Posts tagged maine commercial photographer

Visual trends of 2023: Reality and virtual reality

March 21, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Education, Marketing

It seems like 2023 has just started, and already visual arts world is evolving at a blistering pace. Whether through impactful imagery or storytelling video, content marketers have to work hard to stay ahead of the curve.

At a time of low institutional trust and with the rise of ai tools, authenticity is critical when it comes to visual content. According to a report from Adweek, audiences now crave genuine and relatable imagery that reflects real-life experiences rather than highly curated and polished content. Photographer Annie Leibovitz famously said, “A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people.” This quote epitomizes the importance of capturing raw emotions and connections in today’s visual content.

Another significant trend is the growing demand for immersive experiences. In a recent article from Forbes, virtual and augmented reality technologies are increasingly being used to create visually engaging content. Content marketers should focus on incorporating these cutting-edge technologies into their visual strategy to stay ahead of the curve and provide memorable and immersive experiences for their audiences.

Sustainability is also trending with the visual arts, with both photographers and videographers incorporating eco-friendly practices into their work. This trend reflects a growing global awareness of environmental issues and the desire to create visual content that respects the planet. Content marketers can leverage this trend by showcasing brands’ sustainable efforts through visually compelling narratives and engaging storytelling techniques.

Lastly, the trend of minimalism and simplicity, also referred to as ‘antibranding‘ is growing. As consumers are bombarded with content daily, the power of striking, minimalistic visuals has become even more apparent. By focusing on clear, concise messaging with strong visuals, content marketers can make a lasting impression on their target audience.

Content marketers should keep a close eye on these visual trends of 2023 to ensure their photography and video content remains relevant and appealing. By embracing authenticity, leveraging immersive technologies, promoting sustainability, and capitalizing on minimalism, they will be better positioned to capture their audience’s attention and drive meaningful engagement.

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Get Real: It’s about people, not brands

March 14, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Industrial, Mainers at Work, Marketing

Industrial Recycling Worker

The biggest trend in 2022 seems to be the embrace of artificial intelligence (A.I.) tools like ChatGPT, Jasper and MidJourney by content marketers. In an age of deepfake videos and faked resumes, trust is the only thing in short supply.

That’s why authenticity matters more than ever when it comes to social media and content marketing. Winning brands take a people-first approach and who create meaningful connections with their customers and audiences.

What does authenticity mean? It means creating content that reflects your values and tells a story about your brand that resonates, cultivates relationships and fosters loyalty. It means creating visual content that features your real customers, team or audience, rather than opting for stock imagery. After all, people follow people, not brands. Authenticity entails communicating your brand values and cultivating your brand’s unique voice. It also may include user-generated content and collaboration with influencers who can help you tell your story in authentic ways. Here are a few ways brands might choose to be more authentic and transparent:

Lift the curtain: Show what it looks like behind the brand: your process, your culture, your successes and, sometimes, your misses.
Tell stories about real people and the impact they and you have had on the world.
Use short-form video to cut through the noise and provide answers to customer questions, provide useful information or to educate and inform.
Leverage user generated content (but only if allowed, and always give credit).

In a time when people are extremely wary of marketing that is ‘business as usual’, the trend is towards authenticity, engagement and connection. If you want to create impactful, authentic content that will connect with your clients, we’d love to help.

Image libraries keep social media content flowing

March 7, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Marketing

*Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.* *© Brian Fitzgerald*

If you’re a marketer and have responsibility for your brand’s image, having enough good content can be an issue.

It’s not just the amount of content, but the variety: blogs, articles, white papers, graphics, images, video. Coming up with consistent, on-point social content is a huge lift and often a thankless task.

You might put out slick, professionally-produced content. Or, you might be utilizing smartphone images and video produced on the fly by your team and/or your clients and users.

Both types of custom content can have a place in your social media strategy.

I’m often asked to create image and video libraries for companies who need a large amount of content with a consistent look and message. Supplemented often by content produced by their own marketing team, the result is an ongoing stream of sharable content. Voila—Instant Content Superheroes.

With a little planning, these targeted shoots can be efficient, cost-effective and done in a very strategic way to capitalize on different seasons of the year or business cycle.

Having a balance of polished, high-value content as well as social media-focused content will keep your audience engaged and will help you be successful at actually maininting the consistency needed to grow your audience.

