (again, depends on who’s looking) - I wrote these simple instructions for you to avoid that mistake. You can now make your brand smoother yet even more instilled with your personality.

I repeat - these visuals will cost you very little time and money to produce. So, maybe, just do it?

But because they’re inexpensive - it doesn’t mean that you should overlook them.

They ARE the foundation and you will want to have this foundation established.

They:

• glue all your other visuals together 

• support your visual arsenal, and 

• lift your storytelling visuals to be even more accessible to the viewer, even more digestible by our tired overstimulated eyes

• making you more magnetic

• and providing more context to your overall brand image

As I myself go back to this foundation and start to use it more in my visuals, I’m discovering how much more fun and relaxing it is to have these tools in my branding arsenal.

Yes I said “relaxing”, because that’s how I feel when I don’t have to find all the super-duper-perfect photos to hold the “visual” weight (which is A LOT) on all my pages and graphics - I can now dilute and support them with the meaningful on-brand elements.

Here I’m giving you the list of those elements and the gist of my own creative process and how I went about it. Let’s dive in.

Patterns

Patterns are awesome when you don’t really have a story to tell or a face to show in a graphic or section (a place where you list benefits, or objections on the sales page for instance), but you want to FILL the blank space with some FEEL. FILL with FEEL. (I’m all bouncy that I came up with that.)

There are 3 layers at work here:

1. to uncover all the subjects that are on brand and generate ideas and find the images that can be used as PATTERNS.

2. to choose ONLY the ones that go with the “feel” of your brand. See below what worked and didn’t work for me.

3. the post-production. Changing opacity, colors and working them into the design. 

For the sake of a good example - I’m going with one of my main subjects - TRAVEL.

Since selling all the things and getting on a plane across the world in Summer 2020 I’ve been told by several business besties that I must lean more into travel themes - now that I’ve got so much to show&tell in my nomadic journey.

1 year later I agreed and am ready to add “Travel” theme to my branding (talk about taking things slow). Because other than in my Instagram stories - people won’t even know that I travel! (And only like ~70 people are watching my stories. And not so regularly.)

1st thing I did was google “travel patterns”. That’s when I saw all these cartoon-ish things pop up that are all really cute, but I would probably be having spasms if someone suggested I use them on my website.

YIKES! (I almost gave up on the idea.)

I mean - they look like pajamas. And they could work for other people, but my business is more about pushing against the glass ceiling and being rebellious. I can’t use pajama patterns - can I?

The next step was to keep scrolling, (what else is there to do…) and keep waiting for an idea to come up. I mean - I’d love some cute airplanes in a tattoo on my shoulder, but anything hand drawn makes my brand feel... domestic? Tame? I feel a serious lack of seriousness here!

Then I saw something in those search results that reminded me of a friend posting about her passport full of visa stamps and how envious it made me feel, and I went into my favorite stock site and typed in “travel stamps”.

This is what came up right away:

Bingo! I mean - much better right? 

But still not quite 100% “me”. It felt too dense of sorts, visually.

Which is why I love the feature they have in Deposit Photos when you’re looking at an image and you’re “not sure” - they have more options in their suggestions on their “select the resolution” screen:

So I saved that for my use! This is how I decided to use it - overlaid with white background, to be adjusted as needed on the page it will go onto:

Next idea was - maps. I don’t remember where it popped up, but it was one of the images in one of the searches too.

I even saw some WOODEN maps. Being the one to create “5 Senses Framework” (at the moment being re-recorded. Signup for newsletter to hear when it’s back up!) this kinda hit the spot for me. It’s a great “touch” stimulating image.

(Map can definitely be used as a pattern. I checked with my therapist.)

I also saw a map on a brick wall, and then on a concrete wall. Here’s the distinction between you and not-you (an example) - a brick is a lot less “me” than a “concrete”, so if I were to pick one of them - I’d pick a concrete wall with a map on it.

It’s like you’re building a perfect house for yourself. How would you build your house? What textures would you surround yourself with? (more on textures later)

Remembering my brand’s values - SIMPLICITY and CLARITY, I want something “cleaner”. I went with the following search keywords: glass, water, metal… “clean”. Maybe even drop the metal part. Make it “clear”.

A few taps on the keyboard in the stock library and I get these ideas to save:

By the way - I save everything into “Favorites” instead of buying the stock images right away, and then when I’m designing a page - I go in and pull from that collection and edit the image as necessary to go with MY website’s and brand’s color scheme. Sometimes another image from “suggested” will be more fitting. So - don’t buy them on an impulse!

Here’s a photo I recently snapped on my 5k run on the Nice promenade - WITH MY PHONE. I ended up converting that into a background as well:

And I’ve got a whole bunch more where this one came from. Just to illustrate to you that you can create these SO CHEAPLY.

Now I have these cool backgrounds that are on brand and I can use them anytime I want to fill some big white space with “feel”:

Then I continued generating more ideas but what came is no longer related to PATTERNS.

Let’s go with the next step now.

Illustrations

I saw (or remembered) the compasses:

But I didn’t want to use the images of the real compasses. I’m not a travel site.

These great illustrations came up and I’m definitely going to use them for “punctuation”.

(to punctuate visually means the same as with copy: to create separation, to help the content flow better, increase understanding etc).

A suggestion for you would be to look into doodles! Or hiring someone to illustrate you or some meaningful subjects/objects of your brand.
I haven’t gotten to that part yet, I think I’m good for now with what I found. But I wanted to finish the “creative” process and...

Called an artist friend of mine and told her about my “travel” ideas and what I’m looking for and she added some great suggestions, which we’ll review in the next section. (Not a smooth transition, but I’m trying to save you time reading this. So…)

Photos of related props, flat lays, scenes

Here’s what she suggested (and what I thought of them as applies to my brand):

• “Luggage” and “Car with the luggage on top” (this says more “vacation” to me, than “nomadic life”)

• Road signs with directions (love this image! I haven’t found any that I liked, but I made a mental note to take some photos when I see a good sign/setting!)

