CAREER PURSUIT 2021

EXPERT ADVICE - SELF-EMPLOYMENT 29 WHAT MAKES A GOOD PHOTO? First, let’s look at some bad examples. The following are all images of me* that I’m using to demonstrate why you wouldn’t want to use something similar for your own picture. How many things can you spot that are wrong with these? I’ve highlighted one issue for each to start you off. Clearly, these images aren’t employer ready, but the important take-away is that you should now be able to critique some of your own imagery more successfully. WHAT AREWE AIMING FOR? The image that you should be aiming for throughout this article is something like this. The subject is: • well lit • clearly identifiable • the only subject in the image • not wearing a hat or dark glasses • displaying a professional expression on their face Once you’ve perfected this part, I’ll offer you some ideas to explore so you can get more creative. These will help you stand out from the crowd. *To demonstrate this point I have scouredmy image library for relevant shots. By day, I’man adventure photographer and so most of the images you’ll see are in an outdoor setting. TOO CLOSE THE GROUP SHOT WRONG FACIAL EXPRESSION TOO FAR AWAY THE FAMILY PORTRAIT THE NIGHT-OUT PIC TOO DARK DISTRACTING BACKGROUND SUNGLASSES SHADOWON FACE BAD HAIR DAY WEARING A HAT At this point, why not try to take a selfie and see if you can improve it just by using what you’ve learnt so far?