Spring 2023 Newsletter

Hey everyone! Happy little-bit-closer-to-patio-season! It has been great seeing people in person again, at photo shoots, of course, but also at various functions, networking events, entertainment events, improv (what?) classes, etc.

 
BTW, as I look at my profile portrait at the top of this newsletter I am reminded of the importance of keeping these up to date. Might be time for me to do a new one. You’ll see what I look like now below in my book cover project.

For those not on my e-mail list here is a copy of my January 2023 newsletter. Please e-mail me if you'd like to receive my (approximately) quarterly newsletter in your InBox.

 

First: CORPORATEPORTRAITS.CA a wee bit of a marketing fail

A little while ago I attended a networking thing where we shared “epic fails” in our businesses and what we learned etc.

I didn’t think of this at the time but I think it would count!

So here’s a funny, extremely short story which I’ll start off with a question. Who do you think owns the domain name corporateportraits.ca? I do! Do you know how long I’ve owned it? Years. I have owned “corporateportraits.ca” for literally years. And how many people have I told? Well, whoever is reading this right now, you are whom I have told (plus, very recently, my network on LinkedIn).

Yes, quite a while back I thought it would be a good idea to have an easy to remember website address that spoke to what I do (a lot of) and wasn’t my name, in case people didn’t know it, or forgot. And then I paid for it year after year waiting for I’m not sure what. I think I thought it may sound too limited in scope, but I hung onto it. Luckily, I am a way better photographer than marketer. In fact you could take this as a reassuring indication of how focused I am on what I actually do (ie. corporate and portrait photography). Anyway, I’m telling you now.

Thank-you to everyone who does remember my name. For everyone else when you need corporate photography just try to remember CORPORATEPORTRAITS.CA!

 

Another Toronto/Vancouver Annual Report Challenge

 

For a recent annual report project we had a number of creative and logistical problems to solve in support of creating an elegant, cohesive document. 

The challenge:

1.    Photograph featured staff on gray seamless, and add Vancouver individuals into the Toronto group shots so they look as if they were photographed together.

2.    Photograph a second set of featured individuals in a way that shows them on site in busy, populated areas to illustrate a theme of being “back together” in a style that would tie together the Vancouver shots with the Toronto shots, and visually tie all of them together with the formal portraits on gray.

In order to facilitate challenge 1 we simply had to make sure the subjects in Vancouver were photographed as if they were photographed here in Toronto. So, we shot the larger groups in Toronto first, then sent instructions and sample photos to Vancouver so our photographer there could position their subjects accordingly and match the lighting as well as possible, paying attention to the need to capture the shadows on the floor as well. RAW files were sent to Toronto for processing and retouching to match the Toronto files, and were then inserted into their appropriate groups.

Left: One subject in Vancouver shot standing camera left. Right: Three of the four, in Toronto.

 

The final shot of this particular group

For the student shots, the solution was to have each student stand in front of a small gray seamless background. Logistically this presented a number of challenges. Right off the bat we decided from tests that the standard size small seamless looked too wide, so we had to cut down a 36 foot roll of paper (one in Toronto and one in Vancouver). Perry used a saw. I used an xacto knife. Perry’s method was faster!

 

Although we used the same seamlesses for every shot, we knew the gray background would look different in every photo because the colour temperature of light, in this case the combined flash and ambient light (which would inevitably be different in every shot), affects neutral gray much more noticeably than it does strong colours.

 

Left: before and after post-production. Right: the background file (from the staff shots) which was composited into the backgrounds in the student shots.

 

We also knew the seamless backdrops would not hang neatly (ie; wrinkle free) the way we decided to hang them to match their appearance from one shot to the next, but that was OK because it was the plan all along to digitally replace the main section of each background with a shot of the background taken earlier during the formal portraits to create consistency between both sets of shots.

 

 

In order to look consistent (other than seamless colour) we made sure ahead of time that the background stands in Vancouver and Toronto would match, (ie. same brand, style and colour) and we measured the Toronto set-up meticulously so it could be reproduced for subsequent shots here and in Vancouver. Having to fit this set-up into the locations made finding suitable spots to shoot a big challenge. Shout out to Perry Danforth for overcoming great obstacles to find five workable spots!

