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Moments | Northern VA Family Photographer
Moments | Northern VA Family Photographer
First Day of School
Then the big milestone came, one I was simply not prepared for: the first day of school. I still remember crying while taking Joriana to her very first day of school, and I can hear her telling me, “Mommy, it’s okay. Don’t cry!” She couldn’t wait to go to kindergarten, and I couldn’t stop crying. I was realizing she was growing up. Through the years, each new “first day of school” meant a bit of sadness for me. How had yet another year gone by? It wasn’t all sadness, of course. It was amazing to watch the changes my daughter made through the years, from simple things like her love of recess to her “love” for a little boy in her class. For weeks, we heard a lot of “Elvis said” and “Elvis did.” As time passed and school became more involved, it was hating homework and wanting to learn a musical instrument. She was growing and changing. It snuck up on me, to tell the truth! She was becoming a young woman. Soon she was making more decisions of her own and striving for independence. More moments flashed by in an instant, and suddenly middle school loomed, and new challenges were met and overcome. Before I knew it, years had passed and my daughter (who I couldn’t help but still see as my little girl just starting kindergarten) was graduating from high school! All of the moments that passed by had added up to days and months and years. How did that happen so quickly?! Next it was learning that she had an affinity for photography. Working with her in that way was a new experience, although a welcome one.Getting Married
And then came what felt like a pinnacle milestone to celebrate: She was a grown woman. She fell in love with a wonderful man. She got married! How did my little girl, the one I cried over, become this beautiful young married lady? Being a photographer, I’ve been able to visually capture many precious moments to look back on through photography. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. Families change as the years pass, even if the amount of family members doesn’t change! Children grow into their independence, and parents look back with an almost melancholy smile thinking, “Where did the time go?” Sometimes it feels so easy to remember her “big” milestones: Walking, talking, school, riding a bike, graduating, working, wedding and marriage. But it’s a little more difficult to hold tight to the in-between moments, the little ways in which she changed: a change in the way she smiled, or the way in which she held herself tall, or when she learned to use logic when discussing what she wanted (I stared open-mouthed at this one). Sometimes those little moments are the most precious. We all go through life collecting precious moments in time, the moments that truly matter. These moments are the reason why, as a photographer, I say: Don’t wait on scheduling a family portrait! Do it now! If you don’t, “I’ll do it tomorrow” will become next week, then next month, and then next year, and you’ll look back and realize you’ve missed out on capturing “this moment” in your family’s lives! Today is the day to schedule your Family Portrait Session. Call us at 571.434.0009 and book it now!
Family Photographer, Family Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Professional Photographer
Headshot and Branding, what’s the difference? | Northern VA Headshot Photographer
Headshot and Branding, what’s the difference? | Northern VA Headshot Photographer
Did you know that there is a difference between headshot photography and branding photography? One is a business picture. The other is a business story. A lot of people tend to conflate them, but the fact is that they are two distinct types of portrait sessions. As a headshot photographer in Sterling, VA, we like to make the distinction for clients when they call us asking about our work for business professionals.
Headshot Photography
A headshot is a professional portrait of you meant to promote you or your business. Your headshot photo represents you as a professional. You can use it for a website, marketing material, or social media. It can be one element of branding photography. However, branding photography is more than just your headshot.
Branding Photography
Branding photography is more holistic than headshot photography. Business owners and other professionals use branding photography as a way to build their online presence, reputation, and brand. It often includes multiple outfit changes, to represent different aspects of your business, especially for entrepreneurs who sometimes wear many hats. Sometimes it includes a more casual look, something that tells your prospective clients who you are and lets them get to know you a little more personally through your portraits. A branding session may include you at work in your office or “doing” your job. In general, it gives you a variety of portraits which show an overview of what you do and what you can offer your clients.
So, which one is right for you?
Both kinds of photography – headshot and branding – can help you build your brand, capture and tell your story, and promote you and your business.
