Don't worry I wont make you look like a GIRL!
Ok... Men....you ARE different to photograph.
You want alterative outcomes from your branding photographs.
Your facial expressions are often less freer and straighter.
You usually do a power head position more naturally without prompt.
You are less influenced by fashion-centric body language (or historically lens through the male gaze and in this you are lucky).
You can be influenced by male stereotypical body language issues derived through historical influences, which may make you look arrogant and superior.
You usually don’t chat/communicate in the same way.
You don’t feel the need to fill ‘uncomfortable silences’.
You are fearful of being photographed in an overly female open-personality driven way. This is because much of what you have seen in ‘branding photography’ is female centric.
Why would you?
Why WOULD I do that to you?
My approach in photographing men is different to how I photograph women. There are gender and cultural differences dictated by what’s deemed to be acceptable in society.
I will argue though that every client (female or male) the body language and personality is as unique as the next.
I gain a feel of your personality through talking to you, coupled by the information that you submit back to me. The ‘how’ and ‘what’, via a Q&A session and then ultimately IRL (in real life) when we meet for your branding photo shoot and final visual information share.
My approach with you will develop over the course of the shoot, as with any client.. The images we make together will also depend on how you collaborate and respond to me, whether you feel at ease or nervous. What you give me. What you feel able to give me. This is not drawn from gender alone. Women are equally nervous or relaxed as men, depending on the individual.
Chatting isn’t always the solution. Some of my male clients chat less but it doesn’t follow that the images are any less richer because of this. We may have been able to bond easily with fewer words, whereas generally women can be more comfortable building a bond via chatting more whilst we shoot. However some of my male clients, chat constantly sharing life stories on their photo shoots.
Most of all I work to represent you accurately and naturally and to break outdated postural cliches for BOTH genders.
Some examples of inaccurate (and unnatural) images of men are those where the body language appears stiff, proud, superior and arrogant. These images may have been derived from depictions of outdated stereotypes, but also continued media masculine representations, in some sectors. These do not build connection and rapport through personal branding imagery but can further alienate your client online. In summary, They don’t serve your business shoot and brand.
Men do not look approachable in overly authoritative body postures.
Women lose their power if they adopt fashion-styled poses.
I am watchful of them all.
We are all strongly influenced by the media and it is important to decide to whether this suits our visual representation in business or not. On a branding shoot it’s my responsibility to identify and correct and a clients responsibility to collaborate and respond. These shots have to be about business.
Body posture is worsened by a lack of being able to bond with a photographer and a photographer who doesnt understand body language in image making.
But it may simply be down to time factor which does not allow for a better connection between the two parties.
I will observe and correct to allow a more contemporary and natural representation without taking ‘your power’.
‘Oh.. their profile head shot photos look nothing like them! They look so awkward and proud. They are nothing like that in real life. They are a really friendly team!’
This is a slightly paraphrased quote from a client who showed me team photos of the company she was joining. via her new company website. The images were so unnatural and the men looked overly authoritative. I was glad to hear they were different IRL, but a clear example of how images don’t serve you, male or female, if the representation looks forced, cliched or just inaccurate.
And so to my representation of Dayo in this branding image (above). I love this photo of him taken as part of our branding photoshoot Manchester. He looks intelligent, thoughful, relaxed and confident.
Dayo appears totally approachable and totally masculine. We have not taken his power.
Dayo’s branding shoot taken at Salford Quays centres around the body language that he wanted to portray. Dayo is a business leader within the construction industry. He also coaches clients in this sector.. It was important to break historical overly masculine body postures to retain his power in a male dominant landscape. We made powerful his easy confidence in these brand photos. He appears so strong in a relaxed and open body language way.