Some of the best images you can invest in for your career are personal branding photos. Personal branding is where I got my start in photography - before I even knew what it was called!
Here is the story:
In 2011, my husband and I moved to Chicago with practically nothing. We were both performers trying to make a new start in the arts. He did gigs and I took dance classes and somehow we made it work. We lived in a tiny apartment with our two cats and were doing our best. Not even 6 months into our new journey, I got a phone call.
Mark had been in a car wreck on his way to a gig. He was fine, but the car was totaled. We were so broke that when we went to the pound to bid my car farewell, we couldn’t afford cab fare back to our apartment. We ended up walking two miles to the nearest hotel, took a free shuttle to the airport, and rode the train back to our neighborhood.
Not long after, our insurance pulled through for us and we received a check. I used part of that check to buy my first camera.
I know that sounds crazy. But I just had this idea that we couldn’t sell what my husband did unless people could see it. I had always wanted to be a photographer and here was my chance to turn a setback into an opportunity.
So I started taking Mark’s pictures. I went with him to gigs and we did photoshoots in our living room. We recorded videos and chopped together demo reels. Gigs slowly started coming in.
Then he got a big one - the kind you wait for. A show in a beautiful ballroom with screens and lights. The real deal. And I was there to capture it. People won’t buy something they haven't seen. I was there to capture Mark’s biggest show and we used that picture to land more big shows.
Clients could visualize their event spaces, their employees onstage, and see Mark in action through the images on his website. He would enter a hotel ballroom for an event and client after client would come hurrying over and say “Hi, Mark! You look just like your picture.” A testament to my ability to draw out Mark’s authenticity with my camera.
We built his entire business on a foundation of photos. And, subsequently, my photography business!
Personal branding photography is perfect for freelancers, small businesses, bloggers and anyone looking to enrich their website or social media with original on-brand content. I offer personal branding sessions at my Chicago studio or on location that are designed thoughtfully with your brand in mind.