Which type of portrait session you choose depends on your needs and goals. If all you need is a picture of you to put on a website or printed program, then a headshot would probably suffice.
If, however, you have a vested interest in professionally promoting yourself or your company in a more comprehensive and detailed manner, then branding photography would be the way to go! Strategically done headshot photography, along with additional images, can help you build a strong brand image – one that can transform your career or company. Branding usually requires several pictures strategically taken to develop your story or narrative.
Working with a Headshot Photographer at Ever After
That picture your friend took of you on vacation isn’t going to work if you want others to take you seriously as a professional. You need a high quality, professional-looking image, at a minimum.
When you call to reserve your portrait session, we will ask you some questions about your photographic needs and goals for your pictures, including your goals for your session and your vision for outcomes. We’ll also ask what you plan to do with the photos as well as what potential needs you might have for them.
Because a branding session is a more involved process than a headshot session, we want to know what you’d like to say through your branding, and we use our photography and marketing skills to help you get there. We’ll likely recommend professional hair and makeup and discuss wardrobe styling to make the most of your session. We can provide a lot of guidance and recommendations to ensure you get exactly what you want out of your session.
We will also discuss venue selection. We can do your branding photography in our studios or at our outdoor portrait park. We can also go on location to your office if that’s what you want.
Contact our studios if you have any questions about branding or headshot photography. As an experienced headshot photographer in Sterling, VA, we are happy to guide you toward the one which best suits your needs.
Headshot Photographer
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits. In addition, we do headshot photography.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
You too can be photogenic EVERY TIME! | Northern VA Portrait Photographer
You too can be photogenic EVERY TIME! | Northern VA Portrait Photographer
Very few of us are born naturally photogenic, but we all know someone who can’t seem to take a bad picture! Whether it’s fine art portrait photography or a snapshot, that person always looks great – maybe even a tad better than in person! How do they manage it? Being photogenic is a skill, and it’s one you can learn.
As Sterling, VA photographers, we can offer you some useful tips on how to look good in pictures. After all, who doesn’t want to look great in print?!
Practice makes perfect!
• You should practice these tips in a mirror.
• Try these tips every time you’re posing for pictures.
• Everyone is already beautiful in some way, and we all looked bad in photos at some point in our lives!
Hair & Makeup
None of us are camera ready when we get out of bed in the morning – despite what Hollywood would have us believe! If you know you’re going to be doing professional portraits or even a snapshot, start with your hair and makeup.
Ideally, you should have professional hair and makeup done if you’re having a portrait session and you know it. If that’s not possible or you’re just caught in a “let’s take a snapshot!” moment with your girlfriends, then follow these tips:
• Be certain your teeth are clean and that your face isn’t shiny (that shine will appear in print).
• Add lipstick or lip gloss and add some volume to your hair (hair looks flatter in pictures).
• Don’t have time for all of that? Then quickly fluff your hair and add lipstick (or at least lick your lips for a little shine).
Light Matters
If you’re doing professional portraits, then the photographer will ensure the lighting is nothing but flattering. If you’re doing pictures yourself, then keep in mind that light matters.
• A good rule of thumb for knowing where to stand in relation to lighting is always to point your nose toward the source of light.
• An excellent source is natural light from a large window if your indoors.
• If you’re outside, the photographer should stand between you and the light source.
Camera Distortion
As you probably know, the camera distorts things more than anyone would like. If you’ve ever taken a selfie by holding the camera at arm’s length, you’ve probably seen some distortion.
• To resolve that, take the picture in the mirror or, even better, have your friend take the picture!
Camera distortion also means that the closer you stand to the camera, the larger you will look.
• To make (at least) your bottom half not look bigger, step back, and lean your head in slightly toward the camera.
Posing
Posing has a great impact on how flattering your pictures turn out!
• Turn one hip slightly toward the camera and the other away without turning entirely sideways to the camera.
