by admin on October 19, 2011
Two weeks ago we talked to fashion stylist Tamika Matel from A-Line Style Services . She stopped by the studio for our chicago headshots and we had a lot of fun. If you missed the Tamika Martel headshot session, you can check it out here.
This week we had another fashion stylist in the studio named Katie Schuppler. Katie owns KS Style Consulting and runs a fashion blog over on Chicago Now. Personal shopping is among the many services she offers at KS Style Consulting. I saw this as a great opportunity to pick the brain of a professional and see where I should be doing my shopping. As a personal shopper Katie takes on the responsibility of helping her clients develop their personal brand. This goes back to the core of what I’m trying to do with my work. When it comes to developing your personal brand clothing plays a large role. It’s important that you dress for your body type and that your clothes represent the image that you’re trying to put out there.
We had a lot of fun during the headshot session for Katie. We spent some time sharing stories about being entrepreneurs in our respective fields and we wound up with some amazing pictures. Katie will use these images to help establish consistency in personal branding and I’m happy to have been a part of the process.
If you take anything from this, I hope it is that everyone needs a social media headshot. Headshots aren’t just for actors. It is your personal logo. You can use it on linkedIn, match.com, on your blog, or wherever you want to advertise yourself or your abilities.
by admin on October 13, 2011
Vera
Spanish cuisine & Worldly wine
Mark and Liz Mendez are two of the most passionate people I know in the restaurant world. Chef Medez never disappoints in the kitchen and Liz has an understanding of wine that is only matched at the finest of fine dining establishments. I’ve been doing some assorted photography work for Vera with Mark and Liz and it’s truly exciting to be a part of something so great. Between headshot sessions yesterday I stopped in to do a little food photography while they were doing a staff training and I was more than impressed with all that they had going on in both the front and the back of the house. This place is going to be a huge hit with their Spanish cuisine and worldly wine (on tap). Vera is located at 1023 W. Lake Street and should open very soon. Vera is a valuable asset to the west loop community and I look forward to having a great wine bar in the neighborhood with amazing food! I hope you enjoy the shots from the shoot.
by admin on October 12, 2011
Corporate Headshot for LinkedIn and Twitter
Kris peterson local entrepreneur
I’ve been crazy busy lately with Chicago headshots. As my work gets better, the phone rings more and more. I’d like to say that I’m just that good, but the truth is that I work with some very talented people that make my job that much easier. Last week we had local internet startup extraordinaire Kris Peterson in the studio and in front of my lens. Kris started www.dealsgoround.com . Deals Go Round is a place where people can resell unused deal a day coupons. It was great to talk with him about what all is involved in starting something like Deals Go Round. Learning about the differences between corporate life and the startup world. I’ve dabbled in the world of deal a day and actually found one of my coupons being sold on his site. Kris was great to work with. He came in prepared and confident for his headshot session and we wound up with a handful of great photographs.
Kris, like a lot of people today, was looking for a professional picture of himself to use as an online profile picture. His headshot will be used in his upcoming spread in Crain’s Chicago Business and he’ll also use it as his social media profile picture on websites like LinkedIn and Twitter.
by admin on October 12, 2011
Chicago Product Photography
Greenheart Shop
I realize that usually we talk about where to get the best headshots in chicago but today we’re going to talk about one of my favorite clients. Greenheart is a Chicago based fair trade store. They have an e-commerce site that services both coasts and everything in between as well as a cute shop on Division. If you’re into crafty household items, trendy hipster clothing and accessories, and imported pottery, this will be your mecca. The products are great but what really impresses me are the people that make it happen, because there are so many of them. The people I work with directly are amazing and have a great eye for detail. They have a knack for knowing what’s in style and what the people want. But it’s really bigger than that. It’s about the suppliers. Greenheart doesn’t operate like a big box store. Greenheart follows the guiding principles of “Fair Trade”. Fair Trade supports sustainable community development by ensuring that the artisans making the products are paid fair living wages. “Eco” signifies that their products are made using the most sustainable materials and methods whenever possible. At Greenheart, they are both “Fair to producers, and good to the Earth”.
