When I became the client
Owning a small business I often promote branding photography to my clients because I see the value in it. Even though I know photos are powerful (obviously I’ve built my career around that belief!), I didn't truly realize the power of a great headshot or personal branding shoot until I finally scheduled my own. I waited entirely too long–8 years! Here are some things I learned from my own headshot experience that I hope will encourage you:
The saying “fake it until you make it” really is true. The secret to success is confidence especially as a business owner/ entrepreneur/ soloprenuer, artist etc. That confidence is an energy, sometimes you feel it, sometimes you don't but the key is to project that confidence to your clients regardless of how you feel. If you don't believe in yourself your potential clients won't either.
For my headshots I had a trusted mentor and friend, Saray, who is also a fellow badass entrepreneur and artist do my session in Knoxville. It felt great and also relaxing to know I was in good hands. We even brought my family in for some pictures at the end!
But really as fun and relaxing as the photoshoot was, the real MAGIC came later!
The “Oh hey that's me!” energy- I got an instant confidence boost every time I looked in social media, saw my email signature, my website and media. It looked like the next level of professionalism. Sometimes we look at others that are doing the same thing or what we can’t to do and think that's them and then there's me and we're different. Sometimes it's easy to fall into the less than mindset - I can't charge, do, earn, create, etc. like they can. On those days when my confidence was low, those days it was especially boosting to see a cultivated image projected back to me.
The thing about having a great photographer or great portrait session - any genre - it allows you to SEE YOURSELF DIFFERENTLY. We admire images that we see in the media all the time. We look at magazines, commercials, models, influencers etc. and then look at our cell phone selfies or at our reflection in the mirror and think they're on one level and we are on another. Now, you look like what you've been seeing- you look like the best selling author, star realtor, or magazine photo! Sometimes it's surprising- even for me!