• Shift your weight to that back foot and cross the knee in after raising front foot on tip-toe.
• Then pull the rear arm toward the outside of your body while resting it on your hip. The other arm should pull slightly away from your body or rest that hand on your hip.
• Remember to stand tall and push your head just slightly forward (like a turtle). Feels awkward but if done right, it looks wonderful in a portrait!
Laugh, Don’t Smile
Fake smiles are pretty darn apparent on camera – and in print. We prefer to see a laugh – even if it’s fake. Fake laughs lead to natural-looking smiles, so we’d rather have you force a laugh than a fake smile! A fake laugh can turn into a real smile once you relax!
After so many years of doing portrait photography in Sterling, VA, and meeting a countless number of clients, we know that being photogenic is a learned skill. Practice these tips before your next pictures and tell us if you see a difference!
Family Photographer, Portrait Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
When’s the best time to have Maternity Portraits? | Northern VA Maternity Photographer
When’s the best time to have Maternity Portraits? | Northern VA Maternity Photographer
The final weeks or months of pregnancy can mean different things to different women. But to us as Sterling, VA specialists in maternity photography, those last few months of pregnancy are when you are at your most beautiful!
Your curves are symbolic of the life you are carrying. It’s an ideal time to capture that beauty through maternity portraits. These are portraits you will cherish for what they represent and what they capture of those last months of your pregnancy.
So when is the best time to have Maternity Photography done?
As a portrait photographer, we typically recommend doing your maternity portraits sometime between your 32nd to 36th week of pregnancy. However, we can work with you if you prefer another time to create the very best portraits possible.
How far in advance should you schedule with a photographer?
To schedule maternity portraits, we suggest calling us at least 30 days in advance. That way it’s on your calendar and you won’t have to rush around at the last minute looking for a photographer to capture those beautifully pregnant curves!
What can you expect before and during your Maternity Portrait Session with Ever After?
Before your Maternity Portrait Session, we’ll have a conversation with you to make your session personal and custom to you, including how you feel about this wonderful time in your life.
We also typically do a Design Session to discuss the details and styling of your session. During the design session, we’ll discuss your clothing, the look that you want for your session, colors you want to incorporate, and any other details. We want you to always be comfortable with your session, so we like to get to know you!
There are several styles of maternity portraits we can take including Timeless (a soft and dreamy look), Belly Boudoir (show off that belly with some sexy lace!), Natural (bare that lovely belly), and Modern (whatever style you like).
We strive for a relaxed atmosphere during your Maternity Session. You’ll have a wonderful time and the portrait session itself will be a great memory – not to mention the beautiful portraits you’ll have from it!
Daddy-to-Be is welcome too!
We welcome you to include Daddy-to-Be in your Maternity Session! Some of the best portraits are one in which the joy and pride is apparent on Daddy’s face when he’s looking at your belly!
Indoor or Outdoor Portraits? It’s your choice!
We do these portraits in both our indoor studio and in our beautiful, private, outdoor portrait park. It’s your choice! Both offer complete privacy. We are happy to discuss with you any ideas you have for your maternity photography. Tell us what you want!
You can see more examples of maternity portraits we’ve done in our Maternity Gallery.
If you have scheduled a Newborn Session with us, ask us about adding a Maternity Session as well!
As skilled professionals, we know how to work with you on poses and to arrange lighting artistically. We know you will be thrilled that you chose to document this amazing time in your life. One day, your child will see themselves in your tummy through your maternity portraits. We’ve no doubt that your child will notice just how beautiful you were when she was carrying them!
To schedule your maternity photography with one of the best in the Northern Virginia area, contact us today!
Family Photographer, Maternity Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
With Newborns, how do you work around arrival dates?! | Northern VA Baby Photographer
With Newborns, how do you work around arrival dates?! | Northern VA Baby Photographer
There is a certain sweetness to newborns, one we enjoy capturing in our work as newborn photography specialists in the Sterling, VA area. Their tiny little bodies with even tinier toes and fingers! There is a sense of innocence about them.
