Portrait photography for creatives: why you deserve a different approach
If you are a theatre maker, a musician, a writer or a visual artist, you know how frustrating it is to have a photo taken of yourself that really fits.
Most portrait photographers work with an approach that sits somewhere in the middle. Neutral. Presentable. Suitable for LinkedIn or your employer’s website. And you are not your employer. You are the person who moves a room full of people, or who works for months on a book that people are still quoting years later.
I do not see that photo come out of most portrait sessions.
➡ Looking for something more corporate? Have a look here
What creatives need
You need a photo that matches who you are when you work. Not who you are when you present yourself to a client or a grants committee. Those are two different people, and they belong in two different photos.
Many creatives do not recognise themselves in their own photos. The photo is technically good, the light is right, but it is not them. That is because most sessions go too fast. There is no time to peel off the layer of ‘I have to look good in this’.
How I work
At PAUSE I start with a conversation. For theatre makers, musicians and other creatives that conversation is often about the work itself. What drives you? Where are you in your development right now? What do you want to show? And sometimes it is about nothing at all, and that turns out to be exactly what was needed.
At some point I see it. Something in your eyes or your posture that is exactly right. That is when I take a photo.
The photo on the back of your next book. The photo beside your biography on the festival website. The photo people see before they meet you and afterwards understand why they recognised you.
Who is PAUSE particularly interesting for?
Theatre makers and actors who want a profile photo that goes further than a headshot. Musicians looking for a photo for album covers or press releases. Writers and journalists who need a photo for their book, website or column. Visual artists and other creative entrepreneurs who want to show their personality.
➡ Read more about PAUSE and book a session in Wijchen
➡ Prefer something quicker? Have a look at the mini shoot for theatre makers and musicians