• Foot steps… and the travel shoes that have seen it all. (Saw some dead-looking “travel” shoes on stock libraries. After a thought or two - decided to go with Converse shoes. They are very “travel”. Also made a mental note to take photos of my own shoes. They def look like (and ARE) actual travel shoes and are a far better quality than Converse (look up “leather Ecco” on Amazon with whitewall sole). Shots of feet up with a killer view - things like that.)

• View from an airplane including a window (may be while referring to “birds-eye view” when we’re “creating your brand”, otherwise the entire concept is too stock-y for me)

She also gave me feedback on my idea of a map - and suggested I don’t pick a vintage map. “I see that thing everywhere” - she said.  Besides - vintage is not really on brand for me either. 

Based on all that - more ideas came up:

• A travel hat

• Travel camera / camera bag

• Scarves in various travel-related scenes

Here we go. I didn’t even begin getting creative yet - and I already have a great collection going.

TIP: if you CAN - use your own body parts in shots. It’s also adding more of your own personality. And don’t be shy taking photos with your phone camera!

Textures

With on-brand textures keep in mind that you’re going for the FEEL. Don’t just pick something that goes against your grain, like for me it was all that cutesy hand-drawn stuff. Or for my friend - who said - “do NOT go for the “vintage map”.

Textures stimulate the sense of TOUCH.

In my case - using a glass version of the map, using elements that are translucent, like water texture - those are my textures.

I see myself using metal and concrete in some of the elements.

(all these are found cheap on stock sites! Simply adjust to your color scheme and change the opacity, so they are not distracting from your copy/main images)

Keep in mind that travel gives me the freedom to go with pretty much anything. Travel is all about variety and exploration. So I could be a lot more liberal in my social media posts, but I want my website assets to appear clear and clean - because I use photos to help people make their brand clear - for themselves AND their audience.

I talk a whole lot about how to find YOUR brand textures in the 

“5 Senses Framework” - Mini Training.

(it’s currently being re-recorded, but signup here to get news when it’s back up!)

Besides textures you’ll learn all ways to make your brand not only more personal,

but also more SENSE-ational.

And the last but not least: 

Handwriting, hand lettering

I’ve not done this personally, but something easy to create is a bunch of on-brand [insert your go-to type of paper product] with hand-written quotes on them. 

If you’re choosing to do this and are looking at paper types, remember what I told you about TEXTURES. Pick a nice feeling paper that will trigger more “feels” in your viewer.

Also remember that sometimes ONE WORD on a piece of paper is a powerful story enough.  Like “UGH.” Just kidding!

There is probably a gazillion other ways to use hand lettering, so I’ll let your creative juices flow here, especially if you love to write. But I’ll mention that the #1 way to use your own writing is in signatures! Use signature image in emails and in articles (along with your face there) to really add that personal touch to your content.

Now all that’s left is take your saved ideas to your graphic designer and have a blast building them into your brand’s visuals! Create some background textures, create some graphics for quotes on social media.

I hope all this gives you great new ideas to make your brand more personal, to the point and more fun for your viewer to interact with.

I’d like to see what you come up with for YOUR brand!

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Never wonder what to wear to a photoshoot again

“What should I wear?” is the most common question to come up when I’m prepping someone for their shoot. Second only to “I hate my photos taken”, uttered with so much pride. 

(Why are people confident that this line is the best thing to say to a photographer? Do they think this somehow breaks the ice? Makes our job easier?)

Branding with photos for online personalities and coaches is a combination of a lot of things coming together in perfect harmony - and WARDROBE is a huuuuuge part of it. I hope that’s self-explanatory. 

But what isn’t obvious, is that -

if you create your EVERYDAY wardrobe to be a perfect reflection of you - you will never have a problem choosing clothes for your branding shoots - because you’ll always be on-point. 

Right? Right. So let’s go with that today.

I recently took a training with a pro stylist who coaches other pro stylists and thought her approach was SO GREAT, that I must apply it to branding a personality.

Because I want you to be in that magical place in life where you

• never have to ask your photog “umm… what do I wear?” and

• realize that it’s now too late to start shopping for anything new, or

• that your photographer is not really a stylist and

• can’t help you other than offer their personal taste and opinion. Often questionable...

(pssst… if you heard of a rule book for what not to wear for photos or videos - it’s true it exists, but with branding - let’s toss it out the window, cause it’s nothing but noise. We are not here to create “perfect” photos, we are here to create IMPACTFUL photos. Ok? Cool. Read on...)

And now… ta-da!!!

In my 1:1 “branding with photos” work I now include an option of taking a closer look at your wardrobe from a brand perspective. It’s an exercise where you uncover even more about who you want to be - through clothes. 

I want to cover all aspects, and clothes are a biggie! You are, after all, a leader, and if you also want to attract attention, then your wardrobe must reflect that.

---

Here’s a structure of that exercise and if you’re motivated you can do this all by yourself

and start creating your own perfect wardrobe!

Please be mindful that building a wardrobe is a long term work. But it’s also very easy to start RIGHT NOW. Once you understand this approach - it doesn’t matter how long it takes you to find the clothes, because you will never approach shopping the same disorganized way.

Also please note, that in the developed countries we often buy clothes based on our fears, and this approach helps to eliminate that kind of behavior, and provides an instant “AHA!”. When shopping, ask yourself - why do you ACTUALLY want to have a particular outfit or an item. Is the want coming from YOU, or is it someone else’s idea of what you should wear? I invite you to play along and focus on creating a foundational and highly functional capsule and see what you discover about yourself and how your shopping behaviors change. I enjoy it so much for myself! Let me know in the comments if you do too.