It’s both an honor and a wonderful challenge to be asked to capture your newborn babies with our work. So, when expectant parents call to ask about newborn portraits, we’re happy to work with them and answer their questions. We know how important these portraits are to our clients – especially if it is their first child.
Below are answers to three of the most common questions expectant parents ask us. If you have other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us; we’d be happy to chat with you!
In Newborn Photography, how do you work around due dates and actual arrivals?!
We understand babies come when they’re ready! That’s okay because we’re experienced in scheduling newborn portraits and working around their sudden arrival. So, how do we do it? Typically, we ask that you call us to schedule a tentative Newborn Session date that lands around the time of your due date. We will set that time aside for you on our calendar. Once the baby arrives, we ask that you call us ASAP to let us know. From there, we can adjust your Newborn Portrait Session date.
So how far ahead should I book Newborn Portraits?
Schedule your newborn portraits as far ahead as possible! We suggest you call us several months before your due date to set up your appointment. Depending on the time of year, we can get pretty busy and we hate to turn away new parents! If we have a date on the calendar for you, then we can work around the baby’s arrival to get you in for your precious newborn portraits during those first seven days after the baby is born.
And speaking of the first seven days after the baby is born…
When is the best time to do Newborn Portraits?
Doing newborn portraits during the first week of the baby’s life is ideal. During those first seven days of life, newborns are still sleepy and curling up as if in the womb. As newborn photography experts, we point out to clients that the first week is when it’s the easiest to pose and work with the baby, and when they most closely resemble how they looked in-utero.
The best newborn portraits we have shot or seen were taken during those first seven days after a baby is born. Along with the ease of posing them, they’ll often sleep right through their session without even a peep!
We realize that your final months of pregnancy, and certainly the first few days after you give birth, will be busy days so we try to make it as easy as possible for you to set up those precious newborn portraits.
If you would like to work with a skilled and experienced specialist in newborn photography near Sterling, VA, we’d love to work with you! Please call our office to schedule your child’s newborn portraits. You’ll be so grateful that you had these portraits taken!
Check out our Baby site for more information on Newborn Photography:
Ever After Baby Portraits
Family Photographer, Newborn Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Seniors, what about Makeup and Hair?! I Northern VA Family Photographer
Seniors, what about Makeup and Hair?! I Northern VA Family Photographer
We are big believers in the power of inner beauty! We realize that might sound a tad ironic coming from a portrait photographer working a stone’s throw from the nation’s capital in Sterling, VA! But, we believe that what’s inside is what makes you genuinely beautiful as a person.
However, it’s undeniable that having your makeup and hair done by skilled professionals for your Senior Session is fun and exciting! It also yields beautifully professional results for your portraits.
As a portrait photographer we typically recommend professional makeup and hair for our fine art portrait sessions, including Senior Sessions.
Why Use a Professional Makeup Artist?
• A professional makeup artist will have experience in makeup application for portrait photography. This is an important distinction. A camera doesn’t “see” you in the same way another person will.
• They know how different types of makeup will appear in camera and in your finished portraits.
• They have high quality makeup products in practically every shade imaginable!
• They know how to choose colors that highlight your best features, as well as how to contour in the most flattering way.
• As an added bonus, you’ll feel amazingly confident, beautiful, and ready to start your Senior Session! Your portrait photographer will be able to capture that confidence and beauty for you in your portraits.
DIY? Tips for Makeup & Hair
If you prefer to do your own makeup and hair, check out these useful tips for doing it yourself.
Makeup
• Apply your eye and lip makeup slightly darker than you normally wear. To be seen on camera as a “natural” look, makeup needs to be stronger/darker because a camera doesn’t pick up the contrast and the definition that our own eyes see in person.
