BUT HOW TO CHOOSE MY BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHER?

Welcome to the third issue of Brand You.

I`m so glad that our paths crossed and that you are reading these lines.

Brand You is a weekly dose of inspiration about branding and business building from my point of view, a branding photographer. My mission is to help female leaders come out of their shells and proudly show who is behind their brand.

Weekly, I am going to share valuable tips and tricks on different topics relating to branding e. g. how to improve your business visuals, how to increase your visibility, and how to show your own personality in your brand. I will also spotlight inspiring female leaders, whom I met via my business journey. I will also share tools that continuously help me in my business and personal growth and generally, help me become a better version of myself.

The third issue is about how to find your branding photographer.

"Your photographer should be someone whom you connect with and feel comfortable with." Vanda Szabo

You might be at the point in your business when you realise that you have marketing, but without professional images, you are a bit stuck. You might feel that your images are boring, they are not the true representation of you and your business.

You might look completely different from your current business visuals. You might not even have any visuals showing you.

You might spend hours choosing the right stock image for your newsletter or post. And when you finally find the relevant ones, they don’t necessarily tell the story of you and your brand, your business, or your journey. Anyone could have those.

You want to be different. You want to show your uniqueness, you want to create connections with your potential clients, and you want to save time and stress not thinking about what to post. You finally want to look more professional; you want to feel more confident and empowered when you look at your business imagery. You want to feel proud of yourself. Because you should. You put your whole heart, soul, talent, energy and money into your business, so you really deserve to shine.

Do you feel that it`s time to upgrade your business visuals and uplevel your marketing activities? Are you thinking of hiring a photographer? It`s nerve-wracking trying to find the right one. Let me share with you a few tips on what to look for or what to ask.

1. CHOOSE A SPECIALIST

Look for someone, who is specializing in this genre. A fantastic wedding or family portrait photographer is not necessarily fantastic in personal branding either. Just think about a pastry chef who specializes in creating macarons, and who is not necessarily good at making wedding cakes. But a photographer who is a Personal Branding Expert is highly skilled in how to represent your brand, and what to offer to you so you will get more results with your visual content so your return on investment is higher.?

I decided to specialize in Personal Branding Photography for female leaders. I have invested lots of time, energy, and money to learn about this photography genre. I really enjoy helping them come out of their shell and flourish via my photographs.

”I often think about how work has improved for me over the past few months and a lot of it comes back to you – the connections I`ve made; the amazing photo shoot you did of me which enabled me to produce my own website and have great pictures to use on social media. And you have the most calming aura when you`re hosting your own Networking. I feel very grateful to have met you!”

2. WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THEIR PACKAGE?

Do they have pre-shoot consultations? If yes, what is included? Do they provide a workbook for you? Do you create a Pinterest board together? Do you receive guidance regarding your location, outfit etc? How many pictures do you get? What sizes? How will they be delivered? What else will you receive? How much do you need to wait for your final photos? Can you pay in instalments? Can you upgrade?

3. PORTFOLIO

Every photographer has a unique style. Make sure you check their previous photos. Do you resonate with them? Can you request to see the full galleries of previous clients?

4. CONNECTION

My motto is that your photographer should be someone whom you connect with and feel comfortable with. Have you felt a connection during the enquiry process?

I created a business model when I work with fewer clients because I want to spend more time with them. I don`t want to be everyone`s photographer and I don`t want to just give a few nice photographs to someone and never see them again. I build a relationship with my clients from the first moment they get in touch with me. Getting to know my clients before our photoshoot is crucial. As I can serve them better. The photoshoot will be so much more relaxed, a better experience, and the photos will be authentic.

Don`t feel embarrassed to have a lot of connection calls with different photographers. That`s what enquiry calls are for. To see if you are the right fit for each other. No hard feelings if you choose someone else. No pressure if you don`t feel ready. I will also tell you if I can`t help you and refer you to someone else.

But remember having connection calls is the first sign of your commitment to growth. You are sending signs to the universe that you are ready. Even if you feel you can`t afford it right now, having enquiry calls are free and you will have a better understanding of your future investment. You might be surprised by the available options and you realise that your affordability assumptions were all wrong.

5. TESTIMONIALS

The experience of others tells a lot about the customer service you are about to receive.

Here is one of the pieces of feedback I received:

"Vanda was friendly, and attentive, she put me at ease, and she has a wonderful eye to spot the right angles. I loved how she tried to find out as much as possible about my vision for my brand, she gave me pointers on how to prepare for the photoshoot, and throughout the whole process, she was just wonderful. And a week later, oh my…she went way above and beyond my expectations and surprised me with a lot larger variety of photos than I expected."

6. THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE

As your brand and business evolve, you need regular updates on your imagery. Are they offering quarterly or yearly package options with monthly instalments so you can keep your online presence fresh?

7. INVESTMENT

While we all have budgets to work to, you have to consider a Personal Branding Photography Session as an essential investment. These photographs are going to help you grow your business and will bring money to you. For something as important as your brand, you can`t just look for someone who will get the job done at the lowest price.

You need an experienced professional who can assist you in representing your unique persona and vision. When it comes to choosing your brand photographer, look for a photographer who knows how to tell a story with the camera, one that will make any future potential clients of yours want to know more. Someone whom you are going to invest in, but someone who is going to save you time and make you money!

Who is Vanda?

Vanda Szabo is one of Worcestershire’s leading award-winning branding photographers for women in business and is passionate about seeing female leaders transform in front of the camera.?She rises up females from the shadows to be the proud face of their businesses through beautiful, storytelling visuals.?She is a natural-born confidence coach.

Vanda offers different packages tailored to your individual needs but the first step is a free, friendly connection call.?Book a chat with Vanda