So I’ve been working with Greenheart for awhile now and it’s pretty exciting to go to their website and see all of my images. They’ve always had pictures of their products, but not always great ones so it’s nice to hear how changing a picture has a positive effect on customer conversion and things like that. In a lot of ways it reminds of when I used to do a lot of food photography. With Product photography the stuff just kind of sits there while you find your shot. The main difference is that the products rarely go bad under the lights like the food does.
Becoming a better product photographer has been an uphill battle. There are a lot of tricks to that trade, but I’ve learned a lot in a very short period of time. I’m always looking forward to the next shoot to perfect a new technique. Shooting on white for the web is often difficult because the end goal is a shadowless image and that goes against nature. If there’s a light source there should be a shadow. Through trial and error and a lot of research on google we’ve figured it out, and it’s been a lot of fun. It’s taken our work to a new level.
For those concerned, don’t worry, I’m still a headshot photographer, it’s just nice to do a little something different from time to time.
by admin on October 10, 2011
Actor Headshot
Actress Headshot
We had the pleasure of hosting one of our most accomplished actresses to date in the studio recently. Her name is Julie Proudfoot and she was a joy to have in front of the lens. Depending on the subject matter I can wear several different hats in the studio. When doing corporate headshots or Match.com profile pictures I find myself doing a lot of coaching to get the client into the right pose or the right expression. More often than not, a seasoned actor knows what they need to do, and they just do it. Julie Proudfoot was no exception to the rule. We had a great headshot session. The roles she’s looking for are usually that of the powerful female authority figure. The power attorney, the CEO, the business woman. These are roles she has played on Gilmour Girls, ABC’s The Practice, and a several others. She’s currently working on the The Artemisia Theatre 2011 Fall Festival of Staged Readings. She’s a passionate woman who is passionate about the roles available to females in the acting community. The 2011 Fall Festival of Staged Readings is her own creation and she’s pooled a lot of great talent.To learn more about Julie Proudfoot, The 2011 Fall Festival of Staged Readings, or Artemisia Theatre, please check out www.artemisiatheatre.org/ .
Actor Headshot
Special thanks to my headshot make-up artist Irish for doing such a great job with Julie!
by admin on October 10, 2011
Author Headshot
Author, Rey Andujar, came to the studio in need of an author headshot to use on the sleeve of a book he wrote that’s going to print. He came in with a great attitude ready to make magic happen and within an hour we had some amazing shots that he’ll be able to use as press photos, as a Twitter profile picture, and on his linkedIn profile too. Please read his review about his experience below.
Headshots with 312 Elements
The experience with Michael was great. For me, headshots were only for actors so I was kind of nervous before my appointment. I did not know what to wear or if I needed makeup… and also, I was too self conscious to ask about it.
That changed as soon as I got into Michael’s studio. The place is comfortable and inviting. First we had a little chat and I let him know that, as a writer, I was never able to get good pictures and someone recommended his studio. Before I knew it, we were already working. I was dressed as me, casual as possible, and we were able to see the work in progress on a flat screen television in the studio. The few times I had my picture taken I had felt very awkward and kind of directed, but with Michael I was being myself and it worked well. Everybody, including my agent are very happy with the results.
The pictures came out very natural and with a beautiful sense of light and color. He provided me with a good selection to pick from, which made a great portfolio. I will be using these portraits for my next book (press-tour). I am very fortunate that I have found a fellow artist which whom I will definitively work in the future.
by admin on October 4, 2011
Social Media Profile Picture
From party pics to the MySpace angle, your profile picture says everything about your profile in the first 3 seconds. It is the first thing that everyone looks for, whether you’re on Facebook, LinkedIn, or even Twitter. If you’re only requirements for a profile photo happen to be that you’re alive and smiling, you might be portraying yourself in a manner that you never intended. After all, why should someone read your carefully written list of top 10 movies when you haven’t put nearly as much effort in your picture?
