I recently set up a location studio to photograph several company executives. I do this often and the experience is similar most of the time. Although someone in the office set this up in the most convenient and time efficient way possible, although someone in the office invested the effort into coordinating several schedules, although someone in the office sends out reminder emails oh so many are surprised to see me there. This happens more often then not. The first one or two scheduled are usually on time or close to it. After that it's usually like herding cats.
I often see facial expressions one might expect to see when a patient walks into a dentists exam room, especially with the first one or two. Once my subject is in front of the lights and the background I get a serious once over. I can see them trying to judge me and how this might turn out. Will they look like the way they think they look or maybe not the way they think they look. When these photos go into print or on the website how will others see them? Then there are the folks that are uncomfortable with me being in control. I know this, all of it.
Image is everything. The company image, the product image and yes the executives images. In the end it will be my image.
I know that when the first executive leaves my studio it will effect the others to come. Just the fact that he or she's smiling, genuinely smiling as they head back to their office is important. I count on that to help make the next person more at ease. The other tool that I have that I use is experience. I have photographed Fortune 500 executives and the senior attorney from the most powerful law firm in the nation. Usually there are 2 people. One that is guarded. This one I have about 120 seconds to gain their trust so I can get to the other person. The real person outside of the corporate politically correct world. If I accomplish that I get the images of a real person, an executive obviously but a real person that you might also see at a kids soccer match. Someone that just by seeing their photo you think you might like to work with, that you think you can trust because they're real.
Some times I scare the hell out of people. I will and do say things that are politically incorrect.
On a recent shoot I told one of the execs that if this didn't work out he'd make one hell of a good car salesman. The woman that was organizing this project saw him leave the room where I had the studio set up and he was relaxed and smiling. When she asked me how it went and she saw the photos on my laptop she was pleased, very pleased. When I told her that I had told him he'd make a great car salesman if this didn't work out she almost had a heart attack. I also explained to him at the time that he had this most genuine sincere smile that he could get anyone to agree to anything just by using his smile. You see I did a few things here. The fact that I had the balls to tell him he'd make a good car salesman totally distracted him from his concern about having his photo taken. I immediately got a look from him that wasn't pleasant but what happened after I said it was because of his smile was all great.
You can't say things like this to every exec. Maybe you can't say anything politically incorrect at all. It's all a matter of judgement. One thing I do know is that if within a few seconds of my first meeting the executive I'm about to photograph if I can break the ice we'll both win.
Commercial Photography - Executive Portraits - Digital Editing
440-899-9300 or 800-226-1083
