Key Photo & Video Ideas

Here we are, almost 2 months into 2021! Are you implementing any different approaches this year, in order to achieve new outcomes that contribute to a beautiful up-level in your life and/or business? One of the fastest ways to do this is to revamp your visual portfolio of photo and video content, which can be simple, delightful and impactful for your brand.

The image above is from a video I filmed for accomplished culture and change consultant and leadership and relationship systems coach, Colleen Leclercq, who is the dynamic MD of Connect EQ. Her business is all about “Cultivating Healthy Relationships. Virtually. Anywhere.” and “Enabling healthy, high performing cultures, one high quality connected conversation at a time…“. Colleen’s valued global clientele is testament to how brilliantly she does this, so it was important to capture her warm, compelling and engaging manner.

Below are a few images that I took at the same shoot. It was my privilege and pleasure to do this for Colleen at her home at the time, which provided a variety of settings to use for her personal branding photos and videos. You may be surprised to discover that your own home incorporates lovely environments where you can be photographed and filmed as well.

The key is to look for attractive but non-distracting backgrounds that can be blown out of focus, which is particularly effective if there’s space behind you to allow for shallow depth-of-field setups on the camera. It’s also valuable to utilise colour in your shoots, as Colleen has done here with her clear, bold clothing colours offset against natural-toned backgrounds.

These colours reflect Colleen’s vibrant brand, which is another key factor to consider. She added gorgeous variety by wearing her glasses in a few photos and holding a special mug in some of them. You may be amazed by how holding a familiar prop like this can calm you if you feel anxious when facing a camera, which is perfectly natural albeit unnecessary :-) 

If you do find it challenging to be on camera and would like to master your presence in photos and videos, there’s plenty that you can do about it. You’re welcome to start with my free Masterclass and Intro online course at www.courses.naomiestment.com. And please contact me if you need a photo or video shoot in Jo'burg or Cape Town. I’d love to help!