Its no secret that Famous Actors & actresses generally look pretty good in their photos.  Although the amount of photoshopping that goes on these days has received a fair bit of criticism lately and its good to see in some situations it is coming back to a more normal form, having an interesting or good image of yourself is not all about photoshop.  Stars on the red carpet get very little assistance from lights and/or photoshop but they still manage to look good. Practice makes perfect and these guys are always having their photograph taken and they have to look good, its their job !

A quick look at facebook, linkedin or the internet in general, tells me that the everyday person is having their photograph taken more & more.  This shouldn’t surprise anyone because nowadays 99.9% of the population carry a camera in their pocket.

How do we then start to look better in snaps that we are in everyday.  These are a few tips, that if you can remember will help you not only look better in day to day snaps but will also help on your wedding day, in any corporate profile images and might stop you cringing when your mates post images of you on their Facebook feeds.

1.  Most people have a tendency to pull back from the camera, this gives you a slightly elevated position and can highlight your neck, not a good look generally. I suggest you lean towards the camera, bringing your forehead closer to the camera !

2. If the person taking your picture is smaller than you, drop your knees a little so that the camera is at or slightly above eye level, this will hide any extra stuff you might have going on under your chin.

3. Unless you have no teeth whatsoever I would usually suggest you smile. Practice being able to smile on cue.  I find a lot of girls particularly want to pull off that sultry, sexy look that models do.  Models can do it because they practice it everyday and have that ” look”.  Lets face it, if we looked like that we would all be models. Natural smiles are always best.

4. Slightly turn one shoulder towards the camera, either side is ok but the trick is to lean towards the shoulder closest to the camera.  Turning one shoulder towards the camera can make us look slightly thinner and leaning towards that side will again take away any chins by stretching the skin under the neck and giving a stronger jawline.

Following these few tips won’t make you look like Brad Pitt or Nicole Kidman but they can help you to stop cringing when you see photos of yourself on facebook or social media feeds.

Most people at some stage or another have been asked to upload a profile Image or Headshot into some type of online profile.  Did you spend any time thinking about the image ?  What does that image say about you and your business ?  What does the expression on your face say, happy, approachable, serious, trustworthy, confident, arrogant ?  What do people think about when they see my profile image ?

Do people care about your profile Image ?  I grew up with the words, ” you have to make a good first impression and you only get one chance “   What type of first impression does your profile picture make ?  Does it make the impression that you want it too ?

There are marketing people  that say you must have a profile Image on your website, staff photos if you will.  I can’t find it written anywhere that says your staff photos have to look like drivers license photos or passport photos.

There are some very simple tips & tricks that can make your Headshots look better.

Next week i will give you some techniques in standing and some expressions that can make you look as good as you can possibly look.

This is Steve.  He is a real estate Agent and needed some shots for his website, business cards, & posters.  I try and make all my corporate portrait clients look cool and i think i did alright here.  Steve liked them anyway, so did his Mum.  You might see them up and about on the Gold Coast somewhere in front of a property or on a poster.

Wikipedia defines a headshot ” as a modern portrait for todays branding needs, where the focus of the photograph is the personality inside the person captured ” Pretty nice description and I didn’t think I could improve on it so I put it here !

Traditionally headshots were the realm of Actors & Actresses that were looking for work.  Whereas the business man would carry a business card, an actor would carry a composite card or 8 x 10 headshot.  Why the headshot ?  I think because of the proximity and the fact that you can’t hide in a headshot.  Its up close and its you.  Full body shots on location for example, the person can hide a little and get lost in the fact that it might be a great view or beautiful sunset and the overall image might be excellent.  In  Headshots there is no hiding!

Why are Headshots becoming so important for everybody lately?

The ability to market your business or product online has probably overtaken most other necessary skills.  Less and less do you meet business people that don’t have some form of presence online, whether its a major company or someone selling something from his garage.  The ability to be able to connect with people online and to have people trust you is sooooo important.  I believe that having a Headshot or profile Image on your website or on your linkedin page are paramount to people being able to connect with you and understand that they are dealing with a real person and not just an automatic website.

