When you’re a professional redeveloping your website, updated and modern headshots are a must. They go a long way to modernizing the look and feel of your spiffy new site.

I met the People Solutions crew of Viridian in their office building. They have a great spot in downtown Calgary that is full of light and life.

I had actually done some photos for the rest of their team there, last year, and they wanted the same brick wall that we had used then.

Check out their photos in action on the website that was designed by Tiller Digital. Don’t they look awesome?! (Be sure to check out their entire website as well – it’s gorgeous.)

When there is a team of professionals, it’s important that each person’s headshot looks the same. A cohesive and well thought out look and feel is a must.

There is nothing worse than seeing a bunch of headshots with different backgrounds, shot in different locations, or perhaps using phones (yikes!).

Selfies have their time and place but, for professional sites, you definitely don’t want to be submitting images to your website designer where you’ve cropped your head out of a family photo. Am I right?!

---

What to wear for headshots

These three women look amazing, don’t you agree?

They are naturally beautiful, of course, but here’s a few pointers that I shared with them (and all clients) in order to prepare for their headshots:

Do’s

• choose solid colours – sometimes patterns/stripes can be a bit busy
• choose jewel-toned colours – they typically look great on everyone

Don’ts

• don’t wear anything too baggy – for headshots, fitted tops tend to be more flattering because we are cropped in a bit and don’t get the full body picture
• don’t choose colours that are fluorescent – these colours play tricks with the camera’s sensor
• don’t choose tops with logos on them – as it’s distracting when viewing

Wouldn’t you agree that they did an amazing job deciding what to wear for their photos?!

Kate Daniel is Calgary, Alberta Brand Photographer serving creative & ambitious, women entrepreneurs.

Together we’ll create authentic & scroll-stopping brand photos so that you can grow your business and get back to living the life you love.

Contact me to book a session or sign up for the newsletter for special offers & seasonal discounts.

Yes, professional headshots can also be colourful!

I don’t know if you feel the same way, but when I think of “professional” headshots, I picture someone in a suit or formal dress, standing in front of a white, grey or black background.

You know, something classic & clean. Maybe a little bit boring?

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and place for the “typical” headshots. I mean, who really wants to see a profile pic of their Dr or Lawyer on LinkedIn that’s in their beachwear or lounging clothes?

But professional photos can also be colourful and fun!

And if you’re a small business owner that serves creative, down-to-earth people in a casual environment, then there’s no need for you to dress in a formal gown. You know what I mean?

Your headshot should meet your clients where they are. It should represent you and your brand in an authentic & intentional way.

BUMP murals (in Calgary) make great backdrops for creative, professional headshots

Started in 2017 as the Beltline Urban Murals Project, the community-led, artist-focused BUMP Festival has exploded to become a city-wide street art movement reimagining public spaces through the visual arts and expanding the capacity of the local arts community.

Every year, a diverse jury selects from among local, national and international artists for the BUMP Festival’s annual exhibition of new mural, Road Works and graffiti works in Calgary.

BUMP’s mission is to create accessible public art that uplifts communities across Calgary.

They believe that public art can enrich communities, create beautiful and captivating places, provoke conversation and add beauty to the everyday.

To date, the BUMP Festival has transformed Calgary with over 180+ public art installations  capturing the imagination of residents and visitors in a celebration of the arts and community.

Curious where all these amazing works of art are located? Look up the artists & locations on their map.

Mural painted by Michelle Hoogveld

The backdrop for Lisa’s professional (yet colourful!) headshots is a mural painted by Michelle Hoogveld. I just happened to be walking by when Michelle was hand-painting each of these tiny circles. A masterpiece by a master, for sure!

If you’re not familiar with Michelle, here’s some more information about her (from the BUMP website):

Michelle Hoogveld is a Canadian painter and mural artist, whose distinctive style is inspired by colour theory, connection, and matters of the heart. Michelle creates compositions of bold patterns and textile-like blockings of colour, with layers that weave and fold together as an intricate tapestry of who we are, celebratory of human identity and emotion.

Her colourful works are internationally recognized, beautifying and uplifting spaces in both the public and private realm. Creating around the world, Michelle has worked with a wide range of clients in Canada, the United States, Peru, Mexico, Germany, Portugal and England. Michelle holds a B.S. in Design from Lynn University as well as a BEd in Arts from University of British Columbia.

Thank you for doing what you do, Michelle, and for creating this accessible, public art in Calgary. Your art helps to brighten up those headshots!

Kate Daniel is Calgary, Alberta Brand Photographer serving creative & ambitious, women entrepreneurs.

Together we’ll create authentic & scroll-stopping brand photos so that you can grow your business and get back to living the life you love.

Contact me to book a session or sign up for the newsletter for special offers & seasonal discounts.

Visual artists seem to have a leg up to other small business owners, when it comes to creating content and/or images to post on social media.

