A Few More Shots From the Art of Fashion Fundraiser

In late February we spent a couple of days shooting for Art of Fashion. They had asked us to be involved in a fundraiser whereby their designers would have access to professional photography services in order to get a professional head shot that could be used in promoting themselves  and their design collections.

For years we have noticed how many people try and promote themselves – and by extension their personal brands –  on social media channels and personal or professional websites with photos that they have taken themselves (the dreaded selfie), cropped from a larger photo, or in some cases photos that have been taken by a ‘friend with a camera’.  The result is invariably bad, bad, bad and only now are people generally starting to realize the value of a professional profile photo.  A poor photo can potentially create a poor first impression, especially in the creative fields, so with this in mind we agreed to help raise money for Art of Fashion while providing a wide variety of people (a much wider variety than just the designers) with a head shot that they can use to promote themselves.

From opera singers (two of them!) to business professionals, to actors and those there just for fun, we tried to create something that expressed a bit of what each person was about.

Above, a small sample of the photos we created.

Business Portraits – In a Variety of Styles

A few years ago we published this post after a creative session with one of our favourite clients – the idea of the shoot was to produce business portraits that would showcase the individual and the space within which they worked in a way that was more personal than the standard corporate head shot.  Since that time we have been called upon to shoot business portraits for a number of clients in a variety of styles.

Capturing the personality of the individual we are shooting and making them feel comfortable and relaxed in what otherwise might not be the most relaxing setting (not all of us like to be photographed!) is a challenge that we enjoy. If you are looking to refresh your business portrait or series of corporate photos for your company’s marketing or promotional material please contact us, together we can create the perfect style of portrait for you and your business.

Addrenaline Media’s President and Creative Director, Kyle Hosick

Kyle Hosick, President and Creative Director of Addrenaline Media, came to us recently looking for a series of photos for a media kit he was putting together for a new venture that he will be launching in the coming year.  We were excited to work with Kyle, having worked along side him a few years ago during the famous roof top champagne juggling shoot we did for Chuck Champers – Kyle shot the video and created Chuck’s website which of course features our photos.

We always look forward to working with other creatives – the ideas just flow and we love the freedom of trying different things and seeing what comes out of it all. In this case we were very happy with the results and we hope that Kyle was too.

Above, a sample of one of the profile photos… Kyle and his Great White tattoo.

Toronto’s Scotiabank BuskerFest 2010

This past weekend we covered the 11th Annual Scotiabank BuskerFest in support of Epilepsy Toronto.  After shooting the festival for the past six years we have met some great people and have made some good friends.  The people who work behind the scenes for BuskerFest, as well as all of the performers out on the pitches put a great deal of effort into raising money for those who live with Epilepsy and we would like to offer them recognition here for their work, their talent, and the awareness that they bring – each in their own way – to this cause.

Toronto Mike Last Night in -25 Degrees

On what might have been the coldest night of this decade (well – so far) we were shooting outside in Toronto’s Liberty Village with the very brave, very patient Toronto Mike.  We were able to capture the photo above before the wind knocked over our umbrella, the photographer’s fingers froze solid, and Mike possibly suffered mild frostbite… on our way to our second location I swear I heard him mention something about our liability for lost appendages…

Light Monkey Offers Photo Avatars – What’s a Photo Avatar?

Photo avatars are corporate headshots and portraits specifically designed to be used in social media profiles.  

For those who make use of social media or those who have made their profiles available on the web through their profession, a good profile photo is essential. After all, a lot is riding on that first visual impression – that little photo will be used by others to register an assessment in a fraction of a second.  

We think that if the first impression you’re going to make is through a small – often square – photo, you’ll probably want to make sure that photo is a good one.

To have an impact as well as to be flattering, a close up photo must be properly lit. It is not enough to simply crop a wider photo – especially one that may have been taken with (eeek!) a point and shoot camera.  Our photographers are experts at the art of lighting for effect, so you can be sure that your tiny square photo will still have a big impact, and will present you in the best possible light.

Its a guaranteed great first impression.  And in this market, who couldn’t use that?

If you are reading this on linkedin you can see samples in the slideshare presentation below.   If you are reading this on the web please click the link in the sidebar to see samples at http://www.lightmonkey.ca/photoavatars

We have offerings to fit any budget – contact us at:  info@lightmonkey.ca