Have questions about how to make this happen for you and your business? We build custom plans for our client partners and would be glad to discuss whether we’d be a good fit for yours.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Showcase: York County Community College

February 28, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Client Work, Editorial, On Location, Showcase

YVCC — *York County Community College, © Brian Fitzgerald*

Over the past few years, I’ve worked with the Maine Community College System (MCCS) to highlight the workforce training programs at their seven campuses across Maine. These programs are designed and targeted to the needs of employers in Maine and are often a pipeline directly to well-paying professional jobs immediately upon graduation. Programs are diverse, ranging from nursing and culinary arts to project management and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The list is endless and always changing to adapt to the needs of the state’s employers.

We highlighted a few of the workforce development programs at York County Community College last year and tried to also capture some of the sense of community and connection between students and their faculty. It was a great opportunity to tell a story about a Maine institution that offers such incredible value to the community.

*York County Community College, © Brian Fitzgerald*

Leave Room for the Muse

February 21, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Creativity, Personal

Maine Brewer — *Behind the scenes,Peter Bissell, Bissell Brothers Brewing, Portland, Maine. © Brian Fitzgerald.*

When I hire a skilled professional—like the folks who installed my bathtub last year (really sorry about the non-code stuff you found and then had to correct), I like being able to trust that they know what they are doing and can be left to execute the vision as they best see fit. My role generally consists of leaving the room or my house entirely and then showing up hours or days later for the big reveal.

The hands-off, “pro knows all” approach is one that some of my clients take when hiring me, and it works very well for certain types of projects where the outcomes are very clear and precise. But my favorite type of work tends to be more collaborative and made better through creative give-and-take during the process rather than just beforehand (Good examples are my editorial coverage of Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ campaign and the Fish + Game Changers project for the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries).

It’s fun working with agencies, who might have art director types who work closely with me to ensure the vision is evolving in the right direction. Evolving is the operative word here, because almost every remarkable project I’ve worked on has become that way because the creative partners—the client, the art director, and me, the photographer—are willing to start with the vision and then go where it naturally takes us. You have to be open to creative influence, or as author Steven Pressfield might note, you have to leave room for the Muse to do its work. Flexibility and creative collaboration are sure ways to elevate the final results of any photo or video shoot. Rigid, blinders-on thinking are sure ways to kill the creative magic.

2023 in 2023

February 14, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Personal, Travel

Maine Hike, © Brian Fitzgerald

My usual approach to annual goal setting involves a week in December carefully outlining each one in detail . Later I appreciate their thoroughness even as I find them, forgotten and largely unacheived, when cleaning out my desk drawers in late November.

This year I decided I’d try fewer goals with less moving parts: challenging, but best of all, easy to remember (and stick to). Then I identified one linchpin goal that in one way or another serves as a catalyst to getting other priorities done.

This year, it’s health: to be specific, being more active. To be even more specific: walking or hiking 2023 miles by the end of 2023. That’s an average of over 5.5 miles every day of the year, come rain, snow, ice or heat, often carrying a weighted pack. Easy. Right?

There’s a method to the madness. Next year (summer, 2024) I’m planning a weeklong backpacking trip to Iceland with friends. The hikes aren’t technical or steep but I do need to be able to lug a heavy pack and food for five days of hiking. Being in good shape means the trip won’t feel like slow torture.

I’m already past the 250 mile mark, on track so far. A few things are clear already: I feel better when I spend more time outdoors. I’ve observed things when walking streets I never did when traveling those same neighborhoods at car speeds (sometimes not great things, but always interesting). And I can get to the water’s edge at Portland’s East End beach from my downtown studio in 15 minutes (faster if I push a bit).

With that, it’s time to hit the bricks. What’s your linchpin goal in 20H23?

Capturing Moments

February 7, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Editorial, Portraits

Photography is synonymous with light. In Greek, the word literally means to draw with light. No light, no photography.

But what truly elevates photography to a higher form of art is something else. If video and film are all about assembling a story, where all the parts contribute to the narrative, the still image is all about capturing a singular moment in time.

Of the thousands of images you’ve seen or created in your lifetime, which stand out as special? It’s likely those that capture an authentic, remarkable moment. Moments can be a shared interaction or a fleeting expression. Sometimes dramatic, sometimes subtle, their impact is immediate and profound. Moments connect with viewers and pull them in.

The legendary photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson called what he sought to capture as the Decisive Moment. Another way to say it: Don’t take photos. Capture moments instead.

Let your backgrounds tell the story

January 31, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Education, Marketing, Tips

Portland, Maine Bartender — *Andrew Volk, co-owner of Portland, Maine’s Hunt & Alpine Club © Brian Fitzgerald*

When it comes to portraits: choosing the proper background environment is as important (and sometimes, more so) than the subject themselves.

