Images of you behind-the-scenes is a valuable asset beyond simply talking about the session in your online content.

One of the ways to leave a strong impression with your audience regarding the value that you offer those you serve are images of you in action during a photo session.

When you share these types of images, you’re demystifying your process and breaking down the fourth wall between you and your audience.

It allows them a sneak preview to what could be for them so they can easily envision themselves in front of your camera.

And since your online content is a unique way to create relationships and connection with your audience, compelling photos like this go a long way to helping achieve that goal.

Now, before you dive through your computer to post images of you working behind the scenes and simply reference “how great the session was with (client name)…”

THESE PHOTOS HOLD MORE STORYTELLING OPPORTUNITIES THAN THAT!

What do I mean by that?

These types of images are more than meets the eye.

They can visually punctuate a large assortment of potential stories that will help give your audience more context into who you are, who you serve and why you do what you do.

As an example, let’s take a look at a B-T-S photo taken during one of my branded lifestyle portrait sessions.


This photo was taken during my session with Dr. Brian Lima, a heart surgeon who is looking to promote his motivational/health-centric book and get keynote speaker gigs on the topic.

Part of his session involved some lifestyle portraits of him playing pool.

His wife was kind enough to chronicle the session by snapping photos of us in action with her IPhone. This was one of my favorite shots.

WHAT TYPES OF STORIES CAN I SHARE WITH THIS IMAGE?

I liked this photo so much, I used it for a social post.

Rather than share the novel that I wrote in that caption, I’ll give you the long story short:

I leveraged this photo to visually punctuate a story about how I show clients some of the images on the back of my camera throughout the session as a way to let them feel at ease knowing that we’re capturing exactly the types of images we set out to create during our pre-session strategy call.

It also gets them excited to sit down with me at the end of the session to review all of the images to select the ones that make the most sense for them to leverage.

Although I took this particular storytelling route, I could’ve used this photo in other ways.

Looking at this photo in hindsight, a bunch of alternative idea nuggets that could develop into compelling social posts and blog articles come to mind.

Regardless of the story, they’d walk away with either learning something about the need for branded lifestyle portraits or get a better sense of who I am as a person and what motivates me to work behind the camera in the way I do.

LET THE BRAINSTORM SESH BEGIN

Here are some of the other potential idea nuggets that immediately come to mind:

  • Why is a heart surgeon getting lifestyle portraits of himself playing pool? It helps them create connections with their audience by showing them how they unwind and relax.
    What are the environments in which you thrive? For my client, Dr. Brian Lima, that includes the pool table in his home.
  • During your portrait session, make sure you hire a photographer who creates an experience for you so that you feel constantly engaged and not simply a model in front of the camera. For example, I spot check images with clients as we capture them…
  • It’s important to show yourself engaged in activities outside of your area of expertise. Give your audience a well-rounded perspective into your life.
  • Variety in your image content is essential in keeping your audience entertained and inspired…and that includes shooting a couple games of 8-ball!
  • Don’t be afraid to be yourself in your image content. Let your hair down and share with your audience aspects of your life beyond the work…
  • For years, I was petrified behind the camera, worried that I wasn’t living up to my price tag. I wouldn’t show them a single frame until I sent them the final shots. Fortunately, time and experience has given me the confidence to share the process and progress of sessions with my clients. That has increased the value of the sessions exponentially…
  • I am so grateful that I get to work with amazing human beings such as Dr. Brian Lima…

Don’t simply use that photo to brag about how awesome you are behind the camera.

Leverage your education, real-life experiences and business lessons learned along the way to offer yourself a variety of avenues to explore in your storytelling strategy and to help shape your voice and perspective in your writing.

When you go deeper than that, you offer yourself the opportunity to develop a real connection with those who look to you to solve their points of friction with photography and create some images that present them in an amazing light.

This type of storytelling strategy will be shared during a workshop that Maurice Jager and I will be conducting during the PhotoPlus Expo in NYC in October:

Photographer Storytelling Strategy 101: Defeat The Blinking Cursor

During this 4-hour workshop, we will share our framework for generating online content. This content will provide your audience a well-rounded perspective; who are you, who do you serve and why do you do what you do.

Our goal is to have you walk away with the framework to help you create endless amounts of online content. You’ll also have several juicy idea nuggets ready to post from the brainstorming sessions in the workshop.

Want to learn more about it? Here you go.