By now, almost everyone who has spent even an hour on a social media network has learned the worst ways to take a profile pic. Nowadays it is understood that simply taking a photo of your abs, though an impressive six pack, might not actually say more than a few bad words about your personality. What a vast majority may not realize, however, is that even a bland picture is the quickest way to lose someone’s interest. Much like the way we dress, a photo can tell everyone your personal style and even your social aptitude. The way that you choose to display yourself on a public forum tells everyone how deliberate you are in your choices and also what you think of yourself. If a headshot has a nice smile, but the color is dull and flat, it shows a degree of laziness or normalcy at best. Who wants to be average? If it is a professional photo, but happens to feature an entire collection of porcelain dolls, you might not be approached by too many new people. We won’t judge. Whatever the content of your picture, quality is always the best first step. The goal should always be to go above and beyond, or else we’re just another one of the millions.
By using social media, we inherently ask for our peers to give us attention, especially here in Chicago where we are bombarded with hundreds of new faces every day.We want that employer to remember our face over the 50 others looking at the same job. We want our tweets to make the online community giggle. And we need everyone to see our newest cat video, reposted from your YouTube page to your Google+ profile. For some, the goal of their social media use may not be so public and this is fine, but even those users are naturally attracted to better photos. Our human eyes will always gravitate to the prettiest and shiniest, even on an electronic medium.
So what makes an eye-catching photo? So many things! With so many social media outlets nowadays, we couldn’t possibly tell you any one way to go when it comes to creating the right photo for the right profile. The best we can do in this post is to remind you to be mindful of yourself. Are you smiling? Are you looking away from the camera? Treat the camera as if it is the person you are communicating with. If you’re communicating with a potential date in your eHarmony photo, you might want to rethink that beer can in your hand. The great thing about photography is that there are so many right ways to create the perfect picture for yourself. Just make sure to get the best quality you can!
by admin on October 4, 2011
Headshot Chicago
We have another happy customer! Check out the review from actress Meighan Gerachis below. Meighan is currently working with another client on a project for Artemisia Theatre. She is directing CESSPOOL by Ed Proudfoot. It’s part of the 2011 Fall Festival of Staged Readings. The reading of CESSPOOL will be performed October 14th at 8:00pm at 925 West Diversey. To learn more about CESSPOOL, The 2011 Fall Festival of Staged Readings, or Artemisia Theatre, please check out www.artemisiatheatre.org/ .
You know, it’s a funny thing, a lot of actors don’t like getting their picture taken. There isn’t a role to project. You have to reveal a part of you that is available to become whatever it is that is being sought by whoever is looking at your picture. Mike Schacht has a gift for eliciting and capturing that essence on film. He has a beautiful loft space (and a personality) filled with natural light I have had many, many headshots taken over the years and never have I been as immediately sure that I was in good hands as I was at 312elements.
by admin on October 3, 2011
Headshot for social media profile picture
Headshot Chicago
We’re nearing the end of 2011 and now more than ever before branding yourself as an individual is not only recommended, it’s required. Years ago people spent careers with the same company, working their way up the ladder from the bottom to the top. Today it’s not abnormal to make several career moves within a 5 years span. We’re constantly meeting new people and building our social networks because you never know what tomorrow can bring. That being said, we need to develop identities outside of where we work. Our job and the company we currently work for no longer define who we are or what we do.
I’ve teamed up with Chicago Stylist Tamika Martell from A-Line Style Chicago. Tamika runs a blog over at Chicago Now and has been featured on Rachael Ray. The girls knows her style. At any rate, we’ve teamed up to give one lucky reader a free headshot session and wardrobe styling. Head over to her blog to see the rules for entering, but before you leave, help her choose her new online profile picture here.
And don’t forget, Headshot Chicago aren’t just for actors. You can use your headshot Chicago for your linkedIn profile picture, your Twitter photograph, your eHarmony profile picture, or your match.com profile picture. At 312elements we do corporate headshots too.
by admin on September 15, 2011
Production is complete on our newest video! It is the retelling of the real life tale of two dreamers, separated by geography, but bound by love. From Chicago to Boston, Dave and Krista never let distance weaken the strongest of connections. In honor of this bond, Dave wrote a touching ballad for his wife-to-be. With song in hand, we were approached to create a music video for their wedding, so that they may share their story with friends and family. We were honored to be a part of such a success story.
This project was a particularly enjoyable experience because we got to really flex our storytelling muscles in order to convey how these two individuals felt for each other. Anytime we have the opportunity to work with our clients in such a collaborative manner, the end result is simply fun.
Thanks for enjoying our take on Chicago music video production.