If a customer can see you, the real you, then I think you move a step closer to forming a relationship with that person and hence it then becomes much easier to engage with them.

It is said that people take about 7 seconds to make up their mind about you based on your profile image.  What does your profile image say about you and or your business ?

Look for next weeks Headshot installment from the Gold Coast Headshot Guy !

This is Kate & Todd.  They got married at Cabarita Beach and then had the reception at the Salt Bar.  Little bit hot out there in the sun during the ceremony and the boys were working up a bit of a sweat waiting for the bride.  Todd loves wearing a suit and they all looked really cool so they hung in there.  They had a fabulous ceremony and we got some excellent images.  there are just a few.

This is Tanya & Ben.  They got married in Byron Bay.  We had an awesome day hanging out in the stretch VW Kombi and I was delighted when they asked me to jump in with them for the ride to the top of Byron Bay lighthouse.  Had great shoot up there & I know that Tanya was thrilled with the Images.  Overall they had a great day and the weather held off until after dinner which was great.

This is Bogi & Brendan.  They got married on the beach at North Burleigh and then had their reception at the North Burleigh Surf Club.  They had some awesome weather for the day which was lucky considering the absolute rubbish that we have been experiencing now for weeks & weeks.  Everyone had a great time and I know the bride loved the photos.  Gold Coast beach weddings, there is nothing like it !

This is Dean.  He is an electrician.  Dean is a member of my BNI Network referral group.  I told Dean there is no reason why he can’t look like a Rockstar in his corporate Portraits.  I love trying to make people look cool in their headshots.  I think he looks pretty good.  There is nothing that says that your corporate portraits have to look like passport or Drivers license photos.  You be the judge !

This is Bonnie.  She has such an interesting story and has been involved in marketing across Australia for some pretty big companies.  She needed some Headshots for a presentation she was delivering in Melbourne.  They were going to use the images in the promotion and advertising of the event.  I hope it worked and it was a successful presentation.  She loved the images anyway and we had a lot of fun in the studio hanging out and doing the shoot.

This is Rod.  He is a real Estate Agent here on the Gold Coast.  he wanted a shot that made him look the part.  I believe that there is nothing anywhere that says guys and girls can’t look cool in their corporate portraits or Headshots.  I am trying to blur the lines between a corporate portrait and something that a model or an actor might use in their portfolios.

These are some shots I did for a company called Luna Blu.  They market a range of bags, accessories, sarongs etc.  They wanted a beach theme and what better place to do the shoot than on the Gold Coast.  We met the models early at Palm beach and started to work through the shots we wanted.  Its was a great fun shoot and we got some great images.  I hope you like them.

This is Alicia. She needed some new Headshots for her new role with Aussie Home Loans.  She was so bright and bubbly and an absolute delight to photograph.  We had so much fun swapping jokes that it was sometimes hard to get some serious shots for her portfolio.  I think we did alright in the end and she got some great shots.  She loved my cinema-scope format and has a few others from Aussie Home loans to send my way.

This is Korey.  He asked me to shoot some groovy Headshots & portfolio shots for him.  We spent some time in his gym, his yard and then in his garage with his Harley.  After the location shoot we went to my studio for some rock star style Headshots in true cinema-scope format.  He is a pretty cool guy and I am sure we will see his name up in lights very soon.  He has had a pretty interesting life & apart from playing pro football having survived battles with his health he is now a actor/model & personal Trainer.

This is Agent888.  They sound like secret Agents but they are far from it.  The are Real Estate Agents based on the Gold Coast and were looking for my funky cinema-scope style Headshots for their marketing material.  They explained that they wanted something a little different to make them stand out from the crowd.  I am pretty sure I delivered.  It was a great shoot and I couldn’t believe how easily they both smiled.  I think they really enjoyed themselves.  You be the judge !

This is Finn.  He is one of the coolest little actors I’ve ever met.  He needed some headshots for his portfolio and his Mum has seen my Cinema-scope headshot style & thought they would be good for Finn.  It was such a fun shoot and he was soooo cool.  He will be the next Brad Pitt !