 

 

Another big obstacle was timing. For a number of the shots we had to shoot at times when the availability of background people was extremely limited. As a result, once again we had to shoot with post-production in mind, photographing the featured subject and background people separately to combine them later. It sounds like a simple thing to do but it required careful execution and the use of a sturdy tripod and focus locking to ensure elements aligned properly in the final images.

 

In one case we couldn’t even capture the subject and background people on the same day. When we returned we had to re-set-up the gray seamless and the lighting, and had the added stress of having to clean the floor constantly as students tracked in wet footprints from a snow fall. More retouching for me as it was impossible to keep on top of that. 

 

Left: The original shot from which we used only the person (in this case). Right: The final shot combining three separately shot elements -- the person, the background in situ, and the gray background (from the staff shots) shown earlier in this article.

This short description makes this project sound less complicated than it was but I don’t to bore you with the minutia! The point is that we had a difficult set of problems to solve in order to create a cohesive and high quality set of images under challenging circumstances and we did!

 

I love a challenge, and love having the opportunity to collaborate with creative clients who have high expectations! If you’d like to see the whole AR e-mail me and I’ll send you a link. And if you need a super experienced branding and design firm for your organization I’d be happy to connect you.

 

And of course if your organization needs help with photography please reach out.

 

 

IABC PIC The Buzz September 2022. The Weeks Effect: PIC members find inspiration for growing their businesses

 

The first tip I posted. (The 30+tips were posted in random order.)

Many readers will know that I spent a chunk of 2022 creating a series of tips on how to prepare for and get the most out of your next professional portrait session which I posted on LinkedIn and on my blog.



The inspiration for this exercise came from media trainer Warren Weeks as explained in this article by Brent Artemchuk:

https://express.adobe.com/page/PjvjWlY1AnHCM/

 

Once I completed the series I compiled them into an ebook which is free and downloadable here:   https://hollinrake.com/pdfs   Business Portrait Tips by Kathryn Hollinrake 2^nd Ed.

 

The guidelines in this series were gleaned from many years of encountering issues people had with being photographed, and issues I had to deal with as a result of clients just not knowing “best practices” for portrait subjects, and why would they? It’s my job to know this stuff and I’m excited to be able to pass it on to future subjects so readers’ experiences being photographed and the outcomes of those experiences will be the best they can be.

 

 

IABC PIC Personality January 2023

In another minute of publicity I was also featured as the PIC (Professional Independent Communicators) Personality in the January 2023 issue of their newsletter The Buzz:

 

https://express.adobe.com/page/SYlf8VFV0pE9F/

 

I’m sure most people reading my newsletter know the IABC and some are already members. I joined this great and very active organization in 2022. I should have joined years ago. In June 2023 Toronto is hosting the IABC World Conference at the Sheraton: https://wc.iabc.com/  I’ll be there in the Headshot* Lounge. Come and see me!

 

*Anyone who knows me knows I avoid the word “headshot” like the plague (for reasons I won’t get into here), but in this situation, I will actually be shooting very quick headshots.

 

 

Kathryn's Fake Book Cover Project

 

 

I have spent a lot of time over the past few years focusing on messaging to

corporate clients, in 2022 dressing up as a “business woman” for my

series of portrait Tips referenced above.

Recently, in a bit of a twist I re-imagined myself as a bunch of imaginary authors,

to illustrate some of the (sometimes) more creative ways an author may want to show

up on a book cover or jacket flap. These were all shot in my studio. I have been posting one a week on LinkedIn with the tagline “In between photographing actual authors…”

 

To see all eight covers and a few notes on them please click here:

 

https://hollinrake.com/portfolios/fake-book-covers

 

These were so fun to do. One friend and client commented that I am “such a chameleon” but the point I’d make is that art direction, lighting, posing, Photoshop etc. can make anyone look very different from one shot to another. That’s what we professional photographers do!

 

So if you are an author or know an author, or anyone else who wants a more creative portrait I’m here, ready to collaborate!

