commerical photographer Archive - Page 2 of 2

What to wear to a photo session?

How to dress for a photo session in order to look to your advantage at a business photo session

What to wear to a photo session?

by Business Photographer - Business Portraits in London, Metzingen, and the world.

“What to wear?” is one of the most frequent questions my clients ask me when we plan our photo session. To start with, I always advise to bring along two or three outfits. This way we get a bigger variety in the imagery but also, we have some options to choose from. Here are some ideas about what to wear to a photo session in order to look to your best advantage.

First choice: comfortable

It`s so hard to relax and feel good in a pullover that makes you itch, in shoes that are hurting your toes, or in trousers that cut into your stomach. Choose clothes that feel comfy and that allow you to move freely. Also, it`s not easy to really be yourself and shine if you wear clothes that make you feel self-conscious and insecure. Feeling is most important when it comes to dressing for a photo session! When choosing your outfits, doublecheck whether these clothes are making you feel truly confident and comfortable.

Choose harmony

When you are a bunch of people wanting to be photographed together, it would be great if you coordinated with each other what you are going to wear. Ideally the colours of the clothes of the entire group would be in harmony and either all would wear rather light colours, or all rather dark.

Say no to clothing brand logos (unless you are a clothing brand)

If you want to get timeless images, you best avoid visible, big logos on your clothes. You want to have the focus on YOUR brand, YOUR business, not on the brand of your clothes. Unless you are selling clothes: Then you should of course wear the brands you are selling and if possible, have the logo flashing. However, if you are not a fashion brand or shop, avoid logos on clothes. Not only can they be a distraction in the image, but also you might not like these brands any more soon. Brands often include a statement that you may not want to make any more a few months down the road.

Say yes to sleeves

Wear tops, shirts and blouses with sleeves, nothing sleeveless. Unless you want to advertise for anything fitness related, I suggest you wear sleeves that cover shoulders and the top of the upper arms. On girls, wide flared butterfly sleeves that end somewhere between mid-upper arm and elbow are the most flattering. For a casual style, men can tuck the sleeves up towards the elbows a little.

Blazers are your friends

A Blazer tends to be the most flattering item to wear. They are fitted and generally make a good figure. Just make sure that your blazer is the right fit and not too tight around upper arms and across your back: if you see that the fabric throws creases that means it`s too tight. Unbuttoned tailored jackets and well-fitting coats are great for every shape, too.

Know the effect of oversized

Oversized pullovers, sweaters, and jackets are very fashionable. However, it`s good to know that they can make curvy people look bigger in photos than they really are. In case this is a concern for you, choose tops that are neither tight nor baggy, but just slightly loose. Also, the sleeve seam should preferably sit on your shoulder, not somewhere half down your arm. The most flattering are tailored tops like blouses, blazers, shirts or jackets – all in the right fit.

Business Photographer London

Business Photo Story for a Homeware Designer in London

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Business Photo Storytelling for a Homeware Designer in London

Dar Leone London Photo Story

Business Video Storytelling in London, Metzingen, and the world.

Isatu Funna is the owner of the beautiful homeware shop Dar Leone in the London borough of Islington. What`s striking when entering the shop are the beautiful colours and the carefully curated items. Isatu designs her own homeware inspired by her heritage and childhood memories of Dar Leone. “Very often I use physical examples of old vintage textiles from Sierra Leone, from Ghana, or from Nigeria or I see an art show and that will trigger something”, Isatu explains. “I also have distinct memories of my grandmother and the way she dressed and the colours that she used to dye her clothes with natural dyes.”

Dar Leone London Photo Story

I love to hear about the story behind a business. Knowing about the intentions, dreams, and inspiration of a business owner helps me to look for ways to bring out the feeling and atmosphere of the business in the images.

Business Photographer London

Business Photo Storytelling for a Hair Salon in London

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Business Photo Storytelling for a Hair Salon in London

Haug London Haus Photo Story

Business Video Storytelling in London, Metzingen, and the world.

For this photo session in the Haug London Haus hair salon in central London, I created some light that looks like the sun shining in the salon. It was cloudy that day but a sunny look gives a photo a bit of an extra happiness factor. Their beautiful salon in London is located between Tottenham Court Rd Station and Goodge Street Station in Fitzrovia. Because the colours of the salon were so beautifully well matched and the salon owners were so easy-going it was a joy to photograph them in their business.

London Hair Salon Photo Story

Click on the play button on this slideshow on the left to see some images from the afternoon in the Haug London Haus.

