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Interview with headshot photographer Bruno Kongawoin

1/28/2015

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These days, with the internet in general (and social media in particular!) being so dominant in people's personal and professional lives, it's more important than ever to present a good image to the world. One of the ways to do this is by including a good quality headshot in your online profiles. There are several local businesses that specialize in photography like this including Lightbent Images & Photography. Owner and operator Bruno Kongawoin kindly responded to my questions about what is involved in offering this kind of service to people in Perth.

Matt: Thanks for responding to my questions ... Firstly, please tell me a bit about your business including aspects like its history, your qualifications, and why you choose this field.

Bruno: Lightbent Images and Photography is still relatively in its infancy because I recently relocated from the UK back to Australia. In the last 2 years while in the United Kingdom I mainly worked as a freelance photographer, which I also did previously while in Jakarta (Indonesia). I am a corporate accountant by profession making the transition to being a full time photographer as a lifestyle change. 

Photography has always been part of my leisure activities since my high school days but the joy of doing street portraits in the Kampung and traditional markets in and around Jakarta (Indonesia) 6 years ago, stirred in me this need to photograph every day. While in Jakarta I would give myself a 15 minute challenge to photograph anything and render it meaningful to the viewer. 

That anything turned out to be the locals, street vendors, labourers, taxi drivers and basically anyone I came across. I practised often and learned the bells and whistles on my new digital camera by photographing people on the street.

After my family and I relocated from Jakarta to London in 2012, I continued with my daily practice of a 15 minute challenge creating anything photographically meaningful or interesting. I also maintained my street photography exercise in London.
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My work at the time started started to get some positive reactions from people who came across it which lead to some references for freelance assignments that continued until I returned to Perth 5 months ago.

As for my photography qualifications? I sought out photographers and instructors I admired most like Dutch lighting master Frank Doorhoof. I went to his studio in his home town of Emmeloord in the Netherlands to have some one on one sessions with him regarding photography, lighting and more. Those days with Frank Doorhof consolidated everything I knew about lighting and steered me towards being more creative with it. He still provides me with guidance, suggestions and recommendations whenever I need some. Though I did not do apprentice training with Frank, I credit him with 90% of what I know now regarding photography lighting.

I also travelled up to Liverpool to spend a weekend with another professional, the beauty, fashion and fine art photographer Bruce Smith. Photography nowadays goes hand in hand with photo editing, so I sought out the Canadian photographer and high end retoucher Michael Woloszynowicz for some private sessions. With the knowledge acquired from all of these leading instructors in their field of expertise compounded with my years of photography and many workshops and seminars I felt that a profession change was in order for me.

While I was pursuing full time photography in London, my wife was offered a position back here in Perth. We decided to return to this city for the lifestyle and to be close to the grandparents for our 4 year old. I also packed in my accounting profession to pursue my passion of photography on a full time basis. 

Matt: You specialize in headshots. Entertainment and media professions come first to mind (eg actors, singers, comics, models, broadcasters, etc). Which of these specific professions gives you most work and why?

Bruno: Since arriving in Perth and establishing a presence the work is sparse but I am getting references from other photographers to be a second shooter for them for wedding ceremonies and to attend to some of their corporate headshot sessions when they have extra bookings on their busy days.

Yes, I am a specialist in headshots and I am also in the process of creating a new body of work (cinematic headshot products). My cinematic headshot is designed for any use at all -- not only the film and acting industry. Currently, however, I am targeting actors since they can make the connection with the camera more readily than most in the corporate environment. However, business people are my ultimate clientele and a lot of effort is being dedicated to create an appealing and different product for that group.

Matt: How do you get most clients for headshots? Personal referrals, online, offline? 

Bruno: Currently all work I get come from personal referrals or my daily routine. There has not been any online contact yet as I am still building up my website and it will be a while before it can start appearing in Google searches. Currently my daily routine consists of giving out at least 10 business cards to people I encounter during my day and following up on contacts I have made days or weeks before. So there is still more ground to cover.

Matt: There seem to be more and more films and TV programs being made in Perth. Has this affected your business? If so, to what extent?

Bruno: I have been contacted by many aspiring actors in the last couple of months because they have seen my work. But as yet I have been unable to secure an appointment with a local casting or film director to discuss what they require to help me create looks with my cinematic style that would appeal to the local industry. As people are usually resistant to anything new, I must keep creating the work to convince the market that my cinematic headshot style is something they really need to have in their portfolio. 

Matt: Are you  in a saturated niche here in Perth or is there enough work for everyone? 

Bruno: I don't think so. I believe that there is a big pie out there that everyone can have their share of if they can find their own place at the table. Last weekend I was the second shooter for another photographer at a big wedding of two sisters. Another photographer recommended me to help out his mate because he himself was not able to do so. Whatever niche there may be, I do believe if one is good at doing what he knows how to do and can provide his clients with good products and services then the fear of being in a saturated environment will be non existent to his business.

Matt: I'd imagine that creating a good headshot is challenging. It's not all down to you, after all. The subject has to deliver the goods too! Does it often happen that the person you're photographing doesn't give you anything to work with. If so, how do you overcome this? 

Bruno: Certainly, it is more challenging than we think, however it doesn't have to be so. In the age of selfies, people tend to be more relaxed and readily activate the appropriate facial muscles to express what they are feeling at the time. However, most of us, once sitting or standing in front of a camera, tend to freeze -- like subjects did for the long exposure of years gone by. It seems to be inherent in our generation to still think that we don't have to move a muscle while in front of the camera! 