 

Yay Us! Testimonials 

 

A couple of testimonials received in recent months:

"I absolutely love the pictures! You did a superb job considering what you had to work with. I look wonderful, if I may say so myself."

"...our client raved about her experience with you as well! She said you are a true artist who loves what you do."

And this just in:

"Kathryn is a total professional, and produced the best business portrait of my career. Her attention to detail and care and ensuring that I was happy with the result were shining factors. Kathryn helped me select the right outfit that would photograph well, made sure my hair and make-up were correct, and all the while cheerfully explained every move we were making to get that perfect shot. The final photo has depth, and conveyed my personality beautifully. The feedback I've received has been overwhelmingly positive. Highly recommend."

Tracy Shea-Porter, CEO and Co-Founder, Yes Unlimited

Final thought



As always, I'm here to help you plan and problem solve your next photo shoot, whether it’s where to shoot, what your options are, what to wear, etc. I look forward to seeing old clients again as we all navigate the new normal-for-now, and to meeting new ones! Let me know how I can help, or reach out and I'll let you know how I can help!

Thanks so much for reading! 

 

kathryn@hollinrake.com

hollinrake.com

January 2023 Newsletter

For those not on my e-mail list here is a copy of my January 2023 newsletter. Please e-mail me if you'd like to receive my (approximately) quarterly newsletter in your InBox. 

 

Happy New Year! Who is as excited as I am to have left 2022 behind?!

As we all know it is coming up on three years since everything slammed to a halt. While I have already had the pleasure of reconnecting with some people in person, others I look forward to seeing for the first time in a while, in 2023, now that business is back to sort of normal…

 

...Although, for many people the issue of where they'll be working -- in office or at home or both -- is still in flux. This continues to make in-office photo shoots more of a challenge to organize, although I'm thinking in some cases it may make reserving those busy, often previously booked up boardrooms a little easier. Here's hoping!

 

If you work in an office I am curious to know your circumstances and would love to hear from you.

Photographing dogs who help humans: the CAMH Therapy Dog Calendar

Above: Gracie

Our set

In the summer I was thrilled to get the chance to work once again with CAMH's therapy dog program on their annual calendar project. The calendars sold out quickly so hopefully next year's print run will be even bigger, raising more funds for a great cause and bringing more awareness to a fantastic program.   Before working with CAMH I had worked on many a dog photo shoot, but this job had its own particular challenges. By this stage, our fourth go around, we had established once and for all that we needed to shoot inside. This way we wouldn't be worrying about weather, or construction, or squirrels, or any other distractions. However, this year, we definitely wanted the dogs to look as if there were outside (as we did two years ago). So once again I donated a bit of extra time make this happen. Knowing from experience that it can be easier to have a dog stand on a platform to limit their wandering (as long as they are willing to get on it!) we first built a portable barn board table with folding legs. Once I did a preliminary scout for suitable locations I then returned with the table which I dragged around on a wheelie cart to photograph in situ. I didn't actually need the shots of the table; I needed the background behind and around it from a camera angle that would make sense when compositing in the shots of the dogs on the table. Preparing this way made the compositing much easier than it might have been. Yes, people looked at me weirdly. And hilarously, one little park denizen hopped up to eat its breakfast while I was shooting. It loved my table.

 

 

My little photo assistant/model

 

The shots worked out so well I added several of my favourites to my portfolio here: https://hollinrake.com/portfolios/dogs.

 

 

I still love authors!

Dahlia Lithwick's new book Lady Justice available everywhere!

In my previous newsletter I mentioned photographing this particular author prior to her book coming out in the fall. Now that it's out and I've got a copy I have the never-gets-old satisfaction of seeing my work in print while also getting to read a fascinating, informative and inspiring book I may never have known of (by someone I now know personally) had I not been given the opportunity to photograph her. (And holy cow what a nice inscription I found inside the jacket!) I can tell you now I've finished reading it...highly recommend.

As many readers will know I have photographed a number of authors over the years some of whose portraits you can see here.

I am just going to throw this out there: I used to be hired directly by publishers but these days more often than not authors are tasked with finding their own photographers, so if you know any authors or you are one, I'd love to help!