Your backgrounds give clues, both subtle and overt, and add contextual information that gives portraits mood and depth. They help to tell a more complete story about your subject. In short, a well-executed background can do some heavy lifting when it comes to conveying information and emotion.

Think about your background environments as deeply as you do your primary subjects. Give that background your attention—with purposeful lighting, frame composition and styling—and let it do the hard work of storytelling for you.

Want Headshots and Portraits for your Brand? Consider This.

September 1, 2021 0 Comments read Blog, Education, Marketing, Shop Talk

Headshot treatment for Ecommerce marketing agency iBec Creative: bringing personality to the standard head-and-shoulder portrait.

You’ve long suspected that your company’s staff portraits are in need of updating (Ted’s skinny tie has gone in and out of fashion since his portrait was taken. Twice). Your biggest competitors on LinkedIn, have amazing portraits (is that a tiger in the backround?) and between the shame and the frustration, you’re determined to hire a photographer, now.

Hold on just a second.

If you’ve waited this long, it’s worth pausing a moment to reflect. ‘Everyone else is doing it’ is not a good enough reason. A well-done portrait is an investment in time and money. Chances are you’ll be using those portraits for years (or until Ted’s tie goes in and out of style one more time). So it’s worth considering what your goals are.

When to get new headshots

The single most important question to ask when contemplating a new headshot project is, simply, ‘are my current portraits working for me?’ Your brand portraits aren’t just a nice-to-have. As a business tool you should expect them to do some heavy lifting representing your brand to potential clients, around the clock. Your portrait, in effect, should work harder than you do. If your existing portraits are obviously outdated, are wildly inconsistent, or just have a style that doesn’t fit your brand (cool ‘tech’ style portraits wouldn’t inspire confidence if used for the staff of a venerable investment bank, but they may be a good fit for an online banking startup that offers services exclusively through mobile apps) then your portraits are actually working against you.

Branding Portraits

What makes a ‘good’ headshot

Your company portraits must be consistent in style and professionally executed in terms of lighting, of course. They also need to be purposefully thought out so that they reflect your industry and your brand in particular.

A professional photographer can help come up with appropriate and creative looks for your brand.

It’s true, a great portrait can help your brand communicate the message you want to your audience. But poorly-done and poorly-conceived portraits will absolutely hurt your brand.

What makes your headshots successful

Beyond hiring a professional photographer you ‘click’ with and who understands your brand, you need to have buy-in within your company. Everyone needs to be on board. Don’t attempt a headshot redo unless you can count on everyone to participate. Give yourself adequate time to do the portraits right—a two-minute assembly line approach will result in headshots, but they won’t be anything special. Set the tone that these portraits are a critically important component of your company’s image that you are invested in doing right. For many employees, having their portraits taken is a challenging or even downright scary proposition. Communicating why youre have them done, and giving them plenty of time to prepare, tells them that you care about their experience and want the best results.

Formal headshot vs. Environmental portraits

Formal headshots—i.e., a more typical head-and-shoulders portrait with a backdrop—is a traditional approach that still has its place. They are especially useful on platforms like LinkedIn, where seeing the person’s face (and not getting distracted by a background) can make them stand out.

Environmental portraits are those that are typically done in a way as to show elements of an office or other location in the background as a way of conveying contextual information or a certain mood. They may appear more visually interesting and can look less ‘formal’ and thus more approachable than a more formal headshot portrait.

Your photographer should work with you to suggest the best approach for your brand. Sometimes my clients will opt for both, so they have options that may work best for different uses.

In the end, portraits are a necessary part of doing business in an internet-connected world. Approach them as an opportunity to extend your brand and send a consistent message, and you’ll find the investment is a solid one.

Fitzgerald Photo: new look, new work

May 18, 2021 0 Comments read Blog, Showcase, Video

female lobsterman

I’m proud and excited to relaunch the Fitzgerald Photo website with a brand-new look and lots of new work, including commercial video production.

Primarily, I’m a portrait photographer who is known for producing impactful work on location. With my photojournalism background I consider more of a storyteller—whether conveyed through environmental portraiture or in the form of a multiple-image photo essay.

On the website I’m introducing video work for the first time. I decided to add motion because of the unique storytelling aspects that motion imparts to my work. The still image is incredibly powerful, but sometimes stories are best told in sequences with motion and audio. It’s yet another set of tools that can help me to tell more impactful, powerful stories for my clients.

Stay tuned for more motion projects, and new work from Fitzgerald Photo.

Not sure how to incorporate video into your content marketing? Contact Fitzgerald Photo. We can help!