You wouldn't believe how many calls I get that start with a request for "not the typical daunting, intimidating, yet dreary formal headshot". Clients usually continue on with something like "we should probably do one of those though, you know, so I have it for when I need it".
What if I told you that you can have a stunning headshot that is not of the lackluster, yet terrifying kind? I am doing my very best to create a different, fun-filled, and personalized experience for you. Here are some of the ingredients along with Riya's story, who came for her branding portraits. She is starting a new Zumba business and a new marriage officiating venture, all in the same year! Congrats Riya!!
Complementary hair and makeup services
This year I have introduced the amazing work of Michele Falk to our studio. She has been a really successful hair artist at the Juut salon in Downtown Palo Alto for about 20 years or so!! She has been my own hair stylist for about 8 of those years. She brings makeup, but also lets you bring your own, and really emphasizes a natural look so you feel at your best instead of unnaturally styled.
Moreover, I have invested in a very cool environmentally friendly power station that can run Michele's hair dryer! This means that you can get your hair done right on a cliff. Sound good anyone? Yes? Yes!!!
In Riya's case we had Michele do a beautiful blow dry followed by some slight waves. It looked fantastic, let me tell you! Riya had Michele use mostly her personal makeup and looked stunning!
Creative Headshots for a female fitness instructor - Santa Cruz Branding PhotographerA couple of weeks ago Riya @riyasuising got in touch because she's working on her brand new Zumba venture! I've been to one of her online classes, she's amazing! She had planned out an entire class of cool songs with choreography, and I'm pretty certain she didn't make any mistakes! Unlike me! This class definitely brightened my day!! I hope you can try one out at riya.zumba.com! . Riya then asked if we could create some branding portraits for her. We did the session in Riya's backyard, it's so beautiful there! We had @michaela_juutstylist over for her hair and makeup, it was so great! This is one of the images Riya chose. There are several more - I hope to show them soon! Doesn't she look cool? ♀️
Wardrobe and styling consultation
When we begin our journey together, we will meet for a consultation. This is when I show you all the art that you can choose from, but more importantly, it is also when I can help you decide what will look best in your photos. Hint: solid colors are usually a good choice. If you have more than one person in your session, similar tones such as blue tones work well together. Plaid patterns, stripes, and similar look very nice in a nature setting, and depending on the particular garment also in the studio. I'd probably advise against busy prints, in particular flower prints, as they tend to compete with the background. With any of these recommendations the most important thing though is that you feel comfortable in your clothes. This will really influence how you feel and look in your photos!
In Riya's case we settled on a formal black top combined with a black skirt for her formal officiant photo. We also chose her Zumba outfits and settled on a teal-black top with black tights! She looked so cool!!
A relaxed atmosphere to calm potential discomfort
Several of my clients have told me recently that they were super worried about having their photo taken. Jennifer, an awesome real estate interior designer who had a lot of camera anxiety, was so relieved that she had her branding photos taken for the first time in so many years that she sent her mom a piece of wall art and her boyfriend an entire album, even though this was a branding session! Ali came for a simple headshot and told me that she was relieved and how it felt a lot easier than she had imagined. Andrea decided to take me on a hike to help with the anxiety. Fret not, the trails are my specialty as an ultrarunner - we formed such a beautiful relationship on that hike.
In summary, I'll do anything to make you feel at ease. This could simply be to take photos outside when we sense discomfort, or some reassurance that everything will look great. Or it could be a whole personalized session like in Andrea's case, where we take the time to go out of our ways to create that relaxed environment.
In Riya's case, the to her most comfortable spot was her backyard! It was stunning too! I loved it there. I think we got some nicely relaxed images of her.
Headshots and branding for startups and creative professionals - Santa Cruz Headshot PhotographerA couple of weeks ago Riya @riyasuising got in touch because she's working on her brand new Zumba venture! I've been to one of her online classes, she's amazing! She had planned out an entire class of cool songs with choreography, and I'm pretty certain she didn't make any mistakes! Unlike me! This class definitely brightened my day!! I hope you can try one out at riya.zumba.com! . Riya then asked if we could create some branding portraits for her. We did the session in Riya's backyard, it's so beautiful there! We had @michaela_juutstylist over for her hair and makeup, it was so great! This is one of the images Riya chose. There are several more - I hope to show them soon! Doesn't she look cool? ♀️
Full service to help you all the way until the final intended look of your headshot
My promise to you with my services is to help you every step of the way. We're all so busy (ask me about that!!) that it's really important to me to give you something that is ready for use. I can help you with your vision - tell me about the negative space you'd like in your photos the book cover you'd like designed, the business cards, heck, I even help you build your website! Or, if you're the kind who likes to do this themselves, fret not, I will stand back! ;-)
See some examples below for finalized products - a book cover image, a magazine cover photograph, a business website for Boucherie Atlantique, a LinkedIn profile headshot, a color coherent collection of team headshots, and more.