Rules of the game:

1. There are basic items and accent items. For the sake of simplicity and learning we’re going to focus on your BASIC items and then I’ll tell you how to choose ACCENT items (it’s super easy once you have built the foundation). You can begin this work before you go hire a stylist, and DEFINITELY before you go and spend money on stuff you might wear once, or not at all.

2. Basic items are neutral colored. Black, gray, beige, white, light and dark blue. That’s it! No other colors. Keep it SIMPLE. This is a foundation. If you like and want colors in your wardrobe (and only want to wear colors so people recognize you from a mile away and have a chance to run away from you (just kidding!)) - you take the same structure and create a colorful / accent capsule but please consult a stylist or become one yourself (so you don’t hurt other people’s eyes).

Step 1:

Here we focus on your SELF-EXPRESSION and PREFERENCES.

Create the fashion moodboard (use Google docs, Pinterest, Evernote, etc). I like Pinterest to create lists and moodboards, and also - it has a TON of fashion pics. And after you pinned a few - it suggests you more of the same style, which is brilliant and priceless. And it’s free (at least for now). And initially I’ve pinned over a 100 outfits on there. Yeah, it was a lot.

Here’s the “tip of the iceberg” screenshot of my own moodboard:

the idea is to save a lot on this 1st round. Set the timer for an hour and really go to town. Pin everything that excites you or catches your eye! I come back and do it from time to time when I can’t fall asleep. Or in other situations when you wanna pass the time, but watching a movie is not an option.

Step 2:

See if you can spot the patterns in the clothes you’ve chosen. For me I saw:

• oversized scarves

• relaxed bottoms (nothing “skinny”!)

• oversized sweaters

• drop-crotch pants

• more scarves

… and otherwise styles that say “I don’t care” but at the same time “well put together”.

What do you see in your board that keeps coming up?

Step 3:

Now it’s time to get real.

Hopefully you took some time to step away from the moodboard and are coming back to this step later. Next day at least.

Take a good look at your everyday life - how much time do you spend doing what activities?

Then categorize what clothes you need the most to satisfy more of those activities. For me it was:

• exercise

• work (at home or in cafes)

• photo/video production

• travel

• hanging with friends

• meeting people.

I never go out at night because I neither drink nor eat past 6pm. The only reason to be out when I’m not traveling / sightseeing has thus been eliminated, and I don’t need or want ANY evening-wear.

For my workouts I created a separate capsule. Makes sense, right?

In my example - my life is simple and I only need one capsule. I don’t need “office” clothes (yay!) And I definitely do not need (nor want) any heels in my capsule (heels are heavy and even deadly in travels) because I’m on the road all the time.

Step 4:

Now take a look at your moodboard and delete all the outfits that don’t go with your lifestyle (we're talking about simplifying your life, not complicating it. So do it! Delete.) Also delete all outfits that look like they might be painful or otherwise uncomfortable to be in for prolonged periods of time. For me - besides all evening-wear I deleted all the skirt / dress / heeled shoe based outfits - cause I’m almost never in a situation where any that would even be acceptable or comfortable, so who am I doing this for?

Reminder - we are creating the FOUNDATION of your wardrobe here.

When I’m back to having a home base - I might go back to owning dresses and heels, but for a traveller - NAH. Too impractical and too heavy. 

On this step you want to think “what will NOT work for me”, instead of “what do I want”. This is not a manifestation board. Come to think of it - this is almost the opposite of it!

Delete, delete, delete.

And now delete all outfits that don’t make your heart sing. Those could be outfits that you chose because your parents/friends/society make you “want” (fear-based). For example, things you could never afford when you were poor/young/whatever and now you find comfort in owning something that costs more than a month’s rent or mortgage payment in the rest of the world. Answer to yourself - why REALLY did you save it?

(I hold no judgement agains high cost brands. If you can afford them and they actually do feel good to wear, as opposed to just being a status thing - I’m all for it. I have a few bags and shoes, for example, that are as stunning as they are considered expensive, and they are worth every penny to me. I’m a big fan of Dior and Chloe brands. But most other premium brands - I don’t understand their stuff. It’s all status and no aesthetics). Again - this is my personal opinion and preference. Not necessarily any good on the market! Ha.

Step 4.1 (optional): now you can take an extra step here and add MORE of the outfits that survived this thorough filtering. But if you think you’ve got enough - let’s get to the hard part!

Step 5: we’re creating the capsule!

This is the part that takes time, unless you have a whole floor in the house dedicated to your wardrobe, in which case - please enjoy a good day or 2 of wardrobe-shopping without leaving your own home! (And don’t forget to remind your butler to order more extra-virgin monkey puzzle seed oil for your chinchillas beauty treatments.)

Two things here:

Thing #1: This is the step where you can also potentially begin working with a stylist.

This is the person who

• knows about colors that go well with YOUR complexion

• knows what styles of items that will highlight the best of your figure without compromising your priorities (which you’ve already outlined for yourself above)

• will also force you to try things you wouldn’t otherwise choose, which is why it’s so genius. I’ve discovered some of the best things in my chats with professional wardrobe stylists that I consulted with

• know what brands carry what and they make shopping easy for you. Some even will shop for you and bring it all home! How great. Don’t forget about the chinchilla. Juuust kidding. 

I cannot advise you on what you should wear for your complexion and figure. I’m not a stylist. I can only offer my professional and personal opinion as a photographer and a woman with EYES. I’m usually good with telling what colors and styles people should NOT wear, and happily offer my advice when we work on your branding with photos.

Here’s a quick video about my experience working with a stylist Veronika Nemeth of stylishfemalesociety.com

Thing #2: have you taken my “5 Senses Framework” mini-training? (at the moment being re-recorded, signup for Newsletter to hear when it’s available).