• Don’t apply layers and layers of heavy makeup, though. Cakey makeup does not photograph well!
• Avoid mineral makeup and makeup with SPF. While great for everyday, they can create an unflattering shine in camera.
• Set your foundation with translucent powder that reduces shine. A camera can enhance shine giving you a “sweaty” look that you don’t want in your portraits.
• Wear lipstick, even if it’s just a shade more than your natural lip color.
• Wear mascara. It’s a must to bring out your eyes! Apply it cleanly, not clumpy. If you normally wear mascara, apply 2 coats for your Senior Session.
• Wear medium or dark, rich tones of eyeshadows. Pastel or pale eyeshadows will look washed out. Rich shades of brown and gold are usually safe.
• Wear eyeliner, but avoid heavy black eyeliner! It makes your eyes look smaller. Choose gray or brown and blend it well.
• Avoid sparkles and shimmers! Although it’s all the rage right now for glowing skin, matte makeup simply photographs better.
Hair
• Your Senior Session is NOT the time to try a new cut, style, or color! You’ll be at your most comfortable in front of a camera with hair that you’re most familiar with.
• Do get your hair trimmed and any touch-up to your color a couple of weeks prior to your session.
• Keep your hair naturally styled. If you have straight hair, sure, give it a light curl to add volume and for framing of your face.
• Use hairspray for your session, even if you don’t normally use it. It’s the best way to tame all of those little flyaways you don’t normally notice but that a camera will.
• If your hair leans toward the frizzy side, use products that help minimize the frizz. This is especially helpful if your Senior Session is being held outdoors. Try to avoid any sticky hair products, though.
Bonus Tips: Nails
• Believe it or not, natural nails look wonderful for portraits! Ensure they are trimmed neatly, filed/shaped, buffed and, of course, clean.
• If you prefer painted nails, choose a neutral or light color that goes with all of your outfit choices.
• Chipped nails just look terrible, so if you’re using polish, paint your nails the night before your session.
• If you’re going barefoot or wearing sandals at all, don’t forget your toes! Everything that applies to your fingers applies to your toes too.
As a Sterling, VA portrait photographer, we have a lot of experience working with high school seniors and their Senior Sessions. We keep it fun, exciting and memorable. We look forward to meeting you at your session!
Ever After’s Senior Pinterest Boards
Be sure to check out the makeup and hair ideas on our Pinterest pages below:
Ever After’s Pinterest – Senior Makeup
Ever After’s Pinterest – Senior Hair
Family and Senior Portrait Photographer
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Why is a Branding Session important for YOUR business? | Northern VA Headshot Photographer
Why is a Branding Session important for YOUR business? | Northern VA Headshot Photographer
Headshot photography, as part of branding photography, is a powerful tool you can use to grow and brand your Northern Virginia business. Your headshot photo gives potential clients a glimpse of who’s at the helm of the company. Using it strategically can help you expand your business by raising your profile.
Role of Photography in Marketing
Marketing experts extol the virtues of photography because they understand the difference it can make. Imagine a newspaper, website, or social media platform like Facebook without any images at all! How boring would that be?! Visual imagery draws the eye far more than text does.
If you want people to read your website, blog content, or social media post, insert pictures. Data and studies show that visual imagery guarantees a much higher rate of engagement. How high? More than 100% more engagement!
If you want potential clients to feel more connected to your business, include your headshot. Seeing is believing. Incorporating photos of a small business owner makes people feel more connected to them and gives them a sense of better “knowing” the company.
If you want to sell a product, include pictures of that product. Would you ever buy a product you’ve never tried before based strictly on its description? Probably not. So, if you have something to sell, including your services, make sure there’s some similar imagery for viewers.
If you’re not using photography to “tell” your story, to advertise your business, and to capture people’s attention, you’re missing out. Photography works well in tandem with text in marketing.
Use words to describe. Use pictures to show.
