If a picture is worth 1,000 words, make sure yours counts.
One of the best ways to draw someone into your page is with a great photo. Your photo should show off your personality and ideally gives someone a snapshot of who you are, or even what you stand for.
We’ve rounded up our top 3 photo tips for a photo that stands out and draws people into your story.
A powerful photo shows personality, comfort and confidence.
With these 5 tips, you’ll be well on your way to achieving all 3.
1 – Be deliberate.
Although most great photos convey an air of spontaneity, it’s important to schedule a photo session and think critically about photo logistics. Make sure you plan your shoot when you can get great light. If you want your photo outside, consider taking a photo in the early morning hours around sunrise and at the magical hour before sunset. Besides timing, you’ll also want to determine how you want your face framed. For your about.me page, a horizontal photo works best with your face off-center.
This week, we celebrate our mothers.
A mother’s influence can be instrumental in shaping who we are and how we view the world. At about.me, we believe your page is a reflection of both.
In honor of Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10, we’re announcing a week long Mother’s Day Photo celebration. The celebration is simple: upload an image of you and your mother to your about.me page. Then, take a screenshot your page and share it with us on Twitter with the hashtag #aboutmemoms. We will share our favorites next Friday May 8, and feature pages on our blog.
Last week we gave you 3 tips to make your page look great. This week we’re delving into our first tip there about Background photos.
While all the other components of your page are important, an excellent Background photo is the foundation for a great page.
So we recommend a photo that is:
In many of our previous tips posts, we’ve talked about why you should have a picture of yourself as the Background Photo of your about.me page. Now, with Intro app, there’s a brand new reason to have your face on your page. But first, here’s a brief refresher of the top 3 reasons we’ve cited in the past.
1) A picture on your page allows you to put your best foot forward and show the world who you are both personally and professionally.
2) People are more likely to click on your page if they see a picture of a person (as opposed to a landscape shot) while browsing about.me.
3) Your page looks its best and is more likely to be Featured or chosen for Staff Picks or Follow Friday (#FFaboutme).
The past few Tuesdays, we’ve been hearing from our friend Patrick Ewers (@PatrickEwers) of Mindmavin on careers and networking. Last week’s post was on online reputation management.
A Quick Refresher on Likeability and Common Ground
In my last blog, I talked about some basic concepts around Online Reputation Management.
Not everyone has access to a camera or a photographer, but one in five people around the world now have a smartphone (crazy, right?!). While some of the most beautiful about.me pages have high resolution photos, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to visually tell your story with just a smartphone. Here are steps to taking a great shot with your phone to use as your about.me background.
(1) Consider composition. Turn your phone horizontally, and take a photo with you on either the far left or far right. If you’d like to get technical, follow the “rule of thirds.” Composing shots this way is a standard practice of many professional photographers and also a good way to leave space for your biography section on about.me. You don’t want anything to block that beautiful body or face of yours, do you?
(2) Choose your landscape wisely. Try to find a unique spot to take your photo. Red brick, graffiti, white walls, city skylines, and beaches are examples of ideal places to take a photo. This photo was taken in front of a house, so don’t worry if you can’t hop on the highest rooftop in your city.
(3) Use photo filters. Take advantage of smartphone apps like VSCO, and play with different filters to add some artistic spice.
BONUS: Above all else, be yourself and don’t be afraid to show your personality!