Remember there’s a bit there where I explain how to pick the right fabrics for the clothes to work FOR you in the pictures and not AGAINST you? It’s time to go and re-watch that bit.

Now grab all the stuff you’ve come up with at this point and use below algorithm to build your capsule!

Adjust the numbers to your liking but I would start small to make it easier.

1. Find 3+ bottoms that are NEUTRAL-colored (existing wardrobe or go shopping). Pants or skirts - I don’t care. I only have 3 pairs of pants traveling with me, and I’m not counting gym clothes (remember, that’s a separate capsule?). Jeans are neutral, yes.

2. Find 6+ NEUTRAL tops that go well with ANY of those bottoms, so you have all these wonderful combinations that seem to never end, and you feel creative, yet don’t have to work hard making those choices. Remember that there is a limited number of choices that we can make in a day without heading into burnout. In fact - I’m ready to claim that choosing clothes every day leads to burnout in the entrepreneurial community. We are too busy for this stuff! 

3. Any outerwear and shoes in your capsule - must be NEUTRAL and go with any of the bottoms and tops you already chose. I’m just here to remind you that it’s a CAPSULE! (And to be bossy for a few more mins.) Bear with me - you’ll get to shop more fun items in a sec. 

There you have your capsule wardrobe and you’ll never have to stress about what to wear - just toss on whatever is ready to be worn (is clean/ironed) and go! It is also minimal and is perfect for travelers! And if you don’t travel for a living - you can create a separate section in your wardrobe for this capsule and mix and match all you want without a risk of putting on something wrong when you’re sleepy and then feeling stupid all day. Unless it’s by choice.

Want accent pieces?

• use patterned/bright/non-neutral color accessories, or add tops/bottoms/shoes/socks/hats/glasses/etc. as accent pieces as needed. Your basic capsule will support your accents and make your life easy no matter what. 

• Accent could mean “quirky”, but that doesn’t mean that some of your foundational items can’t be quirky too. Where do you draw the line? Ask your stylist!

• Do not risk mixing accent pieces into the same outfits without knowing exactly what you’re doing and why that works.

• Each accent piece must go well with EVERYTHING in your capsule wardrobe.

You can start saving a collection of possible accent pieces that will become a signature for your brand. From orange frames to red socks and shoe laces - I think I’ve seen it all. But if you want to REALLY be noticed - it needs to be something bigger than that.

Ann Handley (Instagram @annhandley) is famous among marketing folks for her stand out wardrobe. Every time she’s on stage - she wears a suit I never laid my eyes on anywhere else. Makes it very difficult to forget her!

Wanna start following what’s trending?

Follow stylists on social, they are quite prolific and fun to watch these days. Everyone has different styles, so find the ones YOU like!

I’ll tell you that right now - in 2021 - I keep seeing oversized everything here in Europe. Oversized coats, oversized shoes (that fit, of course), oversized hats and most importantly - scarves! I love scarves, so I got myself a very large scarf to don around. It’s quite chilly so it’s perfect for the season. Could be in neutral color, but still an accent piece! Win.

And now you know how to - and can - create capsule wardrobes for other parts of your life in a similar way if needed. I don’t need more than one capsule, but people who enjoy night life and dressing up in hot evening clothes can create a capsule wardrobe just for that, and then also enjoy the ease of making choices when the phone rings and the taxi is downstairs in 5.

One last branding tip is to make sure that your wardrobe is sense-ational to the eye. Think about the “5 senses” in your images. Clothes are the #1 thing to stimulate the sense of TOUCH - they are the closest thing to our skin and to our ears. In my “5 Senses Framework” mini-training for branding with photos I talk about that in detail (it is being re-recorded at the moment. Signup to Newsletter below to hear 1st when it’s back up!)

Resources and equipment I recommend all the time (with affiliate links)

Every time someone asks me for this I have to spend time to go digging for links. So this year I finally put together this super short page.

Now I have everything I always recommend compiled into this neat little pile for you to peruse as you see fit. Let’s get right to the point!

Video lights I use (I have a few, so I can move around and set them up in different ways for different moods and settings):

YONGNUO YN300 III YN-300 III LED Camera Video Light with Adjustable Color Temperature 3200K-5500K 

Light stands - I like this one because it’s very tall, AND it’s very portable:
Impact Heavy-Duty Light Stand (Black, 13')"

You will need this adapter if you want to use the umbrella (and I highly recommend it to soften the light):

Manfrotto 026 Swivel Lite-Tite Umbrella Adapter, Black

Umbrella:

Neewer 2 Pack 33"/84cm White Translucent Soft Umbrella for Photo and Video Studio Shooting

Anything else you might be needing? Let me know in a comment!

xoIrina

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When we have a "Creative block" – here's what NOT to do.

Are you doing this one thing that stifles your creativity, your output, heck - your entire life?

I have this friend, who is a well established and an incredibly talented artist. I’m not exaggerating or being extra nice. This dude is a GENIUS.

His paintings are exactly what I think a great artist would produce. They are spunky, interesting, perfectly balanced, nicely composed, and they make me think and feel stuff. Most importantly - I want his art on my walls. Heck, I want to make more money just so I can buy a house with MORE WALLS for the art that he makes. That’s how much I admire and love him and his work. (And he is this one big love-bug of a human. You’d adore him too.)

He is well recognized in his circle of influence, so it’s not just me and my not-very-artsy-but-creative take on things I see and feel good about.

In a nutshell - he is DAMN GOOD.

He started seeing this woman a while ago, who is also a great and successful artist. She creates her art non-stop like a machine. And this man is in AWE of her. And he is completely head over heels in love with her. They are quite a power couple in the art world. 

I thought they probably feed off each other’s energy and thrive together! I was so happy to hear about this union, I thought to myself: “a genius squared - this has got to be good”.

Alas, I was shown otherwise. 

We haven’t spoken in ~2 years and recently I reached out to check on him, cause… well, he lives in Italy, so.