This is Mark.  He was the highest ranked Australian on the World Superbike Motorcycle Racing Tour last year.  Pretty cool !  I love motorcycle racing so I was pretty excited when Mark was keen to shoot in my studio.  He loved my new cinema-scope style of shooting and was keen to have some of those for his marketing.  He liked the fact that they are a little different.  Along with racing this year he is moving into to the corporate motivational speaking circuit.  I have no doubt that he will do well and look forward to watching him rip around the circuit again this year.

This is Mitchell.  He’s a cool & funky guitarist that needed some shots for his marketing.  He is doing some posters, facebook , linked in stuff.  He had seen my headshots on someone else’s facebook page and indicated  he liked the cinema-scope style that I have been developing rather than a more traditional passport style of headshot.  After we were done with the studio we snuck outside into the late afternoon sun and were able to get some funky looking shots of him with his guitar.

This is Simone.  She is an aspiring actress and asked me to shoot some  Headshots & Portfolio shots for her.  Simone indicated that although she is an actress she wanted a range of images more akin to a modeling portfolio.  I was happy to oblige.  We started in the studio with the Headshots and we both really enjoyed the transformation as I coached her through the various body & head positions that suited her face.  After the studio we ventured outside where in the late afternoon we had some really soft light and we able to capture some really nice relaxed images.

Palm Meadows Golf Course has been a long standing institution on the Gold Coast.  It surely one of the well known Golf Courses in Australia.  I jumper at the recent chance to shoot the Function center recently.  It was great shoot right up to the time that I needed to shoot from outside just on dusk.  The rain came down at exactly the wrong time.  Ad I was shooting I had a large picnic rug thrown over myself and the camera & I was doing little sprints from shot to the next.  Anybody watching must have thought i was mental.  I did contemplate at one stage returning on another day but thought I would hang in there and see what i got.  i was pretty happy with the results, more importantly, so was my client.  One of the few things you can’t change about being a Gold Coast Photographer is the weather but you can still never use it as an excuse for not getting a shot !

I love bean bags !  I have one at home & in my office.  Any chance I get to leave my desk and sit on the bean bag I take it.  It’s often not very productive because it’s far too comfortable.  When I was asked to do this shoot for  ” bean bags r us ” I was delighted.  Their range of colors shapes & sizes was amazing and i made sure I tested them all out.

As a Gold Coast Photographer its not all that often that I get to shoot a product that I am passionate about so I was very happy to be available & selected to do this photo shoot.

Every now & then a Job comes along that provides a bit of a challenge.  This one was a challenge for a number of reasons.  Space, light and subject.  The client wanted me to shoot the display across the tops of the fridges.  Black display with white writing.  It was very wide and it was a challenge to be able to shoot from the correct angle to make it look good without showing my clients competitors display on the next fridge ! Another challenge was the fact that the shop was open to the public and there was a constant stream of people moving through the shot.  The last challenge was the lighting overhead and lots of them.  Keeping the reflections off the white writing was difficult.  All in all a challenging fun shoot and I think I got the shots the client was after.  Decide for yourself !

Tamara & Sam were a very handsome couple and had delightful families.  I shot their wedding at Q1 and I am sure they had a blast.  Unfortunately on the day the weather didn’t cooperate at all so all the shots had to be done indoors but, if you are going to stuck indoors doing a Wedding shoot what better place to be than Q1.  I had a fabulous day with them and I am sure they were happy with their images. Tamara told me that  many of their most important days spent together had been rainy, so she looked upon it as a good sign.  I loved her positive thinking.

Shooting Weddings is one of my favorite things to photograph.  I love it when a couple come together and want to do something that’s a little different.  Janine & Owen were semi-eloping and wanted a unique feel for the Gold Coast and the suggestion was made to try a Sunrise Wedding.  What an awesome idea, so I was excited to be a part of the planning that went into pulling it off.  The ceremony was held at Broadbeach just down from the Kurrawa Surf Club.  The weather was beautiful and the Gold Coast turned on a magic sunrise.  I hope my shots did the morning justice !

