Photography – The Heart's Design

Becky’s Sew Versatile, photos for a sewing specialist

Cathie Heart — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 09:31:18 +0000

I had the pleasure of working with Becky recently who needed some personal branding photos taking for her to use for marketing and to promote her business. She’s heard about a new joint effort between myself and Stephanie Nicholson Personal Styling where Stephanie does your styling for to make a consistent style and brand you feel happy and confident in. While I photograph you and capture images so that you can promote yourself and your business with images you are proud to show off. (It’s nigh on impossible to promote yourself if you don’t like the images your sharing!).

You can find Becky Harrison and her business Sew Versatile in York, UK. Also check out her Etsy shop.

How to make a great impression with a personal branding portrait

Cathie Heart — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 19:35:38 +0000

You have 1 second to make a impression, make it count. It’s part of human nature to instantly like / dislike, trust or distrust a person, we make snap judgements based on a persons looks and our experiences. We don’t trust as quickly a business that isn’t representing themselves professionally and this is where personal branding comes in.

Branding – this is what speaks for us once we have left the room or is discussed about us and our business when we are not there. Traditionally its a mark of ownership but in modern day its the ‘stamp’ we put on our professional reputation.

That’s me, Cathie Heart

Personal Branding has one slight difference from a traditional business headshot, it represents you as more than just you in a business suit. It’s slightly softer and more personable while still being professsional. The example above is shot in a studio, but a branding portrait can be photographed on location too and often far more approachable.

Maureen was a full business launch client, which included personal branding portraits, a brand identity for her business and website design. Above you can see her at home in nature, happy, personable and in her element. I’d want to work with this woman in her field as a Confidence Coach because of this photo, wouldn’t you?

This is how a personal branding portrait can help you make a great first impression in less than a second.

Why aren’t you visible in your business online?

Cathie Heart — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 13:56:07 +0000

Trust is a big thing when buying from a business and we trust people we’ve seen before .. so why aren’t you visible in your business online?

That’s me on the left with my self portrait I did to represent me online. I’m a professional photographer so of anybody, I have the least excuse to a) have a bad photo and worst of all b) have no photo at all!

When you have an about page on your website, does it have a photo of you, of your business .. the team of people you work with? Why not? Yes, its natural to feel fear and be shy but we connect best with those we see and recognise. To do so its great to be able to see you in your business.

Its a lesson I’m learning myself as I’m okay at putting up a photo of who I am but haven’t really focused before in putting me into surroundings of my business .. so I too am learning and growing regarding this.

How can we know ‘you’ in order to trust you and what your business is selling. This is especially relevant for the small business that is growing .. the large business has already grown and made its impact on you or people around you and has word of mouth, reputation and its own level of kudos. If you don’t have any of that, the way to build it is individually and showing who you are, what you stand for in your business and what you do.

So let me issue the challenge .. if you don’t have a profile picture up to show who you are and your team as well, why?