As soon as we finished discussing the current situation in Milan he told me that he hasn’t created any original work since the day he’d met this lady he’s with. That the person who is next to him now, who occupies his heart and his mind - she feels so big to him, so bright, and so amazing, - that he is convinced he has none of her talent, and he sees himself small, unimportant, and uninteresting in comparison.

How did he become so blinded to his own light that he can’t even freaking paint?

The whole thing is breaking my heart, because I love his light and his work. There’s so much of it in him - it’s the endless creative expression.

As I listened to him talk - I recognized that same thing in me.

And then - in other people I know.

I recognized that we, humans, do this to ourselves.

We LOVE to dim our own light when we love someone else.

They are so bright, smart and successful that we often have the opposite result than what we’d hoped to get from this proximity to them. And instead of being inspired and saying “I can do this too” - we make ourselves feel small, insignificant and “disabled”.

Photo by FuYong Hua via Unsplash

This happened to me and one of my ex-boyfriends. (I’ll get to it in a little bit.)

This also happens when we work with our business coaches -

when we have someone great to look up to and learn from. We see that they’ve achieved what we didn’t even dream of. They are making millions of dollars. They’re buying houses in Hamptons.

And you wanna be their superstar student, and maybe you even are a superstar student, but when the night is dark - you, again, dip your big spoon into that all too familiar bowl of “Am I good enough?”. Yumm!

What to do?

When we are standing next to someone so accomplished, so smart, so successful, so “Everything that we’re not” - it is important that we also recognize what attracts them to us. 

Something that WE have - and that they don’t. By the way, that’s why they like us / are drawn to us. They are attracted to us for THAT REASON. 

That said - if this is happening to you, like it does to my friend above (and to me - aaaalll the freaking time) - can you consider joining me and deciding once and for all - that

YES, you are NOT any of those things that you admire in someone else.

And it’s OKAY. 

And then (ok, this is cheesy, but…) - will you consider telling yourself that you are “complete”, and necessary, and super valuable to the world - JUST as you are?

We cannot buy this certainty and this faith in ourselves with expensive coaching. We cannot inherit it either. It’s a muscle that we’ll have to train from now on.

Back to this artist-friend I was telling you about…

I SEE his genius. I KNOW it’s there. I’m INSPIRED by it.

But of course - there are no words to describe it to him, all I can do is grab him by his shoulders and… shake him! Hard!

He must grab a hold of it himself. Because even if I think I see it - I can’t possibly see the whole picture. He’s the only one who can.

How do I grab a hold of that better spoon for ME? How do YOU grab a hold of it for yourself?

Here are the steps to overcoming “feeling stuck”

to help you tap into your creative genius,

to get you grounded -

so you can lean into and

FALL IN LOVE with who you are. 

STEP 1. Identify who it is that you’re looking up to. 

Sometimes we’re not aware whose light is blinding us to our own genius. So this step is as important as it gets before you move on to the next. 

For me - 6 years ago it was my boyfriend. He ran this fabulous camera store and I was just in awe of the entire operation. And I knew I could use the situation and learn from him, but I was feeling completely blown away and overwhelmed. I was not seeing that there’s only that much one man can do. That he had partners and a ton of employees. And at the end there wasn’t all that much to be blinded by, but because I locked myself in my “am I good enough” - I didn’t learn anything in the process. At least nothing that would help me (personally) with where I wanted to go. 

And these days I look up to other successful entrepreneurs - who are my coaches, or podcasters, or book writers - everyone who has shifted my perspective in any major way - now I’m finding myself overwhelmed by THEM. Unless I keep myself in check here. And here’s how I do it.

STEP 2. What is it that they have that I don’t? 

Write that list down as complete as possible. I’m giving you 3 examples of my own:

• Amy P.’s podcast that supports and helps a TON of people; she has a team of people working with her to grow her fabulous business. We started at the same freaking time! 11 years ago! And I have no team. I have no time or energy to run a podcast. I’m feeling like a failure just thinking about running a podcast.

• Laura B.’s got a brain that won’t stop. Someone puts a bit of copy in front of her and she’s re-writing it as she reads it. By the time I’m finished processing what’s in that copy - she’s already re-written it in such a way that it jumps at a reader and works it’s magic. Talk about a fast thinker AND an amazing writer in one person. And at the moment I’m forgetting she’s been writing copy ALL of her adult life. She’s done nothing else but write copy. She admits that she doesn’t even cook. 

I’m currently coaching with her, by the way, and I’m so in awe of her, it’s a tad creepy. I even insta-stalked her and all her friends on their last trip to Marrakech. But that’s Morocco, which I hold a special place in my heart, so I excused myself. And I’m holding on to that excuse. 

And THIS, by the way, is how I want YOUR people to stalk you too. This is how important YOU can become in someone’s life. We do it through “branding” and putting our best (and true!) selves out there.

• James W. shoots spectacularly entertaining and cinematic videos for his launches. And his launches are so elaborate - how on earth could I possibly ever. Even. 

(I tell myself: “well, Irina.. he’s come a long way too, my dear, and that wasn’t how it all started for him either”.)

And all these people are saying one thing in unison - it’s all about CONSISTENCY and SHOWING UP. And that’s what’s probably missing for you, like it was missing for me a year ago - we need to develop this innate habit of consistent showing up.

For sakes of creating this consistency - I started writing for 2 hours a day (every day) 5 months after I joined this coaching program - “Shrimp Club - an online coaching party” with Laura Belgray. 

This is my “consistency”. 

And your consistency is on YOU, my friend.

I am here to help you with SHOWING UP part - with all the services and programs I offer.

Let’s get back to your CREATIVE BLOCK.

STEP 3: This is the step where I admit to myself that I don’t have any of these things that these super-stars have. 