Business Photographer London

Why can`t I just use stock photos for my Business Marketing?

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Why can`t I just use stock photos for my Business Marketing?

Use photos and video to build the feeling number one: TRUST.

Business Portraits in London, Metzingen, and the world.

Trust is the number one feeling that we want to generate when people look at anything that comes from our business! Trust is built by showing actual people – ourselves and our team – because this proves personal commitment and reliability. You and your team showing up as responsible and as the people in charge.

Especially if you are a small business in the premium market this is most important: Potential clients want to know if they can rely on actual people to commit and stand behind the business. That there will be someone who actually cares when they`ve got questions about your product or service.

“Website users pay close attention to photos that show real people who actually work at the company. They ignore stock photos.” (Study by the Nielsen Norman Group)

Why can`t I just use stock photos for my Business Marketing? - Show up personally

Customers who don`t happen to know you personally will find it easier to trust the promise you give them with your service or product if you and your team show up personally on your website and social media. Potential clients will be way more hesitant to rely on a team that is hiding behind a bunch of anonymous stock photos. People buy from people. And people want to see actual people who feel in charge of the service or product they are promoting – not random models or actors. They want to see a business owner and a team who they can rely on when it comes to fulfilling orders and sticking to their sales promises.

Why can`t I just use stock photos for my Business Marketing? - Website users ignore stock photos

Also, a study by the Nielsen Norman Group has found that “website users pay close attention to photos that show real people who actually work at the company. In contrast, users ignore stock photos of generic people.” Showing your face and getting personal instead of hiding behind standard stock photos will make you way more trustworthy and relatable in the eyes of your clients.

And please do not worry about the photo session itself – I will take care of it and will make it a fun experience for you and your team! Here is one of my latest testimonials from restaurant owner Attila Sinkovics: “The shooting was a lot of fun. Nadine is very nice and we can only recommend her! Thank you for the great photos!”

Business Event with photo session

In fact, why not make the photo session a celebration? This way your team and you could enjoy some time together having drinks and snacks while I take their photos in a relaxed and joyful atmosphere? Get in touch and we can arrange that for you!

Business Photographer London

How can film clips benefit my marketing?

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Play Video about Fashion Film Clip

30-90 second film clips can elevate your marketing to a whole new level.

How can film clips benefit my marketing?

Business Video Storytelling in London, Metzingen, and the world.

Film clips are short videos of approximately 30 to 90 seconds. ‘How can film clips benefit my marketing?’ you wonder. Well, you can use them for your marketing in all kinds of situations. They are more versatile than a so-called “image film” because you can spread them all over your homepage and your social media platforms. They will effectively transport the tone and mood of your business.

Film clips help you build and show your brand personality, the character of your business, and its unique voice. This way you can differentiate your business from others. Most importantly, you will be able to reach and connect with those clients who “click” with you. Those who fall in love with your brand personality – your fans. By putting out film clips on a regular basis you will keep these fans of yours engaged and inspired. These fans are the all-important 20 % of your clients. Remember: 80 % of your company’s future revenue will come from just 20 % of your existing customers.

The film clip below is from a video project for the fair fashion store Fashion MIE . They just launched their very own sustainable fashion brand. Video is a perfect tool when launching a brand because it communicates the mood and the voice of a business. This way it attracts the “right” clients from the start.

Play Video about Business Photographer fashion photo for video film clip

Film clips for your marketing message

Professional videos will set you apart in your industry because they demonstrate professionalism and excellence. This will set expectations and it will help you build credibility with your audience.

Videos attract peoples’ attention and they visualize your brand message and demonstrate your products and services. The viewer can see you, your team, and your products in action and this evokes a way more personal connection than a text. Film snippets will bring along the feeling of familiarity, of “knowing” you and your brand. This will result in the viewer feeling emotionally connected to your business. Emotional connection is key for marketing.

And because they are so short, film clips will grab and hold the viewers’ attention just long enough to leave them wanting to see more.

Play Video about business photographer video film clip for a book store

Play Video about Feet with socks on - How can film clips benefit my marketing?

Play Video about business-photographer fashion photo

Play Video about event video film clip

Play Video about Film clip for small business by business-photographer

Play Video about Film Clip for small business sauna in London

Play Video about Film Clip on Ice Bathing

Business Photographer London

Promotional Video for a Fashion Designer

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How a promotional video for the first item of a fashion designer sets a storyline for future fashion items, and creates a brand-feeling and awareness.