With the rate and frequency that we “should” post on Instagram and Facebook these days, a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with finding enough images to post. Posting the “perfect” image (day after day) can be a real struggle!

But if you draw or paint, look at all that content at your fingertips. All you have to do is take a photo of your gorgeous image/painting – et voila! (easy, not easy – I know!)

Yes, you still have to actually paint all those paintings…but colour and creativity are sure to be scroll-stopping on Instagram.

However, there’s been a shift in the landscape of the online world. Showcasing your art is still important, of course, but there’s a new thirst from people wanting to know more.

People want to get to know the “you” behind your paintbrush. Sharing your Brand Storytelling Photos allows them to do just that.

What are Brand Storytelling Photos?

Brand storytelling photos help tell the visual story of you and your business life.

They go beyond the art and capture the whole story of your life – or a portion of it, anyways.

Some may think of it as “behind-the-scenes” photos.

What does it look like in the studio where you create? Where do you create your art?

What does your family like look like? Is there a portion of that story that you’d like to share with your clients?

For this session, Visual Artist (and friend), Shantael Sleight, wanted to capture some photos in her studio space and beside her artwork. She also wanted to include her kids in the photos, as they enjoy sharing in the studio fun as well.

It was important for her that the photos give off a feeling of calmness and relaxation, and a connection to her artwork.

She also wanted people to have a sense of who she was and the work that she does.

“It was really important to me that the images looked natural and not posed. There were moments of discomfort when the camera was clicking away, but I think Kate chose the photos that kept to a natural and relaxed look.”- Shantael

Brand photos allow you to connect with your audience

We communicate who we are and our values through stories (in this case, visual stories).

By creating photos that showcase the stories of our lives, our ideal clients get to know, like and trust us at a much deeper level.

Shantael admits that she was sceptical at first, of the need for these types of photos, as an artist.

But after doing the photo shoot, believes that having personal images is critical in allowing clients to connect with her.

I increasingly believe that having personal images is critical in allowing clients to connect with the artist. Just having these photos increases my confidence in sharing my brand in a real way.”

– Shantael Sleight

Shantael also feels more at-ease sharing photos of herself now that she has these. “They are professional, sharp and clear, well-considered and are not flaky.” – Shantael

Thanks for welcoming me into your world, Shantael, and allowing me to capture a piece of your story!

About Shantael

Shantael Sleight (b. 1975, Edmonton, AB) is a contemporary Canadian painter based in Victoria, BC. Since completing her honours BFA in 2002 from the Alberta University of the Arts (PKA Alberta College of Art & Design) she has maintained a studio practice and has exhibited publicly and privately throughout Canada. Shantael’s artwork focuses on the human experience instantiated in nature, as a way to explore themes of ephemerality, impermanence, abundance and nuance.

---

Kate Daniel is Calgary, Alberta Brand Photographer serving creative & ambitious, women entrepreneurs.

Together, we’ll create authentic & scroll-stopping brand photos so you can grow business & get back to living the life you love!

Contact me to book a session or sign up for the newsletter for special offers & seasonal discounts.

A good Brand Photographer knows that brand photos are more than simple portraits.

Portraits are (mostly) about smiling at the camera; about getting a good shot.

When I’m creating brand photos, however, I try to dig a little deeper. Often the result is quite similar – a great, clean image – but the intention behind the image is what matters to me. And it’s often what creates the difference between a nice image and an impactful one.

I really try to get to the heart of a business or brand when I’m working with someone. I know that in order to create images that allow entrepreneurs to connect with their people, it starts with a bit of pre-planning.

As part of my Brand Storytelling onboarding process, I’ve developed a discovery questionnaire. It allows me to create images that are a true reflection of a business/brand. It’s quite extensive, of course, but here are the 3 must haves that form the basis of my Basic brand photo session.

1. What do you do?
2. Who do you serve?
3. How do you want them to feel?

I’m curious, what kind of questions has your Brand Photographer asked you? Scroll down to learn how Nicole answered these.

About Nicole

Nicole Oakes is a transformational health coach. She helps people overcome chronic symptoms and reclaim their health. As a holistic health practitioner and coach, she addresses health not just on the physical level, but on the mental and emotional/energetic bodies.

She works with sensitive and heart-centred people who are ready to reclaim their health. She seeks to inspire, support, lift up, hold, nurture and heal her clients.

Nicole wanted her people to feel inspired and uplifted after looking at her brand photos. She wanted them to be full of vitality and she wanted “sunshine beaming behind me.”

Well, how do you think we did?

Kate Daniel is Calgary, Alberta Brand Photographer serving creative & ambitious, women entrepreneurs.

Brand Storytelling photo sessions – Capturing the visual story of your heart-centred business.

Contact me to book a session or sign up for the newsletter for special offers & seasonal discounts.