Woman holding her book cover with headshot portrait - Santa Cruz Branding PhotographyOur Headshot & Professional Branding Sessions can be created on location!
We give clients care and attention to achieve their desired personal branding look with available make up and hair services, digital make up, posing, and more.
These are great for individual professionals and their unique rising entrepreneur marketing goals - be it book covers, press releases, or branding brochures!
Our unique headshots also cater perfectly to the artist, acting, and fashion community. Get your next gig with these perfected works of art that represent the best YOU!
Professional headshots for larger corporate projects where a clean, uniform look is desired over a larger team membership are one of our signature skills. Seeing your website, advertisements, magazine editorials, and more, with these icons of your successful business truly makes us happy!
Mountain View, Los Altos, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Scotts Valley, Monterey, Pescadero, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Los Gatos, South San Francisco, Campbell Headshot Photographer.
Commercial magazine cover for car repair editorial - Santa Cruz Editorial PhotographyOur Headshot & Professional Branding Sessions can be created on location!
We give clients care and attention to achieve their desired personal branding look with available make up and hair services, digital make up, posing, and more.
These are great for individual professionals and their unique rising entrepreneur marketing goals - be it book covers, press releases, or branding brochures!
Our unique headshots also cater perfectly to the artist, acting, and fashion community. Get your next gig with these perfected works of art that represent the best YOU!
Professional headshots for larger corporate projects where a clean, uniform look is desired over a larger team membership are one of our signature skills. Seeing your website, advertisements, magazine editorials, and more, with these icons of your successful business truly makes us happy!
Mountain View, Los Altos, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Scotts Valley, Monterey, Pescadero, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Los Gatos, South San Francisco, Campbell Headshot Photographer.
Team Photography for your website including web design - Silicon Valley Headshot PhotographerOur Headshot & Professional Branding Sessions can be created on location!
We give clients care and attention to achieve their desired personal branding look with available make up and hair services, digital make up, posing, and more.
These are great for individual professionals and their unique rising entrepreneur marketing goals - be it book covers, press releases, or branding brochures!
Our unique headshots also cater perfectly to the artist, acting, and fashion community. Get your next gig with these perfected works of art that represent the best YOU!
Professional headshots for larger corporate projects where a clean, uniform look is desired over a larger team membership are one of our signature skills. Seeing your website, advertisements, magazine editorials, and more, with these icons of your successful business truly makes us happy!
Mountain View, Los Altos, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Scotts Valley, Monterey, Pescadero, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Los Gatos, South San Francisco, Campbell Headshot Photographer.
Corporate team branding for websites of corporations and startups - Palo Alto Headshot PhotographerOur Headshot & Professional Branding Sessions can be created on location!
We give clients care and attention to achieve their desired personal branding look with available make up and hair services, digital make up, posing, and more.
These are great for individual professionals and their unique rising entrepreneur marketing goals - be it book covers, press releases, or branding brochures!
Our unique headshots also cater perfectly to the artist, acting, and fashion community. Get your next gig with these perfected works of art that represent the best YOU!
Professional headshots for larger corporate projects where a clean, uniform look is desired over a larger team membership are one of our signature skills. Seeing your website, advertisements, magazine editorials, and more, with these icons of your successful business truly makes us happy!
Mountain View, Los Altos, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Scotts Valley, Monterey, Pescadero, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Los Gatos, South San Francisco, Campbell Headshot Photographer.
Linkedin Profile Photo Headshot for job interviews and applications - Silicon Valley PhotographerOur Headshot & Professional Branding Sessions can be created on location!
We give clients care and attention to achieve their desired personal branding look with available make up and hair services, digital make up, posing, and more.
These are great for individual professionals and their unique rising entrepreneur marketing goals - be it book covers, press releases, or branding brochures!