Promotional Video for a Fashion Designer

Business Video Storytelling in London, Metzingen, and the world.

A promotional video for a fashion designer is a dream task and quite a responsibility! This video is so important because it sets the mood and creates the brand feeling. Of course, this can be refined later in more videos and imagery. But the first impression is just most important.

The promotional video of her very first fashion item set the storyline and mood for the fashion brand of Marina Rajkovic, founder of the fair fashion concept store Fashion MIE in Reutlingen. The socks we filmed mark the start of her sustainably produced fashion line. Below I share with you a few outtakes from the video session.

Brand Voice

The socks will not remain the only item in Marinas` collection – she already has plans for a jersey dress and probably more. However, launching the first product with a promotional video set the tone and voice of Marinas` brand. The video also sets the expectations for what is to follow. And it creates an emotional connection with the viewer which is THE most important factor when you want to sell lifestyle goods.

Play Video about Fashion Promotion

Crowdfunding with a promotional video

In order to secure some funds for the production, Marina decided to put the video on a crowdfunding page. Emotion is key: Noone is going to put money towards a project if she or he doesn`t feel any connection with its cause. Therefore a promotional video full of emotion and story is the ideal tool for raising funds. And now that the socks are going into production, Marina can use outtakes of the video to further promote them on social media and her website. This way, she can acquire fans for her brand who will support its growth in the years to come.

Share your Message

Video sequences are easy and fun to share AND they are ideal if there is a message behind your brand or your project that you want to introduce to your audience. People tend to prefer listening over reading. Watching a video and listening to the speaker takes less energy and effort than reading a brand message. And that`s why it`s so convenient for marketing your brand and the message behind the brand.

Business Photographer London

Business Photo Story of an Author in Metzingen

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Business photo story of an author in Metzingen: Maria Nikolai has written several bestsellers and her photo story tells her audience more about her personality, and her writing.

Business Photo Story of an Author

From the series: Business Portraits in London, Metzingen, and the world.

Don`t judge a book by its cover they say. But we all know we have a strong tendency to do it anyway. And authors know best why the example of a book and its cover is used for this saying: The cover design is a huge part of whether your book sells or not. It`s very similar to photographs: how you present yourself on social media, your website and blog, and on the back of your book will influence your readers’ so important first impression. And her or his interest in your book.

Author photographs enable a human connection and evoke trust – forming the readers’ expectations before she or he opens the first page.

Photos are the quickest communicators

And a photo story of you as an author is one of the most effective forms to market your books. Just like your wording, photo stories set a mood, create an atmosphere, and communicate feelings and emotions. They touch their viewer and draw them into the story. And they leave an impression in our memories.

However, photos are so much quicker communicators than words and even quicker than video. That`s why they are so important for marketing. They can catch peoples’ attention and this way they can make them read your marketing message. A photo story is a vital part of your branding – like the cover of your book and your style as a writer.

identify your style as an author

Ideally, a photo story tells your audience about the style and tone of your books – it should match your writing.

To make sure that your photo story reflects you as an author, think about what makes you the author you are: What do you want to express with your writing? What ideas are you writing about and why? Where do you get your inspiration from? What has shaped you as an author? What is the core of your work?

It would also be a good idea to write a list of words that describe you and your work. This can be a good guide in terms of what to wear to your photo session, location and of course the mood of the photos.

Feedback of Bestselling Author Maria Nikolai

In the images in this post, you can see a photo session with Penguin books bestselling author Maria Nikolai. Her feedback was so beautiful and generous that I just have to share it: “I have just looked at the photos and I am absolutely thrilled. These are so so beautiful images, so different from what I had before – truly exceptionally beautiful, I`m so excited! Thank you so much! They are a dream come true and I`m so happy- also the short video – it`s turned out really good!”

Play the video on the left to see a slideshow of the photostory and to listen to Marias’ feedback.

Business Photographer London

Why do I need business portraits of me and my team?

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Why is it so important that you have business portraits that show you and your team on your website and social media?

Show yourself (People buy from People)

Business Portraits in London, Metzingen, and the world.

Part of a business photo story are images of you and your team. I do business portraits in London, Metzingen, or wherever your business is located. Do you wonder why you need business portraits at all?

Well, you probably have heard the saying “People buy from people”. And that`s exactly true:

“People buy from people they trust and they trust people they like”, says the author of “The Real Truth About Success” Garrison Wynn.

