Or at least we hope they are. Being visible is good, being noticed is even better.
We all love to see, especially things that make us feel good. We live in a visual world full of visual media. It matters what you put out there for others to see. The intent of marketing is to create a positive emotional response. In other words, making people feel good.
Show us your best foot. Make us feel good. We’ll notice.
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Robert DeBarth has been repairing and rebuilding typewriters for over 70 years. Now you might think that business would be slow, but Robert has plenty of work. His skills are actually in high demand. People still love typewriters.
If you’ve ever tried to fix one you know that they are like watches with hundreds of integrated parts. It takes a specialist and there are not too many typewriter factory repair centers anymore (probably none), so Robert is at a premium.
I did a Google virtual tour of Robert’s shop, in Lansdale, Pa and couldn’t resist asking if I could do a few portraits. Robert was fun to photograph and a pleasure to talk to. He has done this work his whole adult life and at 90, he has no plans to quit anytime soon.
In his words, “It’s what I do.”
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Vince Papale “walked on” to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1970s and made history. An unknown 30 year old guy from the neighborhood who never played football decided to try out and became an NFL legend. Disney even made a movie about him called Invincible.
Vince’s football days are behind him and now he travels the country giving talks and motivating everyone from corporate executives to high school athletes.
Vince’s story is impressive, for sure, but as I photographed him during a recent event, it was obvious to me that it all boils down to passion. Passion is that driving energy available to all of us. It’s when desire for an outcome obliterates all doubt and resistance. As Vince so clearly describes and demonstrates, passion doesn’t just happen. You cultivate it.
Be passionate.
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Like many companies, Promius Pharma annually convenes its people from around the country to bring them together as a team and enhance their focus on the company mission. And of course the first night is a time for settling in and getting off to a good start with a social event. This year Promius met at the Crown Plaza in Princeton and decided it would be fun to have food trucks cater the party.
I’ve photographed a lot of corporate events and this one was a blast. What a great idea. It was relaxed, fun and ever so tasty!
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Really cold brew at BioStorage, part of a facility at Rutgers University where they keep stuff on ice (not beer, though).
I’ve photographed a number of sites specializing in cryogenic storage and it’s pretty amazing to see how technology enables us to seriously cool things down and essentially stop the aging process.
Funny, though, when it gets really cold, I certainly don’t feel my aging process slowing down.
I love light. Soft light, natural light, bright light, dim light, light bulb light, strobe light, lightning bug light, moon light, moon shine, light beer, lightning light, and on and on …. It’s either because I’m a photographer or I’m a photographer because I love light.
Window light is one of my favorite types of light and a great simple option for anyone who needs to create a headshot of someone, whether it’s an employee, a personal relationship or a selfie. Just put them (or yourself) by a window and take a picture. You will get a great shot.
Windows offer two basic alternatives, side lighting or full lighting. The photo taken above is for an upcoming book cover and shows full lighting. Gail simply faced the window, gave me a beautiful smile and we got a wonderful headshot. The two photos below are examples of side lighting. Side lighting can be a little tricky due to deep dark shadows on the side opposite the window. (This can be lessened by holding up a big piece of white foam core or something similar to provide fill light.) Side lighting is a little more dramatic and more contrasty than full lighting (it also shows wrinkles better)
The best part of using window light is it does not need any special equipment. Just you, your camera and your happy subject. Experiment.…