And I also admit that I don’t necessarily HAVE to have what they have in order to achieve my version of success. 

Ok. I’m feeling better already. Don’t you?

I know that what I want to focus on right now - is NOT shooting elaborate cinematic projects to boost my launches. And NOT creating and running a podcast that actually requires a team, or a full time job (if not two jobs), to run. And I might never have Laura’s brain for copy, humor and quirk. 

I can stay secretly in love with these folks all I want, but there’s something in me that they don’t have. Something I can lean into and that can make ME a superstar if I stick to showing up consistently.

What is it? 

List it all here.

Here’s some from my list as I wrote it in my journal (full transparency, if it helps you):

1. the expertise I have is unique. It can only be had by people who've done&studied photography, computer science and marketing - COMBINED. Which kinda makes me a UNICORN. 

(Oh yes, I just did. And you should too!) 

There are very few of us in the world. I’m a nerd, I’m a techie, and I started, ran, failed (and recuperated - several times) a business for 11 years - all by myself. 

I’ve coached with a number of geniuses and learned a great deal from them… 

I AM a Unicorn.

2. I am leaning into writing a lot. Not too many people (who don’t write for a living) do that. Getting up at 5 so I can finish 2 hours of writing every day regardless of what kind of work awaits me today - that’s my COMMITMENT. I cannot wait to see what comes of this. I just have to tell myself every morning that I’m perfectly capable of producing consistent valuable content and attracting the good people who NEED what I have.

3. I’m an exercise hog. I “show up” consistently to maintain my body in good shape. I watch what I eat, exercise and listen to my body (and my nutritionist friend!). 

I can totally lean into that because that makes me physically unstoppable. I can be a “machine”. 

And this is something those super stars of mine do as well! Every single one of them has some kind of a workout regimen. Maybe Laura and James are luckier in terms of the diet. Heck, she even puts dairy in her coffee. And she eats PASTA. Ugh. That’s just… annoying.

This helps me to have a stable emotional and mental energy, which leads to stable work ethics. I have the physical capacity to work hard and to be consistent. And I’m training myself to get better at it every single day: by writing 2 hours a day, by exercising, by committing to my online community, by eating the foods that are good for me and don’t throw me into chemical imbalance. Which in turn causes emotional imbalance and wreaks havoc on my work life.

No, I can’t lean into being an introvert. 

We should all stop trying to make that sound cooler than it is. It just IS. 

Extraverts can lean into being extraverts. It’s good for their business. We - introverts - should shut up and find something else to lean into. I’m a great listener, for example… 

4. I can take great selfies! 

Not “phone”-selfies. 

Serious creative photos that require time to setup and arrange. I can hold a whole 100 days of selfies project where I create a selfie a day. 

(Ugh, what a big undertaking.)

But hey, it’s worth considering. I can do a selfie a week. That’s fine too. That will show off my creative range much better than what people hire me to do for them. They, most of the time, have no clue what’s even possible. This could definitely be something I can lean into. 

5. I have a passion for being on stage. 

I can speak on stage. I can “show up” as a speaker and I can teach. 

I love comedy and I take improv classes to get better at performing. 

Which means - I can speak in public and be funny at the same time. 

That’s a good thing to lean into!

6. I am single. 

Ok, hold before you judge…

I don’t have a demanding partner. 

I COULD have a nice supportive partner, yes - but we’re focusing on positives here. I have nobody stealing my creative energy, but myself. My son asks for very little of me right now. All he wants is space and financial support. I’m giving him that. I almost never ask for anything of him other than to fulfill his duties in our household and his community. 

As of Summer 2020 I am free to go anywhere in the world. I literally don’t have any attachments left. 

I can consider leaning into that - being geographically flexible.

7. I am an immigrant and I’m super adaptable.

For some reason non 1st-gen immigrants in this country find my childhood stories fascinating. I can use those “weird” stories to make them part of the brand.

ETC.

So here you go. I’ve laid it all out even with my own personal examples. What about you, friend? Can you do this for yourself and help yourself to start seeing and focusing on YOUR OWN LIGHT instead of theirs? 

This is a “self-help” part of this blog.

Want more? Let me know in a comment.  

PS: remember the part where I mentioned that I help people with SHOWING UP?

Yes, that one.

I do.

I help people make their online brand more powerful and more profitable -

with the power of images and especially photos.

To get started all you have to do is sign up and get my brain downloads via email.

I’ll also send you a surprise gift!

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How are photogs similar to cakes + what can branding photographer do for you

Imagine walking into Whole Foods. 

They’ve got an okay bakery, right? They’ve got challah bread, naan bread (that yummy Indian flat bread that keeps calling my name every time I see it), cakes, chocolate chip muffins, oatmeal-whatever cookies - they’ve got a lot going on. 

So, on a regular night, you’d pick up your favorite simple-carb option (carrot cake for me! or chocolate!.. and you?), bring it home, eat it all at once (because who can ever stop? I know I can’t)... 

Congratulations! You just got fatter, and that’s not even the worst part. The worst part is that in 2 days you can’t even remember that you ate it. It’s so… ordinary. Even if it looks pretty…

Now… think about a special occasion. Think about a once in a lifetime event, like your favorite offspring’s 16th birthday. Would you go get a cake in Whole Foods? Are you saying you might? Ok, I’m not judging. But let’s imagine you’re on a sentimental side, like I am. I want the most special cake (last time I ended up getting three and freezing one for later) for my 6’2’’ tall “mom-I’m-no-longer-a-child-so-please-stop-treating-me-like-I-am”.

That’s the kinda cake (or three cakes!) we’ll talk about for a couple of years if not for the rest of our lives. #dontLetMomGoToBakeryAlone

I also won’t serve it right in a box, uncut, with a fork digging in straight into the pie.