I was recently asked to shoot some Headshots for the leading Online Marketing experts – Ocean Feather Internet Marketing.  Their staff numbers are growing as business blossoms and I was delighted to shoot them in my studio.  I have been doing shoots for Ocean Feather for a number of years now , and a short time ago I was asked to shoot the delightful Jade who is the beautiful model that appears on the Ocean Feather website introducing you to their vast range of products & services.

I love new & interesting opportunities to Photograph people & places.  The Midas Annual Event was recently held & representatives from Midas from all around Australia attended.  There were few highlights throughout the evening bigger than the arrival of cricketing legend  & former Australian Captain Ricky Pointing.  He arrived to resounding applause and was invited up on stage for a question & answer session with the Midas CEO.  A short time later the new Midas TV commercial starring Russell Gilbert was revealed to the members.  Russell did a stand up routine and delighted the crowd with his impressions & magic.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Natalie M. an aspiring actress from the Gold Coast.  Natalie was originally from Sydney but moved up here to take advantage of the acting roles & the weather I suspect.  She is starring in the latest Subway Commercial & has a few projects in the wings.  We had a fabulous shoot and got some smashing Images.  I can’t decide if I like her on the white background or the black background better.

I love doing interesting photo shoots.  This one was no exception, Palm Meadows is a World famous Golf Course and the opportunity to shoot it was very exciting.  Unfortunately, the only thing I couldn’t control was the weather and the rain rolled in when I was trying to get some dusk shots.  Still managed to sneak a few in before the skies opened up and I had to run for cover.  I hope my shots do this beautiful course some justice and goes along the way of increasing my reputation as a go to Commercial Photographer.

These Images are for a shoot did for a Dutch Magazine.  It is a retirement magazine that highlights Dutch people and the various activities that they might indulge after they retire.  This particular issue is going to be focused on retired couples that are residing in another part of the world.  This couple came to live in Australia about 10 years ago and are residing in Tweed Head South.  It is a beautiful house that backs on to the water which is ideal as they both love fishing.  The idea of the shoot was to highlight some of the house  and its location and some of the lifestyle type things that a retired couple get up to in Australia, hence the barby, blue sky and fishing boat.  It was a great shoot and interesting learning about another country in the process.

This is from another shoot i did for The Display Builders.  The display Builders specialize in building large displays for conferences and large exhibitions here on the Gold Coast.  They can sometimes be tricky to Photograph because of their shape and their proximity to other large displays.  The other tricky part is keeping the staff and other exhibitors at bay and away from the stands when I’m trying to shoot.  I think these ones of the FM Global Stand at the recent RAM conference at the Gold Coast Convention Center look pretty good.  I hope they feel that they are a good example of their work.

This from a shoot I did for Bank of Queensland at Robina Removals.  They wanted shots of Bank Manager & client interacting and discussing business.  Bank of Queensland operate a little differently and their Branch managers have a personal stake in the businesses that they operate.  I hope my images were able to convey this.  It was a good fun shoot and the guys were great to work with.  Using non-professional models in these types of Commercial Website Shoots can be risky but if it works you can get some natural shots.

This is a most recent shoot that I did for one of the biggest builders on the Gold Coast, Glenzeil.  I have been shooting their work for about 3 years now and their projects are always well located and interesting to shoot.  This project is in Varsity Lakes on Christine Ave.  It backs on to the water and has amazing views of the hinterland.  It gives me confidence that projects like this are moving forward to completion and they can only be good for the economy.  As a photographer that loves shooting this type of Commercial building Photography I hope the trend continues and i can busy myself all day everyday with these types of shoots.

