creating an image for yourself on the web

The primary observation I've made when surfing blogs and websites is describable by that silly saying, "Everyone is unique, just like you." I read the adjectives people are using to describe their style and their products and while a few years ago, creative, photojournalism and documentary were the hip descriptors, the current buzzwords are: real classic elegant timeless unique fresh sweet artistic casual natural lifestyle connections

So, if everybody's claiming to be doing classic, elegant, timeless, unique, fresh, sweet, artistic, casual, natural, lifestyle, connections, then how do you REALLY set yourself apart from the pack when people are going to be looking at your website online, or viewing your business card?

The whole idea of selling YOU as a photographer, and your presence at a wedding as a photographer, means you have to come up with more adjectives. So now we see words like fun, relaxed, unposed, blah blah blah. But of course, you telling me that you are all these things doesn't really show much of your personality, unless you're personality is really as dry as saying that.

So. There are two parts to your portfolio: your mad photography skills and YOU. Since your first point of contact is going to be your website, if you really want to stand out, you need to give people a flavour instead of just feeding words to potential clients that will supposedly describe your photos and your personality.

As far as the pictures go, if you want people to see you're a fun photographer, put up pictures of your clients doing something fun, not sitting in a tree with stiff smiles plastered on their faces. If you want people to see you're a classic and timeless photographer, put up the best possible examples of your classic and timeless photos, not a picture of the neighbour's dog licking himself. If don't really know what to describe your style, put up an eclectic mix of pictures you happen to like and pray to God someone likes them.

Then you have to sell yourself, and here's where your words become more important than the adjectives you'd use to describe your images. It isn't really what you say, but how you say it, that will truly illustrate to your clientele what it is you're out to accomplish as a photographer. Read the following:

"Hi, I'm So-and-So, and I'm great to hang around with. We're going to have a great time doing informal and fun family portraits."

"Sometimes I like to paint children with mud then put them in trees to take pictures of them. For the bargain basement price of their dignity, you can enjoy the pictures for years to come."

Which do you think really illustrates personality better? Which version makes So-and-So sound like he or she is fun to spend time with? Which version is going to attract the kind of clients that person actually want to spend a day with?

Next, find some common ground. Spend some time sharing a bit about yourself so your clients know whether they are going to connect or not. Again:

"I have two children and have studied photography informally for ten years, I have a great sense of humour, and I love what I do."

"My kids used to drive me nuts, but when I got my first camera ten years ago I started driving them nuts instead. I freakin' LOVE this job."

And:

"I'm easy-going, but still value the the finer things in life, and will strive to provide coverage of all the details of your day."

"I am a sucker for a pair of Louboutin's and really marvel at all the planning that goes into a wedding from the Swarovski gems on the groom's cufflinks to the bamboo centre pieces, but I should probably warn you that if there's someone famous at your wedding I'll probably take a break from all the details to get an autograph..."

When you're doing up a business card, though, obviously you will need to condense the number of words you're going to use, which is where it can get tricky. If you're self-described as a classic, elegant, timeless, unique, fresh, sweet, artistic, casual, natural, lifestyle, connections photographer, your best friend might just be the thesaurus. And if the best words for what you do really are fun, fresh and connected, isn't calling yourself an amusing ripe and juicy human fusion photographer the same thing, only catchier?

My two bits.