Child, Give Me Your Hand…

“Child, give me your hand that I may walk in the light of your faith in me.” ~ Hannah Kahn

Loyalty and Devotion

How I shot this: ss 1/60 f 4.8 ISO 2500 – natural light – Nikon D800, Nikkor 100mm f2.8

In the Victorian language of flowers, Alstroemeria mean devotion and loyalty.  My husband gave me a beautiful bouquet of them on our 20th anniversary in November.   The flowers kept their beauty for three weeks, when I finally had a chance to photograph them.   The funny thing is, they have never been my favorite…I am unsure why, and needless to say my husband was teased about brining home flowers that he knew were not my favorite.  His intention, however, was perfect.  The Day Lily is the flower for the 20th anniversary.  As he was not able to find Day Lilies he purchased another flower that is in the lily family.   Now that I know the meaning of the Alstroemeria, and because of the occasion that introduced me to the meaning, they will become a flower I appreciate and treasure.

And with that, I leave you with a quote that could not be more perfect to accompany this post.

“Through devotion, your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and agreeable.”

~ Saint Francis de Sales

Women Supporting Women

I have been super busy with head shot sessions over the past few weeks.  The wonderful women and entrepreneurs in the head shots below are just a few of the amazing people I have photographed.  Lisa, Joanne, Beverly, Michelle and Christine are all members of Network Now, a premier business support and networking organization for women.  Each session was unique based on the individual personalities of the women being photographed, but all were equally as fun.

Most people who come to me for head shots say, “I don’t like to have my picture taken”, or “I hate to have my picture taken.”  These women were not exceptions to this and each was a bit nervous about being photographed.  The good news is that my sessions are always relaxed.  We talk and I get to know them and learn about their businesses and families all while helping them relax and just enjoy their moment in the spotlight.  I really make it painless and pleasant for each and every one of  my clients.   And the best part is, I feel like I’ve not only made a business connection, but a friend at the end of each session.

A statement that each one of the women featured in this blog post made during their session was  “as women we need to stick together and support each other”.  I couldn’t agree more and am happy to be able to share their beautiful smiles and links to their respective businesses.

To learn more about my clients and their businesses be sure to check out their websites by clicking on the links below.   You just might find something you’ve been needing or looking for.

Lisa, Executive Director Nerium International

Joanne, Owner and Pastry Chef at The Lucky Cupcake

Michelle, Founder and Educational Counselor of Forward College Counseling

Beverly, Owner and Pastry Chef at Sweetah’s – a gluten-free bakery

Christine, Principal/Agency Manager at The Bailey Insurance Group

 

Icing on the Storm

“Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.”

~George Eastman

To see a similar photograph in black and white, please visit Monochromia.

SS 1/2000, f 10, ISO 400

Flight Attendant Foodie ~ A Creative, Fun Shoot

Meet Flight Attendant Foodie.  This client came to me for creative photographs for her new blog, Flight Attendant Foodie.  It wasn’t a typical head shot/visual branding shoot as she didn’t want her beautiful face in the images.  She, as is suggested by the title of her blog, is a flight attendant working for a large commercial airline.  Her blog cannot be affiliated with the airline in any way thus the reason for not wanting her face prominent in the photographs.

When working with people, I love to capture their essence and soul.   When doing so, this usually means photographing their faces and especially their eyes.  As that wasn’t an option, I had to get creative.  My goal was to create a feeling of someone who loves to travel, embraces new experiences, and day dreams about where to go next.  I had some props that were reflective of travel and the client brought a couple of props and some wardrobe changes.  We had a lot of fun with different poses, lighting, and using the props.  We began on a simple white paper backdrop using strobes (one with an umbrella, one with a diffuser, one with a honey comb attachment) and then moved to the “purple couch” and used natural light.   She is now using the photographs on her blog as well as her social media sites; Instagram and Facebook.

I always find it exciting exciting when clients call because they understand that good photographs help substantiate their websites/blogs.  It really is true that a picture is worth 1000 words.

Below are a few reasons companies, no matter the size,  should have pictures of their team(s) and professional photography on their websites:
1. Photographs of people who run a business encourage credibility.
2. Photographs of people who run a business give recognition to the human side of a business ~ the company becomes more real to the customer.
3. Quality photography of  products and services ~ even candids of employees conducting the offered services ~ demonstrates to customers that the company cares about quality, customer service, and satisfaction.
It is important to put a face to a brand for all of the above reasons.

At Robyn Graham Photography we work with you to grow your brand through custom, professional photography. The first quarter is a perfect time of year to think about sprucing up your website to help meet your yearly goals. To schedule a consultation or session call today.

Enjoy the photographs from the shoot with Flight Attendant Foodie! And, please share the post with anyone you know who might be re-evaluating their business website.

Flight Attendant Foodie

Place of Stories – Black and White Thursday

“Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark.”

~ Kate DiCamillo

A hallway in the New York City Public Library.

SS 1/60 F 2.8 ISO 2500

Nikon D800, 50mm 1.4

For more black and white photography, check out my Thursday post on Monochromia.

Winter’s Gentle Touch

“Write it on your heart
that every day is the best day in the year…
This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Silence

~ A red pear and some dried roses a dear friend gave me for Christmas…

“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.” ~Helen Keller

Merry Christmas

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas…

And a season full of love, joy, peace and hope.

 

Bright Eyes ~ A Visual Branding Story

Part of building and maintaining a strong on-line presence is having a professional head shot.   Your head shot is the first impression for people looking at your website or social media pages.

The second impression is often your website – the style and content, which should include pictures of your product or service.

You know how very hard you work and how much effort goes in to building your business and brand.   I personally would be very sad to hear that you lost clients or opportunities because your website didn’t represent you in the best possible light.

The photography on your website and social media platforms should represent you and your brand and be geared toward your specific audience.

When I work with clients for head shots, product shots and/or visual branding I meet with them to discuss their business, their goals, and their brand. Once I have a feel for my clients’ needs the creativity begins to flow. The shoots aren’t just one-dimensional. I focus on getting images that are going to best represent my client for the audience they are trying to reach.  These details include location, backdrops, color and style of clothes, and more.

Visual branding is a significant contributor to the on-line presence of any business.  Developing and maintaining a strong on-line presence is pertinent to establishing a strong client base and building a lucrative clientele. It is also critical to standing out above the rest ~ your competitors.

You not only need professional photography on websites to lure clients, but you also need to be able to post about your business, your services and your products to your social media sites. When I work with my clients, I give them ideas for posts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Having knowledge of the social media world enables me to shoot creatively for a purpose and talk to my clients about using the images I am taking to market their business.

The images I am posting today are from one of the head shot/visual branding shoots I did this summer.  The business is “Bright Eyes Vision”.  The owner and principal optometrist is Heather Miller, a third generation optometrist.  Her mother, Susan Miller, is working alongside Heather seeing patients and helping with the day-to-day operations of the office.

This is just a small sample of all of the images taken during the visual branding shoot.  I’d love to hear your thoughts as to whether or not you think the images tell a story and will help Heather create a vibrant and effective website and on-line presence.

If you are looking to create a website, improve your current website, need photography for marketing materials or need a head shot, contact me today to schedule your session.

Heather Miller, O.D.

Two generations of optometrists

State of the art equipment

State of the art technology in all exam rooms

How cool are these magazine featured frames?

Heather had fun modeling frame samples

So many designer fashion frames to choose from

Offering a fabulous selection of designer fashion sun glasses

A Head Shot