Friday, August 31, 2007

Your Picture as Your Image

A picture taken by a professional photographer may cost $100 and an hour of time, ensuring a professional image. After all, a professional picture will be needed for brochures when you're the speaker, in print magazines next to articles you author, web presence for your association or other boards serving on, and more. A sizable number of association executives who likely hate having their picture taken have used passport/discount photos, quickly-snapped digital pictures, or cropped family photos (that even show other people's shoulders) for professional purposes. There's an expression "your picture is your image" ...

But times are changing ... Participants on social networking sites seem to embrace more interesting pictures, and teenagers may change their images hourly on their personal sites. With nearly universal expansion of camera phones and digital cameras we're all more documented than ever before. Pictures can show daily moods. What used to be pictures reflecting low-effort are now that way on purpose - and replacing the standard suit and backdrop pic. They can be friendlier and more reflective. As example, here are two pictures of a colleague/friend who now uses a digital picture her staff took instead of the one taken professionally. She looks great in both -- but there really is a difference.
One is more reflective of the times, and her.

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