This is Luke & Rebecca.  They are child hood sweet hearts that met at school and have obviously been madly in love ever since.  They couldn’t stop kissing each other as you can see from the images.  They got married in Palm Beach in one of the most beautiful secret little parks that I have seen on the Gold Coast.  I live about 10 min from this park & i didn’t know that it existed.  It is tucked away off Palm Beach Ave in what is largely a residential area.  There was a beautiful gazebo there that is just perfect for little weddings and it also backs onto a little lake.  They had a great time as did their friends & family.  It was off to Main Beach for dinner after these shots and then off to Hamilton Island for the week for the honeymoon.  Awesome couple and I really like their Wedding Images, I hope they do too.

This is Chris & Jas.  They got married on the Tweed River in a delightful little ceremony.  It was held during the week with only a few friends & family there but it was very special.  They were looking forward to jetting off to Sydney for the week soon after the ceremony was finished and you could see they were eager to start their new life together.  They were so much fun to shoot and we had a great time with their mates in the park playing under the trees.  Jas is gorgeous but for some reason she doesn’t like smiling.  I was able to get here to flash her pearly whites a few times and when she did she looked beautiful.  I love shooting Gold Coast weddings because you meet so many fantastic couples that are just starting out together.

When Knight Frank Real Estate approached me to shoot the Soul Building in Surfers Paradise I was very excited.  I had long admired the structure & was thinking I would love to shoot it one day.  Knight Frank are looking after the Commercial space on the first floor and wanted to highlight not only the proximity to Cavill Ave and central Surfers Paradise but also the location in relation to the beach.  After some consultation about angles etc we were about to start shooting when we got a call that there might have been a cherry picker available if we wanted to use it.  You bet !  The cherry picker allowed me the height I needed to get some really good shots.  More importantly the client was really happy and the images went out in a national advertising campaign through all the major newspapers throughout Australia last week.  Commercial architectural photography is starting to become a major part of my business.  Watch this space for more shots.

Jason from JT Master Builders is a good mate of mine, so recently when he was asked to submit some Images to a national bathroom building & renovation contest, I jumped at the chance to help him out.  He had renovated and built from scratch his own bathroom not only as an advert for the type of work he can do but also for a new new wallpapering type product for the walls.  It looks fantastic so i hope this new venture takes off for Jason and his partner.  I spoke to Jason during the week and he has received notification that his bathroom is in the top 3 and that the judges are still yet to make their final decision.  Always a bonus as a Gold Coast Photographer to help your friends do well.

The interesting thing about “Twisted Sisters Catering ” is the fact that they are actually sisters, I thought initially that it might have been in support of the once popular Glam Rock band from the 80′s.  Twisted Sisters catering are a new venture and are looking to create a niche for themselves in the less than 60 people functions in the catering market.  Penny explains that the reason they want to stay below 60 people is that ” all of our food is made from scratch, by hand and we would like to keep it this way.  Once you get above 60 people, it makes no business sense to not order in bulk from a supplier and this is something we don’t want to do”  60 people also keeps the gatherings a bit more intimate.  The best thing about these types of jobs is that I get to shoot the food and then I get to sample it, and let me tell you it was delicious.  One of the many perks of being a Gold Coast Food Photographer

I was recently asked to come down to Tweed Heads and photograph for Care Connect and their ” Disabilitea”   They were being run simultaneously all the over the country and they were a massive success.  This particular event was attended by Hon.Justine Elliot MP as well as Councillor Carolyn Byrne.  They were a delight to meet and photograph and they mingled with the organizers and also the guests.  They helped to encourage people to sign the petition and remained on hand to answer any questions and of course to sip some tea.

The Display Builders had me attend the NIBA Conference at Conrad Jupiters here on the Gold Coast.  I am no stranger to Conrad Jupiters as I worked there for nearly 10 years.  It is always strange coming back here to perform  a very different type of job than the ones I used to do.  NIBA Stands for National Insurance Brokers and there was some amazing stands there.  The challenge for me on this shoot was that the stands were very close together.  This gave me little or no room to step back and try and get the whole display in the one shot.  My trusty 8mm Sigma lens came in handy here but then i also had to make sure that i wasn’t shooting too much of the neighboring stand.  Always a tricky business shooting display stands.  The other comment I must make is about the carpet in some of the most popular conference centers here on the Gold Coast, its horrible.  I know why they have it the color and design that they do but, it still looks terrible in Images. ( They have it the color they do, to hide stains and grime. Otherwise they would be changing the carpet after every conference)  The challenges of a Gold Coast Photographer never end !