Gain trust and sympathy

Building trust is key to business. If we feel we can trust a business, we are much more likely to buy. If we have doubts, we most likely are going to look elsewhere.

We build trust by showing our faces and the faces of our team. Because that signals that someone personally cares. Someone actually stands behind the business, someone we are able to relate to. This creates an emotional connection, sympathy, and trust – exactly what is needed to be a successful business today.

Enjoy your business portraits in London

I understand that some people are photo-shy and don`t like the thought of a photo session. But honestly don`t worry! I will make it fun for you and will create a relaxed atmosphere so that our photo session will turn out as a nice experience for all of you.

Relax to look your best

For a photo session, I take plenty of time so that everyone can relax and feel at ease. Otherwise, you will most likely not like the images – I mean who likes to be reminded of feeling stressed? I truly care about the people I photograph, and my number one priority is to make everyone comfortable, seen, and valued. To me, it`s a huge honour to be asked to photograph someone and I want my clients to remember the session as a good time.

What people say about their business portrait session

Therefore, it means the most to me if someone writes or tells me that she or he enjoyed not only the final pictures but also the photo session itself. Here are some of the nicest things that people have told me or written after a photo session:

“Nadine made me feel at ease, knew all the techniques and locations needed for the best results, and made it feel nothing like work!” (Illustrator Ellie Smith)

“Nadine accompanied us at work and is so natural that you quickly lose your shyness in front of the camera.” (Caterer and cake artist Alex Pieper)

“Dear Nadine, thank you very much for the wonderful day with you. With your relaxed and very professional manner, you helped us to feel very comfortable in front of the camera!” (Beautician Verena Palermo)

Business Portraits in London, Metzingen, and the world

“I’ve rarely felt so comfortable at a photo shoot.” (Bar owner Michael Mylonas)

“Nadine was an absolute delight to speak with and after seeing the photos, I was amazed at how she was able to capture some great moments.” (Comedian Sam Patel)

„Wow, the best, best beautiful pictures ever! I`m speechless… Thank you so much for the pretty photos and the great time we had – it was such fun!” (Blogger Christine Eggert)

“The shooting was great fun. Nadine is very professional and with her calm and uncomplicated manner she creates a relaxed atmosphere.” (Pole Dance Teacher Stefanie Riehle)

Business Photographer London

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Hi, I`m Nadine and I`m a business photographer in London, Metzingen, and the world. Some use the term commercial photographer. I live both in London and Metzingen. In photography, I specialize in photo stories for companies, small businesses, and solo entrepreneurs.

Turn Clients into Fans

Photostories are like cinematic documentaries in pictures. They draw the viewer in and – here`s the important bit – they evoke emotions. Emotions can turn someone who has been just sort of liking your business into a raving fan. A fan who gushes about your business. Who would always buy from you (even though there might be cheaper options). And who takes pride in being your client.

Emotional connection

Emotion is key to business. To some, this may be surprising because the term business is often associated with terms like hard as steel, tough, not personal, or even cold. But if you think of your own experience as a consumer: Wouldn`t you for example rather hire a caterer whose cinematic images you`ve seen on Social Media? Images of cake parties with smiles all around, him preparing lovely edible artworks in his kitchen, details of that yummy cake cream, and marzipan flowers on top? These images may have made you dream up a party that you could throw for your friends under the lush trees in your garden this summer.

Trigger Dreams and Imagination

You start imagining all the excitement, the anticipation of laughter, joy over the yummy cake, togetherness, moments of friendship, and unforgettable memories. These are emotions that photographs can create. And they make you feel connected to that caterer who cared enough to make you dream. And you might as well hire him. Even though there might be cheaper options – they are not the ones you feel emotionally connected to.

If you can create an emotional connection with your clients, you have clients for life. And images are the most effective way to transport emotions in an instant.

Business Photographer in London

Talking about cake: The best one I`ve ever tasted was the one my client Alex @kffeehaus baked. (She is part of the selection of my work you can see in the video of this post). It was just an explosion of yummy flavours and not too sweet.

When I`m not eating my client’s cakes, or on a photo session, or editing at my desk with a view, you can possibly find me cycling around in East London. Often passing Victoria Park, Broadway Market, Shoreditch aiming at a Chai Latte in some pretty coffee place. You can recognize me by my camera hanging over my shoulder. (Like a permanent tourist – which we all really are on this amazing and wondrous journey called life that God has sent us on).

I`m looking forward to meeting you!

You can contact me here: