When starting the portrait process, my client’s first questions are often related to clothing choices or background selection. Indeed, these are essential questions to answer. However, before the session begins, I must ask some critical questions.

• Where will these images be used?

• Who will be viewing them? 

• Are the viewers all the same, or are they different audiences

• What messages do you want to convey to these various viewers?

By listening carefully to my client, I learn what will make a compelling image for their marketing efforts.  Designing the images with the use of lighting, posing, and expression can create a final portrait that communicates your personality and professional persona. By combing and or altering different parts we can create an image designed to communicate different messages to different groups.  Most importantly, this process also shifts my client’s frame of mind from “Image of me” to “I’m talking to my client.” I share more about this in my post “Mind Set.”
Brian is a professional musician and an educator. When discussing his image needs, we discovered that he had two different types of clients for whom he needed images. One set of clients hires him to play saxophone professionally. He felt these clients would identify with photographs showing his professionalism, seriousness, and experience. The second set of clients is the parents of high school musicians needing advanced saxophone instruction. These clients respond to his approachability and friendliness.