 

30+ Tips on how to prepare for and get the most out of your next professional portrait session

Back in the spring of 2022 I started posting on LinkedIn a weekly series of tips on how to prepare for and get the most out of your next professional portrait session. Over many years of portrait shoots I have seen so many things that compromise both the experience and the product, and that I figured might be easy to fix if people only knew. If you follow me on LinkedIn you may have seen them. I posted the (almost) final one of the series in December.  In case you missed them I plan to share some of my favourites in my newsletter going forward.

 

Update: I have now compiled the whole set of tips into an ebook downloadable here.

Today I am going to share the final ones, Tips #34 and #33 in reverse order, because these are really good ones to start with if you are responsible for organizing a shoot for yourself or for people you support.

Rough example of an ideal space to shoot

Tip #34 How much space do you need for a portrait shoot? Are you ever unsure about what kind of space a photographer needs to do a business portrait shoot? Here is a link to my recommendation (scroll all the way to the bottom of this very long post): http://khollinrakemakemepretty.blogspot.com/2022/04/30-tips-to-help-you-prepare-for-your.html

 

Tip #33 Pick up the phone.

Another important element is communication.

I know that many people responsible for planning (corporate) portrait photo shoots for others or for themselves have a lot on their plates, one small morsel of which may involve, on occasion, hiring a photographer. So I understand the desire for the process from the first outreach to receipt of final files to be simple, quick and painless. I also get that there can be a need for several reasons, to make sure everything is in writing and everyone on the communications team (if there is one) is in the loop and on the same page. This is easily accomplished by copying everyone on the e-mail that is sent after the initial conversation between the main point of contact and the photographer. 

 

What is there to discuss? Once again I'll direct the reader to my blog post to read my thoughts. Please see the link above, and again, scroll almost all the way to the bottom.

And very briefly, a shout out to the PIC (Professional Independent Communicators) special interest group of IABC Toronto (International Association of Business Communicators), of which I am a member, for mentioning my Tips series in the September issue of their monthly online magazine The Buzz . Thank-you PIC! Check it out!

 

 

One more calendar and a little bit of art

Every year for the past bunch of years I have produced a mini desk calendar with the help of my friends Martin Finesilver of Finesilver Design and Mark Smith (formerly of Finesilver) principal at Rhyme Design. It gives me an excuse once a year to play around and make some mini art with a small 'a'. I say mini, because anyone who gets my calendar knows it's a wee little thing measuring less than four inches per side. So the challenge is always to produce a set of six images that read well at this very small scale. This year's theme was wabi-sabi, which has been interpreted and explained in different ways by different people but which for me reflected the idea of the beauty in decay. Using specialized fibre optic macro lighting with macro focus enhancing and extending software I was able to capture sharply focused, precisely and dramatically lit images of small pieces of flora and foliage in a way that portrayed their decomposition as art. Don't ask me why I didn't do this before we went to print, maybe because the printed pictures were going to be so small, but later, I decided to add a subtle, distressed antique texture (from my archive) to some of them, which only enhanced their wabi-sabi-ness. These I uploaded to my website/portfolio at https://hollinrake.com/portfolios/still-lifes. Special Offer: To the first few readers who contact me, if you don't already have one I have a few remaining calendars so please let me know if you'd like one. I will send you one free of charge.

 

Yay Us! Testimonials

 

From another happy client as I wrapped up 2022:

"Thank-you for your amazing work...!"

And I don't recall who said these but in a binder I found a scrap of paper with notes I'd made so I wouldn't forget what people said after one particular shoot, so I thought I'd share:

"That was fun."

"That was painless."

"I have never looked so good."

"Can you follow me around every day and make me feel this good?"

"This is the best picture of me I have ever seen."

Final thought



As always, I'm here to help you plan and problem solve your next photo shoot, whether it’s where to shoot, what your options are, what to wear, etc. I look forward to seeing old clients again as the world gets back into gear, and to meeting new ones! Let me know how I can help, or reach out and I'll let you know how I can help!

Thanks so much for reading!

 

hollinrake.com

kathryn@hollinrake.com