It doesn't seem fair that people first judge you by how you look. But they do. If someone tells you that they are not judgemental toward people they see or meet, then either they're lying or just naive. Very often in an online environment such as LinkedIn, Facebook or even a dating site, your photo, head shot, profile picture or whatever you decide to call it "is" people's first impression of you. Call me crazy, but they will extract certain opinions or judgements about you in less than a second. Much of it is subconscious. But they will judge if you are friendly, approachable or assertive, or bottom line; if they want to do business with you. According to new research at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey and Cornell University, our first impressions of people in photographs influence our perceptions of those people even after we've interacted with them personally. This should be a wake up call to action and fix the situation. Your photograph is going to be different if you're a … [Read more...]

Value vs Price The value of something like a professional portrait is intrinsic, meaning it has a value that cannot be measured in dollars and cents. I like to think of professional portraits as "priceless." In this age of digital selfies and social sharing, fine portraiture to some has taken a back seat. The thrill of posting a photo on Instagram or Facebook gives instant gratification, plus it's free. Sure it's free but how valuable is it? How much thought has gone into making it a statement about that person? Would you be proud to pass it down to your grandkids as an family heirloom? "From selfies to the mall... to the professional studio." I was telling my partner Savannah that this is going to be the "lost generation." The pictures on your cell phone will stay on your cell phone till you drop it in the swimming pool or someone steals it. The pictures on your computer are most likely a big hodge-podge of photos you can't find, are unsorted and will also … [Read more...]