Why Branding Photography is Important for Your Business
Headshots along with other business photography can comprise what is known as Branding Photography. One stock photo of yourself as the owner used repeatedly is not going to benefit you. Instead, customers and potential customers want to connect with you. Using photography strategically to communicate what you or your business does is how you brand and grow your business.
Branding photography is your front line of communications. People will browse your website, see your photos, and understand what you have to offer them, your value. Then, they will read your content. If you don’t get the photography right, you might lose them before they learn what you can offer them.
Hiring a Photographer
Leverage your photography to maximize its potential for your company. That means hiring the best branding and headshot photographer you can and investing in a comprehensive package of branding and headshot photography.
When interviewing branding photographers, they should ask you a lot of questions. They should ask about you, your business, your goals for your business, and your goals for your branding session. Without knowing the answers to those questions, they can’t do right by you and personalize your portrait session to help you meet your goals and your vision.
We work with clients throughout Northern Virginia, including Sterling, VA, on their branding and headshot photography. As small business owners ourselves, we understand the value of great images. As photographers, we know how to produce that quality for you! Call us to schedule a branding photography or headshot session with us today!
Headshot Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Senior Guys, What to Wear Do’s and Don’ts for Your Senior Session | Northern VA Senior Photographer
Senior Guys, What to Wear Do’s and Don’ts for Your Senior Session | Northern VA Senior Photographer
When it comes to doing senior portrait photography, a little guidance from your favorite Sterling, VA photographer (that would be us!) can be enormously helpful. So, we thought we’d share some what-to-wear tips for young men.
Gender aside, it can be tough to know what to wear for these milestone portraits. We also realize that boys are often the more reluctant gender when it comes to posing for pictures. We promise you that, while you might not be too excited about doing them, you will feel better when you see the results. There will come a day when you sincerely appreciate your mother’s encouragement to have senior portraits!
Let’s start with what NOT to wear:
* Don’t wear anything wrinkled – even if it’s meant to look like that. Sometimes, what looks good in person, doesn’t look good in pictures, especially in such important ones such as senior portraits.
* Don’t wear busy patterns. Those don’t translate well in photographs either and distract from the star of the show: YOU.
* Stripes can be tricky, so we suggest you stay away from bold stripes.
* Cargo trousers are beloved by men the world over – however, we strongly encourage you not to wear them for your senior portraits. Do you really need that many pockets preserved for all time through photography?!
* Sneakers or athletic shoes, what can we say? We realize they’re trendy these days, so we won’t discourage you too actively from wearing them, especially if they coordinate with your outfit. However, we would urge you to make sure they’re spotless and not looking ratty!
* Flip-flops are usually a big no-no – unless you’re having a beach portrait.
Now on to the more positive!
What you SHOULD wear:
* Sporting a classic look for your senior portraits is the best thing you could do! You can’t go wrong with collared, long-sleeved shirts and clean-lined trousers, khakis or nice jeans.
* Tasteful layers are a good idea, especially for outdoor portraits. It’s an easy way to do different looks quickly and easily. Keep your layers light and simple. No parkas, heavy coats, etc. They don’t translate well in pictures.
* If you wear jewelry, we strongly recommend keeping it simple and tasteful.
* Ties of any kind, especially bow-ties, are cool! Bring it on! You’ll look great.
* Color coordinating your outfit will result in a professional look. That means consider the color of your belt and shoes. Do they coordinate? Your shirt and pants should complement each other, and nothing should clash.
Check out our Pinterest board full of clothing suggestions for the Senior Guy!
If you are thinking about doing your senior portrait photography here in the Sterling, VA area, give us a call! We’d be happy to answer your questions and work with you on commemorating this significant life milestone!
Family Photographer, Senior Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
What exactly is a Personal Branding Session? | Northern VA Headshot Photographer
What exactly is a Personal Branding Session? | Northern VA Headshot Photographer
Headshot photography is a hot topic in the business world – especially when it comes to personal branding. It seems everyone, including those here in the Sterling, VA area, either has or wants to have a great headshot – and for good reason!