Our unique headshots also cater perfectly to the artist, acting, and fashion community. Get your next gig with these perfected works of art that represent the best YOU!
Professional headshots for larger corporate projects where a clean, uniform look is desired over a larger team membership are one of our signature skills. Seeing your website, advertisements, magazine editorials, and more, with these icons of your successful business truly makes us happy!
Mountain View, Los Altos, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Scotts Valley, Monterey, Pescadero, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Los Gatos, South San Francisco, Campbell Headshot Photographer.
Last but not least: a creative, colorful, and INCLUSIVE photographer
I think my work has a style that is known for different things: for one, I like to create colorful, interesting branding photos. I also like to incorporate the majestic power of nature wherever I can. I hate to be fenced in as a person, so I love seeking out fun and new ideas that are outside the box. If you're a professional who likes to stand out among the crowd, having a "different" and appealing image set to use can be a game changer. Imagine your cool looking, adventurous headshot on your book cover! Or a billboard! The newspaper! People will see you and notice you without even needing to add a word of text. This is what I am here for.
As a lady that has emerged from a rubble of abuse and bullying, I also strive very much to be inclusive. The LGBTQ community is particularly important to me, and I want you to know that you are safe in my studio.
In Riya's case I enjoyed incorporating some of the beautiful landscaping in her backyard. We also photographed her in her colorful Zumba outfit. Below are also the photos of Andrea on our hike, and of Jennifer in her element on a tree, with flowers in her hands.
Creative Headshots and branding images for your small business - Soquel Branding PhotographerThere comes a time in the life of a photographer that feels like a whole new world is opening up to give way to a new way of capturing who people truly are. . This special session with Jennifer a little over a week ago was a true inspiration for me. It meant so much. Like myself, Jennifer has gone through a lot in life. For her it meant among other things that she has had a very hard time having her portraits taken. Of the 500 images her last photographer sent her, she only liked three. . I really wanted her to see her beautiful self and put my best effort forward to make this as special as possible for her. We got @michaela_juutstylist to help with hair and makeup, exactly the way that felt natural to Jennifer, and conquered difficult moments in front of the camera with grace and flow and, above all, a lot of nature. . Today Jennifer returned to view and select her portraits. She warned me that she'd only like a handful of photos if any. That she'd have a super hard time. . Instead, while we looked through them, Jennifer chose "yes" more and more often, which then turned into "super yes" for 26 photos. Of all the photos she chose ~80%, and even ordered an album and a nice piece of wooden wall art. . This meant the world to me. First, I share many of the struggles Jennifer went through, and it feels powerful to part ways with a similar past. . But more importantly, I did not realize that I might not fully believe in myself either. I didn't think that I could create art that truly makes someone happy. When photographer colleagues talk about creating that connection that results in images that come from the soul, I think to myself, deep inside, that I'm not the type that can create that sort of emotion in another. . And yet, in some way just that happened. All you have to do is be yourself, and others will peacefully start to find themselves. It's really pretty simple: open your heart to others, and most things will fall into place.
Andrea Crow - Marin Headlands Branding - eyeCatchLight - Santa COur Headshot & Professional Branding Sessions can be created on location!
We give clients care and attention to achieve their desired personal branding look with available make up and hair services, digital make up, posing, and more.
These are great for individual professionals and their unique rising entrepreneur marketing goals - be it book covers, press releases, or branding brochures!
Our unique headshots also cater perfectly to the artist, acting, and fashion community. Get your next gig with these perfected works of art that represent the best YOU!
Professional headshots for larger corporate projects where a clean, uniform look is desired over a larger team membership are one of our signature skills. Seeing your website, advertisements, magazine editorials, and more, with these icons of your successful business truly makes us happy!
Mountain View, Los Altos, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Scotts Valley, Monterey, Pescadero, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Los Gatos, South San Francisco, Campbell Headshot Photographer.
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Thank you for reading my blog! Contact me here for any questions or to ask about the portrait experience! I am always here for you - especially now. We're in this together, even as the virus prevails.
eyeCatchLight | Santa Cruz, Aptos, Capitola, Soquel, Felton, Los Gatos, Mountain View, Los Altos, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Scotts Valley, Monterey, Pescadero, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara Newborn, Family, Branding, Headshots, and Wedding Photography
