Tips for a More Effective Headshot

You know the importance of having a great-looking headshot for your website, social media sites, branding and marketing efforts.  If you don’t already have an up-to-date headshot, it’s understandable you may feel a sense of urgency to get “something” out there so you can start using it for all these purposes.  And in the short term, that may be an acceptable compromise.

But don’t fall into the trap of allowing a less-than-fabulous headshot to linger on your LinkedIn profile!  If your headshot isn’t current, doesn’t look professional nor show you at your best, it’s time to change it.

Don’t make the mistake of settling for an up-against-a-white-wall shot that your friend took yesterday.  It may be current, but won’t look professional. Remember, this is a photo that potentially everyone who comes in contact with you will see.  That’s right…all those eyeballs are on YOU.  A professional, flattering, effective headshot is well worth the small investment.

How do ensure you get an effective, professional headshot?

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Maximize Your Event Photos for Future PR and Marketing Needs

We often talk to event planners who want quality photography for their events, but have trouble justifying the expense to their client or board.  Instead of investing in a professional photographer, they assume that assigning an associate to point-and-shoot will give them decent photos and save them money.  In some cases, this might be true.  But many planners haven’t recognized that professional event photos can serve more than one purpose, and can actually save the client money in the long run.

This point was proven yet again with an event we photographed recently for the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR).   Their savvy Director of Marketing and Communications, Erin Chen, called me about photography for their event at the New York Hilton, saying she wanted more than the typical “stand and smile” photos they usually get.  She was looking for artistic, emotionally evocative images they’d be able to use for marketing.

Erin explained that they’d wanted to use last year’s event photos on their website and in their printed materials, but the photos they’d gotten “were just too boring.”  She was looking for something more: shots of the room décor and guests engaging with each other, but incorporating interesting angles, close-ups of faces and expressions. Read the rest of this entry »

Onsite Photos Warm a Winter Day

One of the most rewarding aspects of our work here at 5th Avenue Digital is being involved in events that truly help local communities.  When I see a company that brilliantly merges their marketing efforts with positive social programs, using social media to promote them – well, I have to admit to being impressed and thrilled.  It’s rare to see all these elements come together so effectively.

The North Face, the well-known manufacturer of clothing for outdoor enthusiasts, is the latest company to thrill me with their blend of branding, event marketing and community outreach.  We were pleased and gratified to assist in one of these community events last Saturday, February 13th.

This special event was created and sponsored by Planet Explore, a new online community enabled by The North Face.  Planet Explore, dubbed “a portal to the outdoors,” helps individuals and families learn about and participate in outdoor activities and events in their area.  Planet Explore teamed up with the New York Restoration Project to produce the Winter Warm Up event in Swindler Cove Park, at the Northern tip of Manhattan.
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The Best of 2009 Photo Gallery

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How Major Corporations Use Branded Photography for Marketing

Today’s consumers are inundated with media messages.  We get bombarded from all sides with advertising, so much that we end up tuning out most of it.  This fact isn’t lost on corporations.  They are hungry for new ways to more directly connect with their customers.

These companies are learning that branded photography is an ideal way to create a personal, one-on-one connection with their customers.  And because the connection is created with a photograph, it’s personal, tangible and lasting.

So who’s doing this, and how?  Here’s a round-up of some recent events we’ve produced using branded photography for large corporations.

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Green Screen Photo Greatness

Lately, green screen photography has become more in-demand for events.  In taking on these projects we’ve found new ways to use green screen technology that yields big benefits for our clients.  Here’s a run-down of some of these innovations that may spark ideas for your events.

For St. Joseph’s Hospital gala at the Museum of Natural History, they wanted to break away from the usual “stand and smile” portrait photo, and offer something a little different.  Playing off the location, we created a green screen photography background using a photo of one of the dioramas at the museum. Read the rest of this entry »

How To Promote Your Brand Using Onsite Photography

Everyone has a brand, even if they don’t know it.  Your brand is Who You Are, your company name and all that stands behind it.  Some people mistake their logo for their brand.  Your logo is not your brand; it is a symbol of your brand.  But just as your face gives the world an initial idea of who you are, your logo conveys an initial impression of your company’s brand.

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Old Navy Modelquins & 5th Avenue Digital Hit the Streets

Old Navy Amplifies Advertising with Street Events

You may have seen Old Navy’s recent ad campaign using mannequins who “talk” to each other about their new spring fashions.  The spots stand out for their offbeat humor that plays off the mannequins being…well, not human.  To reinforce their new ad campaign with consumers, Old Navy has taken this concept to the streets of New York.

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Sudler and Hennessey and Fifth Avenue Digital team up at the Unity Walk for Parkinson’s

Every April, Central Park hosts the Unity Walk, benefiting people afflicted with Parkinson’s disease.

Sudler & Hennessey, one of the nation’s premier pharmaceutical advertising agencies, was recently asked by their client Mirapex, a Parkinson’s disease medication, to create an engaging promotional activity for their tent at the walk.  S&H’s main goals were increasing the event’s ROI and generating positive PR for their client’s target market.

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Photography as Entertainment provides a WOW factor at W Hotel’s Grand Opening in Hoboken!

Hoboken went hip last week, with the grand opening of the new W Hotel.  Produced by Relevent, the event had all the hallmarks of a Hollywood premier.  Fifth Avenue Digital played a pivotal role, first as quasi-paparazzi, shooting celebs and other guests as they entered the event.  We then digitally enhanced the images by applying unusual transitions, black-and-white inverses, color overlays and other wild effects, and projected the altered images on a large wall in the cathedral-ceilinged lounge area.

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