It will be on a special “cake” platter, with a heavy glass cover, and it will be cut and served with the utensils I got from CB2 (the pretty kind). I’ll also get the candles on the cake, and there will be more candles all over the dining area. It’s a special experience that will make my heart melt to create and share with my loved one and our friends.

Now let’s go back to you and why you’re here.

You see… YOUR BRAND IMAGE ONLINE MUST BE A SPECIAL KIND OF EXPERIENCE. The kind that people won’t forget for a while. The kind people will forward links to their friends (my closest friends CONSTANTLY send me links to resources I might be interested in).

What does “branding photographer” even mean?

“Branding photographer” is specially trained and focused on creating images that will make your brand look SPECIAL, UNIQUE and UNFORGETTABLE. The key here is in their approach to planning the photoshoot with you much more than the actual picture taking.

See - most photographers are simply - technicians. 

• They master the camera and the light

• They figure out a few creative techniques that work for them and in their niche (be it portraiture, events or art) and they bang it out on an ongoing basis. It’s their system. Some may call it a “Style”.

The photographer I’m talking about here - knows BRANDING. They know ONLINE MARKETING, they’ve done it, they’ve invested, lost and made money using online selling methods. They know what people want from an online brand. They know what works visually, and most importantly - they’ve created a system that allows them to take anyone’s online platform and transform it using powerful imagery. 

They have no specific “style” per ce. They are flexible enough and good enough technicians to figure out the creative approach necessary to capture the images that will take your business to the next level of income and to the next level of badassery.

Now that I covered that - let’s review what such a person - a branding photographer - can do for you and your personality-based brand! And let’s use an abbreviation BP (branding photographer) for brevity of this post (which is not happening anyway, because when it comes to writing, I’m a “talker”).

1. They get you photos that allow you to grab immediate attention and proceed to capture hearts and minds with your images and your platform. 

That means - more signups, better conversion rates and therefore - bigger sales. Doesn’t that sound like “cha-ching”?

“I know I need photos for my website, but I’m not sure where to begin” - this is where we have the most fun. 

2. They give you confidence that you’ll get the images you need to uplevel your business

Working with a BP there is no question whether they’ll get your brand and you. It’s a question of whether you’re ready to unleash yourself and your brand upon this world. Because during the brand shoot planning work, while dotting all the I’s and crossing all the T’s - there’s no way in hell you and your branding photog won’t be on the same page on the shoot day.

3. They don’t just know how to use the camera, they are TRUE creatives and they specialize in BRAND creation.

“Regular” photographers are for “regular” people. If you want the sky to open up and to see a big hand come down and give you a lift up to the level where you see yourself be, as your business grows and gets established - you hire a branding photographer. They’ve got a magical “Visual-brand-thinking” hat, and once they put that on - it lets them figure out what perfect and catchy images you need most and how to get them for you.

4. They make you (and your audience!) feel SEEN, HEARD and UNDERSTOOD

BP understands the delicate aspect of speaking and appearing to your online audience in a very specific way while remaining genuine and authentic. BP takes the time to examine the details of your personal style and taste, as well as what appeals to your audience and can help you devise all kinds of possible ways of merging the two into your story brand and message. 

Showing your personality means getting the client you want. The client who already knows and likes you, is the more exciting to work with and help. And easy to sell to!

5. If you haven’t yet figured out everything about your brand - they can help you

BP can ask all the right questions about your brand. So if there’s something you need help specifying or focusing on, or brainstorming - they are a great addition to your team. 

BP KNOWS branding. They know what it involves to do the work and define the brand in the most precise ways - from competition and market analysis, to building the color/style and mood boards for your brand. They would not steer you wrong from what’s best for your business. They will challenge your vision and ask questions to help YOU gain clarity about your brand and to make the rest of the marketing EASY.

6. They are the outside brain that can help you identify your brand’s story

They pull out the stories you will tell your audience and connect them to imagery in a relatable and meaningful way.

They look out for your best interest, and are amazing to brainstorm ideas with. They have the visual experience you most likely don’t and they see the bigger picture, because they are not inside your head - too close to your business. They pull your focus where it belongs - on your audience’s experience and how to enhance it in a way they fall all over themselves in love with what you do and why you do it.

They can help you see different aspects, or angles, of things and invite you to get into details, so your brand provokes curiosity and entertains.

7. They are aware of all the latest trends and tricks of the trade

As a highly specialized business niche - they know the latest visual trends in the online marketing and will guide you in setting up your platform in a way to provide the best possible experience for your audience and to make you remarkable and unforgettable in their eyes.

8. They know online marketing so you don’t have to spend time getting them educated on your visual needs

They know what the sales funnel is and what the dynamics of it are. They know all about the cold and warm audiences and how to transition people from one level to the next. They’ll also help you better understand those dynamics so you can build a better sales machine inside your online business.

In all marketing terms - they speak your language. Lead pages, thank you pages, upsells, downsells, warm ups, email marketing, brand storytelling - they are your online marketing best friend who is like a golden retriever and a cheerleader in one bottle.

9. They will support you and talk you off the ledge

We all have doubts and bad days. We all get overwhelmed with projects that seem bigger than our heads. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone by your side who believes in what you do and will remind you how awesome you are when you most need it? Because chances are - by the time you two are done with the brand definition and a mood board - they believe in you more than you believe in you. Although, in my experience, once the mood board is done - nobody experiences much of self doubt anymore. Visuals have that kind of a power over us.

10. They can connect your design ideas and color schemes to the images that go well with them

Knowing all the design details they can see what kind of images will look best - based on the page’s visual theme, your style, the brand message and the mood. 

11. They will keep you accountable

Let’s admit it - when you’re working with a pro, you’re most likely under a contract, that probably has phases and deadlines established. And if you don’t want to lose your deposit or the money you pay them if they’re on a retainer - you’ll be completing the planning tasks assigned to you in a timely fashion, and not postpone this crucial step of building up your business for a month or 2 (which, as we all know can easily turn into a year or 2!). They are your accountability buddy - making sure the tasks are being completed and that you’re moving towards finishing this phase and things move smoothly towards your defined goals.