The next Event I was at was the Gold Coast Convention Center for NSW Clubs.  This event was about the latest and greatest Poker machines and activities available to people that attend Licensed Gaming Clubs in the State of NSW.  The Display Builders has a number of clients at this convention and my job was to photograph their displays.  One of the challenges with this shoot was making sure the displays were void of people.  One of the specifications from my client is that the displays, when photographed don’t have any people in them.  With this shoot I also had to wait until the machines were all turned on, which, unfortunately, was just before the doors were opened.  Luckily i was able to work quickly but was also able to engage the staff working on the stands to keep the people back for a few minutes while i took my shots.

After a quick conversation one morning when I was shooting for another client, I managed to secure a gig shooting for The Display Builders.  The Display Builders do just that, they build large beautiful looking displays for companies that are exhibiting their products at expos & large conferences here on the Gold Coast.  I was commissioned to shoot at the NSA Conference at the Sheraton Mirage.  They had some amazing displays there and it was a delight to shoot.  There are always challenges when shooting any products.  The biggest challenge on this shoot was balancing up the harsh morning sunlight that was streaming into the room with the lights of the display and also the room lights.  I hope I was able to accomplish this ?

One of the things that I love about my job as a Gold Coast Photographer is the ability to be able to get up close to some of the things & buildings and places that I have admired for years.  This last week or two I have had the pleasure to photograph a real icon in not only the Burleigh Heads area but on the Gold Coast.  As you come around the point at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast Highway you can’t help but see the building with the large Blue stripe and the smiling Gold Coast Sun.  I am talking about Burleigh Beach Tower.  It has magnificent North facing views of the beach all the way to Surfers Paradise but also has views out to the mountains.  Peter the manager allowed me up to the roof and I was able to get some amazing shots looking North.  I hope you enjoy the shots.

This is a terrible terrible situation to confront for this Bride & groom.  Imagine 25 people (mostly women & children)  being killed at your wedding.  Celebratory gunfire at weddings was last month banned in Saudi Arabia because some time ago 75 people were killed in a similar incident.  It was/is a common practice and popular tradition in some tribal areas in some Islamic areas.  As a Gold Coast photographer you would never want to imagine anybody being killed at a wedding you are photographing and it would be truly horrifying.  For further details & to view the article go here – http://www.theage.com. au/world/wedding-shots-spark-fire-in-saudi-arabia-and-kills-25-people-20121101-28lav.html

It appears now that the saga of the Kate Middleton topless & nude photos is set to go on & on.  I am sure she wished it would all go away.  The issue now is the apparent desire to sue the female photographer responsible for taking the images.  Can they do this ? Would they do this ?  It appears that the British press have a verbal arrangement not to publish the images.  The European gossip magazines have no such arrangement.

I don’t really care that Kate Middleton is topless or naked, she is on holidays and having fun with her Husband.  I don’t like that there have been photographs taken of them from up to 1 kilometer away with a telephoto lens.  I don’t like this form of photography so I would probably never explore this as a part of my business model, although it is quite lucrative.  I do however agree to a photographer that does make the choice to involve himself/herself in this type of photography be free to photograph whom they choose in line with the laws of the particular location that they are in.  Should she be arrested because the target of the images was the Royal Couple ?  Why are they any different than a Kate Moss or a Kylie Minogue.  Can the laws be changed just for the Royals ?

Paparazzi Photography as I explained is not an area that I would become involved in but it exists because people, mostly women, buy the magazines that publish these types of stories.  If people didn’t buy the magazines there would be no market for those types of  Images and the whole problem would go away.

