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My business is still very new and I don’t need p

“I want to lose some weight before I book a phot

“I want to lose some weight before I book a photo session”

This is one of the reasons I’m given on a regular as to why people don’t want to book a personal branding photo session “just yet”.

📣 Ah, this is my favourite because we can all relate – and not just when it comes to photos that represent your business. It’s also a great excuse to not have family photos or just some nice new portraits taken.

But if we always wait until we achieve XYZ, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.

🚫 No, you don’t need to lose weight to get photos that will help your business be visible. 🚫

Because your business exists with who you are now – no matter what you look like.

And if you hide behind not looking the way you want, you jeopardise making connections with people who struggle with the same things as you.

➡️ You also assume everyone will judge how you look – while actually, most people won’t care at all.

💚 They want to see how you can benefit them.

And your weight or appearance has very little to do with the value you can provide others with.

#BrandPhotography #BrightonPhotography #BrandingPhotography #Branding #BrandingPhotographer #PersonalBranding #SmallBusinessPhotography

PSST, what do you think is the most important thin

PSST, what do you think is the most important thing when planning your Personal Branding Photoshoot? 👀

Outfit? Location? Make up?

I’ll tell you… it’s light. 💡

What I mean by that is when you plan your shoot and pick out locations you would like to use, don’t just look at the cute decor and the lovely furniture. Instead, really pay attention to how much light the space has.

🎨 Photography is “painting with light” but light is so easy to cheat on in post production. That all goes out the window once people enter a space though.

🔦 Spotlights on the ceiling create dark shadows under someone’s eyes. Limited daylight means we rely on artificial light that could create wonky colours in combination with certain wall colours.

A camera can’t make that many distinctions which can make colours in photos look a bite weird.

➡️ Basically what I’m saying is that an abundance of (day)light is an important factor. ⬅️

When you’re planning your session, pick a location with good light and a space that works for you, your business and your personality. And if you’re not sure, talk to your photographer about it and get their opinion to help you choose the right place.

🌞 For a number of reasons I usually shoot with the light that’s available in any given space. It means I’m super flexible, my gear is less intimidating (based on client feedback that’s a huge comfort factor) but it also means I can be at the mercy of the space we shoot at.

I will always try to make use of the best angles to put you in a flattering light but I’m not a magician. A black box will always be a black box. I do bring a flash with me and will use it if needed but it can’t fix every light-induced challenge.

Plus, you look better in good light. That’s a given and I will die on that hill! 😂

If you’re ready to talk about how I might be able to help you bring your vision to life, get in touch.

#BrandPhotography #BrightonPhotography #BrandingPhotography #Branding #BrandingPhotographer #PersonalBranding #SmallBusinessPhotography #BrandPhotoshoot

When someone points a camera at you, what do they

When someone points a camera at you, what do they usually ask you to do?

Smile? Say “cheese”? 🧀

I absolutely hate that! Not just because a smile on command doesn’t look like an honest smile for a lot of people but also for the message it conveys:

🚫 We only want smiles in photos because we need to show how happy we are. Even if we’re not. 🚫

Here’s why I think it’s problematic when you ask your children (or anyone really) to say “cheese” for a photo:

It teaches your child to perform and smile for every photo.

A forced smile is never genuine. 🫠

It’ll never look like the one they give you when they are actually excited about something.

And the message we’re sending with this is that they’re only worth being photographed when they appear happy. While in reality, happiness is only one emotion of many and definitely not the only one we should capture. 📷

I’m sure you want your children to feel like they can be whoever and however they want – that shouldn’t change just because there’s a camera involved.

The documentary approach my photography follows means I’ll never ask anyone to do anything in particular and I’ll never ask for a smile. So if I happen to capture one, it’ll be genuine and worth so much more than a “cheese”. ✅

The photos I create that way show an array of emotions – because you know how many different ones your child can cycle through in a really short amount of time.

Wouldn’t it be fun to have more than just the happy smile captured?

Reach out if you’d like those kind of authentic images of your children - including all their emotions.

Let's Connect

I’m Brighton’s documentary family and personal branding photographer and filmmaker!
Cultivating confidence though beautifully authentic images of your family and work life.

anja@anjapoehlmann.com

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