The Celtics and Olympians set a great Example

Full disclosure - I’m a big Celtics and Olympics fan, so right now I’m over the moon! And both the Celtics and the US Olympic teams share much in common.  

First, in addition to both having great talent, they are a joy to watch. Obviously, the teams have oodles of talent,  but  they clearly enjoy what they’re doing and have a real passion for the game/sport, their team, and their fans. And for the Celtics in particular, their deep passion for the game/each other, and the aspect of real teamwork is their “secret sauce”.

I approach headshot photography similarly, and think it is a recipe for success in business in general – first, being skilled in the technical aspects of lighting, camera, posing, etc. is fundamental. But for headshot photography, people skills are at least, if not more important.  Read people’s emotions, “meet them where they are”, and then guiding them to a place where they develop a level of trust in you is critical.

Second is passion – you’ve gotta love what you do – and that comes across to your clients. Passionate about the work, the people you work with, the idea of creating something, and helping people look their best, particularly when your subject “lays down the gauntlet” saying how much they hate having their picture taken and have never liked any picture of themselves! One of the reasons I love shooting “non-actors” is that they’re more challenging – actors generally know what to do and are comfortable in front of a camera, so directing them is generally easier – they’ll often add something to a look or expression you may not have even thought of. The rest of us have often developed poor habits of how to look in front of a camera, and often just want to get the session over with. That coupled with all the things they don’t like about how they look (and their mental energy is often focused on those) makes it challenging – but when they see their image and go “WOW, I actually like that”, it’s all worth it.

Finally, teamwork – photography is a team sport. During the relatively short time we work together, I need to show respect the person I’m working with - their preferences, likes/dislikes, where they are emotionally, etc.. At the same time, I need to develop a level of trust that they can share what they like/don’t like about the way they look without judgement on my part. I also have to earn their trust that the directions I’m giving them will help them look better. For corporate clients, I need to be on the same page as whomever has responsibility for their branding and insure we have a shared vision for the overall look they’re going for. I’ll bring my artistic vision and look that is my work, but at the end of the day my clients need to be thrilled with the end product. Clear communication, agreement on process and deliverables is critical for this happen!

So thanks to the Celtics and to our Olympic team for your tireless work, skill, passion an teamwork – and for the example you set for all of us.