Images for a Marketing, Coaching & Arts Professional
“My name’s Helga, I’m a marketing consultant for the arts, I’m also a personal and professional development coach, and I have my own handmade jewellery label.
“I needed some new photos for my website because the ones I had simply didn’t represent me anymore. I needed a suite of images that represent the different aspects of my professional life; one I could use for coaching, one that represents me as a creative communicator and a marketeer for the arts, and one that represents me as a jeweller. Like many people, I have a portfolio career so one shot simply doesn’t cover all bases.
“I’m very interested in photography, and I liked Anna’s way of portraying people; she captures the real essence of someone, and I like her style. She brings out the authenticity in people and that’s what I wanted. Being authentic is very important to me.
“I don’t work in the corporate world, I work in the arts; this is an intrinsic part of who I am and part of my essence as a person. I needed images that represented my professional image but were still ‘me.’
“I didn’t want a ‘fake’ or overtly posed photo; we did run through some poses in the photoshoot, but I felt that Anna was able to pose me in ways that represented my personality and weren’t artificial. I felt I was in good hands…
“We started the process with a Zoom meeting and a chat to discuss what I was after, and then Anna created a Pinterest board to share images for us to discuss. I was able to hone in on the shots I wanted and we filtered out the poses I didn’t like.
“I really enjoyed the shoot. It was quite hard work for all of us, but there was a lovely atmosphere with warm jokes and there was a lot of laughter. It was very relaxed, and Anna and her assistant made me feel very much at home. Anna worked really hard to capture all the shots I needed – it was a lot to cram into an afternoon – so she was really concentrating on what she was doing but it was still a relaxed atmosphere. I had a lot of fun, I really enjoyed myself and I think this shows in the images we created. Anna was great at making me feel comfortable in my own body; she was very good at selecting the poses that were right for me and what I wanted to convey.
“When I saw the results, I had trouble narrowing them down and choosing only a few images – I loved so many of the shots. I really love the one where I just sit in my apron and laugh because it’s very joyful and that’s how I feel when I make jewellery. It’s obviously a bit more posed, but I chose this one with my jewellery customers in mind and the kind of jewellery I’m planning to make this year.
“The shot I chose for coaching was also very easy to choose – it was quite clear that there was one style of photo that worked best for me so that was relatively easy.
“For the third shot, I went for one that I loved from the beginning, where I stand and lean against the wall. This shot is very suited to me as a marketeer communicator; it’s relaxed, it’s fun, it’s approachable, it’s me. For this area of my work, it’s not about how I look and how quirky I can be. It’s how quirky I can make the communication of my clients if they so wish, or how I can help them so that’s why I went for this shot.
“For the final shot, I chose another where I’m looking approachable and because that’s essentially who I am; I’m a very friendly and approachable person and that’s what I wanted to get across.
“I really enjoyed everything about the process – from the first Zoom call to selecting the final images. I now have some images that are really ‘me’ and that I can use to promote the many facets of my career.”
You can find Helga here:
Arts Marketing: www.the-write-brandt.com
Coaching: www.helgabrandtcoaching.com
Jewellery: www.instagram.com/ampersanddesignhb or