Most savvy business professionals today understand the importance and value of personal branding photography. So, what exactly is it, and why are we discussing it?
What’s Personal Branding?
Personal branding is how you’re perceived as a small business owner or a professional. It’s your reputation, your business – it’s you.
Headshot photography isn’t just part of your branding; it can influence your branding. You can’t dictate what others say or think about you, but you can certainly drive the narrative, and your professional headshot is an essential part of your story.
There are several points to consider when it comes to personal branding and photography. We summarize them below.
Your Headshot
Your headshot often is the first thing people see which relates to your professional life.
Your headshot can say a lot about you. Having a professionally-taken headshot is critical to the image you present. Imagine a well-known company putting out a headshot which looks cheap or tacky of their CEO. What impression would that present to their prospective clients and to their competitors? Such a thing would never happen with a Fortune 500 company, and it should never happen with you either.
If you need to update your headshot, you should make sure you work with an experienced professional, or you could be wasting your money and time. For example, an experienced photographer in headshot photography will ask how you plan on using your headshot (for general purposes, social media, website, etc.). That helps him/her decide how to set up your portrait session.
A skilled photographer knows how to tailor your headshot session to meet your needs. Sometimes someone wants something a bit less formal, but still professional. Your photographer should work with you to determine the best looks for your new headshot. (More on this later in this post!)
Headshot/Branding Looks
We typically recommend more than one headshot or branding pose or looks. Why?
For two reasons:
1. You’ve made the appointment, you might as well leverage the time to buy more than one pose for future needs and various purposes.
2. Good branding addresses several aspects of branding, so having more than one pose for future needs is essential and saves you time in the future.
You might need a good headshot now for your website. But in a few months, you might want a professional, but slightly more casual pose for social media platforms. That’s known as “funneling.” Working with a photographer on various poses in the same session is always prudent.
Remember, your headshot helps influence your branding. It’s critical to get it right.
What’s Your End Goal?
Before you do professional headshots or barnding, think about what your end goal is for the resulting pictures.
When working with a photographer to design your session, think about why you’re doing a headshot or branding session, the future purposes of the pictures, and the image you want to create – either for clients seeing the picture or for prospective employers.
Headshots aren’t just so that people can see what you look like; they’re so they can see who you are!
Your professional pictures should represent you, your work ethic or style, and your branding. They should further the image you want others to have of you.
For example, it’s not likely that a medical professional’s headshot and an interior designer or an art professional would have the same style of picture. Typically, professionals in vastly different industries would have very different headshots. Your photos tell the viewer a lot about you and your profession.
Would you want to see a picture of your surgeon standing in front of a kitchen holding a blueprint, an image that’s entirely irrelevant to his profession? You would probably find that strange – and offputting.
Another example, let’s say you’ve been asked to submit a picture for the marketing materials for a professional conference where you will be the keynote speaker. Would you provide a photo of you in a bathing suit with your family at the beach picnic? Unless you’re working in the swimsuit industry, you most likely wouldn’t send that picture.
A skilled headshot photographer should ask you what your end goal is for your headshot photography and even discuss your goals for your personal branding. What image are you hoping to convey today and tomorrow? Where might you use this headshot in a few months?
Branding and Headshot Photography, Now and for the Future
We always suggest to clients that they think of their branding photography in both present and future terms:
• How do you want to use it today. and how might you use it in six months?
• Where is your career or business headed?
• How will your branding and headshot portraits help you get there?
Headshot photography is one of the most important investments you will make as a professional. It’s a critical aspect of your branding. As a Sterling, VA area photographer, we have worked with professionals in a variety of industries. And as a small business owner, we understand the importance branding has on the future of a business. Let us work with you on your headshot photography to shape your brand!
Family Photographer, Headshot Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!