12. They know what you need on a technical side of digital imagery

They know about all the graphic considerations and image resolution specs you need for various corners of your online “party space”. They know about the copy space, and the margins. So when you plan your shoot, and execute - you’ll get the photos that are just right for your platform and fit the requirements of your web pages, signup forms and other assorted places, like social media, email signatures, profile pics etc.

13. A headshot is not the same as a profile photo.

And who knows the difference better than a branding photog? They won’t let you make the mistake of putting a low contrast pic that draws no attention to it - in the tiny square of your profile picture space. They’ll make sure to follow up as well, and guide you in making better image choices post-photoshoot (see my next point).

14. They’ll keep you “warm and hydrated” (as in “they won’t leave you high and dry”)

They will hold your hand through the usage and placement of the final product - photos - on your site, your social, and the works. It’s their honor and duty to do so. If anything needs to be brightened up, sharpened or color adjusted - they will work with you or your graphic/web designer to make sure those photos are giving you maximum boost and appeal.

15. They are partially your style consultant

They can help you figure out best props, locations, wardrobe, etc. to match your brand’s moodboard. They may not have them all at hand at your request, because every client’s brand is unique and you don’t want to reuse someone else’s ideas.

16. They’ll know what images will work better than you do

When you look at photos long enough - you’ll find that they all have certain energy and mood that they provoke in us. Your BP is an artist that can create a mood appropriate for the message you are sharing, based on the amount of experience they’ve had creating all kinds of moods in their photos.

17. They are GREAT at directing you to open up and be your best self during the photoshoot.

Unless you’re hiring someone who shoots flat lays (those images that nobody can stand anymore) your photographer has a great experience photographing people and knows how to make them look good. Everyone has different features that either can be highlighted or made less so, and nobody is a better master at those things than your BP.

I had some more coming, but I want to stop right here. Besides - we all have work to do and by now I probably convinced you to take certain precautions when choosing a photographer to shoot your brand photos. You also have some ideas on what questions to ask them during the initial consultation, right?

Cool.

Here are all the ways you can work with me as your branding photographer. Now, I’m real special in my field, because I also help people build brands. So there are quite a few options [offers are current and edited Nov 2021]:

• Power Portraits® package - helps define the personal brand along with its stories in one cohesive document, guides you while creating mood board, and climaxes in one (sometimes two!) photoshoots to cover all your immediate image needs and wants.

• The 1-on-1 time with me is becoming more and more precious, but for the moment you can still grab a 90 minute brainstorm or a consultation with me.

And if you’re not ready to get to work on your branding yet, sign up to get started with my regular coaching emails (you’ll get up-to-date info on trends and deals from me and my hand-picked and vetted affiliate partners (I’ll keep your information safe and sound).

K, bye!

Irina

PS: Sign up with for the emails that inspire you to build a more powerful brand. You’ll also get occasional tips and tools to make your online marketing easier, as well as fresh thoughts and other shenanigans I find worth (over)sharing.

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Celebrating this big thing!

I'm having a virtual party and you are invited! #10yearsanniversary

I've been officially married to my photography business for 10 years this year. Yes! On May something-something in 2009 I received the submitted paperwork from the law firm I hired to establish an LLC for me and I was officially "in business".

I remember a few months before - I was telling my friend Julie that "by that time next year I'll have my own studio space". I'm pretty sure I didn't believe in that myself. But I did get the studio space, and I even gentrified it by then (Julie helped me by the way - thank you darling!). THAT... surprised even me. The boldness I took this unimaginably difficult endeavor to with... Dayum. I wish I had some of that now, when I'm a more seasoned business owner and a lot less optimistic in a lot of ways.

People ask me often - what advice would you give yourself 10 years ago?

Ugh.

I cringe and think:

— don't do it! It will never be what you want it to be!

But the truth is - I didn't know what I wanted it to be. I thought shooting pictures was all I wanted. And it took me a long and winding road to get where I am today. Content with what I'm doing and not wanting to trade it for anything else (bad days aside). So I’ll stick to other advices instead.

In May 2019 (exactly 10 years later) I received a trademark paperwork from my amazing law firm for the Power Portraits®. And that's when I felt a little dizzy. Good dizzy, of course! It was one of those rare WOW moments for me.

I own a trademark!

Today I wonder, does anyone have a straight path in life? Is it ever possible? If you are one of the people who LOVE what they do - how did you get here? Did you always know you wanted to be where you are? Or did you have it like me - poking around in the dark, without much of a system, and a lot of guesstimates as to where you want to go next?

Today, I can proudly say that it took me 10 years to figure out what and who I don't want to photograph, and who I definitely shouldn't photograph. And what to offer them in addition to the photography service. I have poured my heart into figuring out everything related to branding online and digital marketing. And now when it's time to pitch - I have ZERO hesitation. Because I know how much freaking value they get when they work with me. And this sense of confidence cannot be replaced by anything in the world. And there's always room for growth. Which is the most exciting.

(Blah blah blah. Someone please get me off this chair.)

Congratulations to me!

PS: to those who have a business partner... would you please kiss them for me, because they deserve to know how important they are in your life. Because going it alone is FREAKING HARD. I know it better than anybody. I don't know how this is related to the beginning of the post, but I thought it'd be awesome to throw that into a soup of emotions and accomplishment.

Sign up with for the emails that inspire you to build a more powerful brand.

You’ll also get occasional tips and tools to make your online marketing easier,

as well as fresh thoughts and other shenanigans

I find worth (over)sharing.

SIGNUP TO GET POSTS INTO YOUR MAILBOX

First Name

Email*

LET'S DO IT!

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