Welcome! On this page I'll be sharing some tips, hints ... hopefully it's

"info you can use"!

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Do you enjoy taking photos with your phone but want to get even more creative?

There's an App for that!

Let me share with you my current favourite photo editing App ... Snapseed.

I find this app is so fun to use.  It's filled with editing options - from basic to creative filters. 

Adjustments include: Automatic, Selective Adjust, Crop, Tune Image (within this option you can adjust brightness, ambiance, contrast, saturation, and white balance), Straighten, Details, Black & White, Vintage, Drama, Grunge, Center Focus, Tilt-shift, Retrolux, and Frame.  You'll soon see that each adjustment has multiple possibilities within it, so make sure you really play with it to see all the ways you can change your image. 

At any point you can save your image (top right hand corner) and then carry on with more changes.  That same button allows you to share with a number of your Social Media sites. If you are planning to share on Instagram, remember to crop and edit the photo in a square format - save it to your Photo Library - and then choose that photo from Instagram and it's ready to go.  

Here's an example:

On the left is a photo I took of apple blossoms on a dull cloudy evening as it was getting dusk. (not ideal lighting conditions, but I wanted to see what the phone would capture).  Only edit is a square crop.

Centre photo: I have used "Tune Image" and adjusted everything. 

Right hand photo: adds on to the centre image with Retrolux (choosing a style, then adjusting brightness, saturation, contrast, style strength, scratches, light leaks) and finally adding a Frame and adjusting it's width. 

Why don't you add Snapseed to your phone and give it a try? (Did I mention that it's free?!) 

Please note: this is simply my opinion, I have not received any payment, etc. for this recommendation. 

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Recently I had the chance to speak with a business coach for women entrepreneurs about:

Why You Need a Professional Photographer to Capture Your Professional Image

I think it's very important that men & women project themselves in the best way possible.  If someone is visiting your website/blog/facebook page for the first time, think about what you want that person to see ... if you've taken your own photo with a cell phone or in a mirror, then you might not be looking very professional.  Now "professional" doesn't have to be "stuffy" & "formal" - I'll talk more about that later. 

But first take a look at some images ... Jess & Michele were kind enough to let me share their before & after photos.  As they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words", so please take a look and decide for yourself ....

The photo Jess took of herself:

Photos that I took:


The photo that Michele took of herself:

Photos that I took:

Thank you SO much Jess & Michele for letting me share these images!!

Tips for Choosing a Photographer for Your Business Portrait

1) Think about what kind of a photograph you need.  Here are some questions to ask yourself before you even look for a photographer:

Will you want a more formal/traditional looking portrait or something with a creative feel?

Do you want your photo shoot to be in a studio setting? If so, what type of backdrop would you like?  White?  Colour?

Do you have a colour that represents your brand?  Do you want to incorporate that into your photos?  Either in clothing or backdrop/setting?

Do you want an outdoor or on location photo shoot?  Consider a shoot at your work place.  Do you have products that you would like to include in some of the photos?  Your photographer may also have some great ideas of locations that make for great backgrounds with texture - such as the brick walls in a couple of the above images. 

2) Now take a look at the websites/facebook pages/blogs of area photographers.  We are all different - and you should be able to get a sense of our style from looking at a few images.  Does that style fit with your answers to the above questions? 

3) Make contact with the photographer - email, call - ask about having a free in person consultation with them.  This will give you a chance to see the studio, if that is the route that suits your image.  Or a chance for the photographer to get a look at your surroundings/lighting if the shoot is to be at your workplace.  Or it can just be a chat at a coffee shop! 

This meeting is really a chance for you to determine if your personality will mesh well with the photographer's.  Remember most of you are not professional models and it will take some time & coaching to be relaxed in front of the camera.  Do you feel comfortable with this person?  You need to trust that they are interested in making you look good, not in rushing you through a photo shoot.  If not ... keep looking!  The photographer may have some great ideas for you to consider, but if he/she is unwilling to listen to what you have in mind ... keep looking.

Hope that helps!!! Remember to relax & have fun when you have your photo shoot! Let your personality shine & the photographer will capture some great images of YOU!!

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