A short while ago I was asked to shoot some Images for the Queensland Independent College.  QIC is an expanding progressive school that takes positive learning initiatives from some of the best and most progressive schools in the world and molds them to suit for our Gold Coast.  There is a unique blend of progressive learning materials combined with amazing outdoor & indoor activities which include things like sustainable gardening, where the kids grow their own vegetables to eat for lunch.  Every child that i spoke to had only positive things to say about their learning experience at the school.  The following are just few shots from the recent Gold Coast Photography Website shoot.

This is Bianca & Darren (Burg as he is more popularly known)  They got married in a beautiful ceremony at Tallebudgera Cove Beach.  They scored an amazing day and had just the right amount of shade on the beach in the late afternoon so no-one got too roasted in the sun.  They are very very relaxed people & I hope I captured their personalities with my shots.  I was able to upload a selection to show on the big screen at the reception which the crowd loved.  The following is a just a few of my favorites.  I looooove shooting weddings & love this time of year where on the Gold Coast there are more weddings than you could imagine.  As a photographer its fantastic to get to be a part of a few of them.

For websites to be effective they not only have to have a strong product and be easy to navigate but they also have to be visually appealing! The best way to make a website visually appealing is through the use of Images.

The following is a quick guide for those that might want to shoot their own images for their websites or for those that want to be better equipped to instruct a professional photographer.

Taking your own Images

Here are some points that you need to keep in mind when you are shooting for your website.

• Isolate the product or staff member – In other words make it absolutely clear what the subject is
• Make sure all of the product/person is in focus
• Remove any distracting backgrounds from the Image – use a plain background
• Use a tripod to eliminate camera shake
• Get up as close as possible – this will take care of some of the above items as well
• Make sure the image is repeatable – Images that are easy to replicate make it easier to add new items or add more images at a later date.

Advising a Photographer

Keep these points in mind when advising a photographer about shots for your website

-        Make sure he adheres to the above points

-        Have a clear idea of what you want your product/staff to look like, links to other websites with the look that you want are really helpful

-        Ask for some test or proof images so that you can check that he/she is achieving the look you want

-        Ask if you can be in attendance during the shoot

These simple rules can be applied to almost any product. For staff profile or headshots  these rules also apply.

NOTE: Some web designers make the image spaces on their web sites square.  Very few cameras, apart from some very high-end ones, shoot square images.  Cropping an image that was originally rectangular and making it square is very easy but, it rarely looks good. If you absolutely have to have square images, make sure you shoot for this yourself or tell your photographer that you will need square images.

As a Gold Coast Photographer that is well aware that people have budgets, having to re-shoot a product or spend extra time editing is costly for the client.

I have lived on the Gold Coast for nearly 30 years.  I loooove living here so its fantastic to think that I have watched it develop from a somewhat smallish tourist town to a full blown city.  As a Gold Coast Photographer now i always love the opportunities to photograph icons as they appear on the horizon.  I was chuffed when I was asked to photograph the Hilton hotel in Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast turned on some spectacular blue Skies for the occasion.  I hope these images do the building justice because it is spectacular looking and I know that this building will be a part of the Gold Coast landscape for many many years to come !

I love getting referrals, especially when they are from other photographers.  I suppose it means that you are doing something right.  Jackie & Justin booked me fairly late for a wedding booking as the photographer that they had spoken to was already booked.  He suggested that they call me.  It was a beach wedding and I never turn down a beach wedding.  It was a small intimate wedding with only a handful of guests, my favorite type.  When you shoot a small wedding like this you really feel like you are part of it and its much easier to connect with the couple even if you haven’t met them before the day.  We got some lovely photos in the blazing Gold Coast sun before they took off for their reception floating around the local Gold Coast canals.  They were thrilled with their Images and as a Gold Coast Wedding Photographer that’s all that is important to me.

I had to re-post this link to a great interview with Movie Still Photographer Kimberley French.  She has worked as a stills photographer on such films as Brokeback Mountain with Heath Ledger and also worked on the Twilight Saga.  She is an awesome photographer and would love to do what she does.  Work hard seems to be the answer to most of the questions about how do you get to places like these and get to work on movie sets with loads of famous actors wandering about.  Go here to read the fstoppers article – Kimberley French Movie Photographer