This past weekend, I was lucky enough to sit in with Cornell McGhee. He was teaching various lighting styles and you can never know enough about lighting in photography. (Did you know that "photography" translates to "writing with light?")

Anyway, one of our models was young Emma and she's an aspiring model. This low key background is a great contrast to her white dress and hat and makes a great before and after comparison. The first image is a bit cool and lots of empty space that doesn't compliment her portrait. It is "straight out of camera" which is typically what you get with a photographer who simply photographs and turns over digital files.

Now the second image is obviously cropped in and her eyes fall in a position to grab the viewer's eyes. Her skin tones have been made slightly warmer and some contrast added to grab attention. It makes for a more compelling portrait and may grab her more auditions in the future.

Now we're not all models or actors, but these same ideas go into professional portraits, branding, and media imagery. Are your portraits compelling to your audience? If not, let's chat to see how I can be of service to you.