Before the digital age, photographers used to be limited to how many exposures they had in the camera. And in order to have enough light to get through the lens onto the film to create an image, they had to have the camera on a tripod to avoid what is called a camera shake and asked the subject to remain as still as possible to avoid motion blur. So being facially expressive used to be a challenge, because the subject had to hold still for many seconds or minutes at a time. Fast forward to now with the way we have our passport photos taken, where any type of facial expression is deemed to be unacceptable, and people seem to think that all headshots are to be created under the same restrictions!

Certain types of headshots require a certain photographic lighting pattern, backgrounds and a studio to shoot in. Then the photographer must have so many light modifiers to do the job ... To overcome this, I have developed a way to shoot a headshot or any portrait by creating the same studio lighting patterns on any locations and at any time of day. Only the wind can stop me carrying out my normal way of doing this on location. For example, the self portrait (included above) was created from my driveway with the background of the street leading to my house.
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Under a time constraint situation like doing a corporate shoot for many people in which an allocated amount of time is set for each person, it's just a matter of taking a good mugshot if the person is not comfortable being in front of the camera. But thus far in my experience most people seem to be responsive to a little bit of direction here and there.

Matt: How do you approach a shoot? Do you tend towards taking heaps of shots and choosing the best ... or prefer to set it all up perfectly and get The One? Or maybe you use different approaches with different people ...

Bruno: I do not have a set pattern for how I conduct my actual sessions. My interaction prior to the shoot dictates how things will transpire. During this communication via email, text messages and phone calls, I do my best to make the subject excited, comfortable and look forward to the shoot. I can only achieve that by projecting this emotion myself. The old adage ''monkey see, monkey do'' is true. My individual personality is my biggest asset when it comes to making my clients feel at ease and feel good about themselves and the shoot.

I tend to take less shots when my sessions are difficult because the client is not comfortable in front the camera. As such I must construct and manufacture the shots in order not to prolong that discomfort in my client which may invariably encourage them in the future to trust a photographer other than myself.

However, I do take a lot more pictures if my client is having fun being in front of the camera -- even though they may need only a handful of shots. These fun sessions are the ones I enjoy the most and I do challenge myself by attempting to create something different and unique for my client to remember our session. In short, my approach is to get my client's trust, make them forget about photography and ensure the session is fun -- especially when it is their first time or if they are usually uncomfortable being put on display like that.
Post by Lightbent Images & Photography.
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Facebook's local marketing potential often not realized

1/24/2015

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I've been looking at Facebook increasingly for the purpose of local marketing. So lately, I've been liking many Facebook pages for Perth businesses. Some have built up huge communities that are very engaged and going gangbusters, of course. Then there are some that have very little content up there and next to no fans. They clearly created these pages long ago and gave up on them soon after. 

There's another group, however. They've been going for a while, but only update occasionally. Yet they often have good numbers of fans, many of whom who have liked and commented positively on what they have shared. Surprisingly, the page owners hardly respond at all to this feedback. (And these are not pages that appear to have bought page likes, by the way. Their fans do seem genuine!)

I find it interesting that they have such big networks, with so little activity. I think this is due to the fact that they are well established local businesses that deliver quality products and services that their customers sincerely appreciate. They've probably got signs up in their stores saying "Please like us on Facebook!" and so their satisfied customers happily oblige.

They give the very strong impression that they don't really realize what a useful marketing tool they have in the social network. After all, if someone has liked their page, it usually means they, er, really do like it. They want to be connected to the business and remain updated about its goings on. So if you've already racked up, say, a few hundred of these without really trying, that's no mean feat! Imagine how much reach you could achieve if you really tried.

The fact that so many local page owners don't try is a pity, and I often wonder why this situation is so common. I think it gets back to the disconnect so many people have when it comes to online marketing. When they look at a computer screen showing their Facebook page dashboard, they often don't truly twig that it is a window to countless other individual humans.

If more business owners fully comprehended this they'd get much more proactive about their online marketing. They'd learn as much as they could about it themselves and be much less likely to outsource. Not only would they save money this way, they'd often do a much better job!
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Good Facebook groups for Perth businesses

1/20/2015

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As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the best ways of getting on the radar of Perth people is to get involved in locally oriented Facebook groups for businesses. There are quite a few of them, and they seem to be very active. 

Not only can you get some good exposure in these -- and ultimately draw more quality likes to you page -- but they're a great way to find other local pages as well. If you can like some of these as your page and then interact with them in a sincere, non-spammy way you'll lift your profile even more.

So, here's a list of the groups. (Not absolutely all of them, of course. But certainly enough to keep you busy!)

Small Businesses Located Around Perth
Promote My Business -- Perth
Perth Small Business Listings
Perth Business Directory
Perth Local Business Promotions
Western Australia Advertising Group for Western Australian Businesses Only 
Western Australia Small Business Network
Post Your Ads -- Perth WA
Perth Southern Suburbs Buy Sell Commercial
Business Pages Support Group (Perth Only)
Secret Harbour Small Business and Services
Joondalup and Surrounds Home Based Business Group
Free Ads Perth
Northern Suburbs of Perth Businesses
Business Advertising -- Perth, Rockingham-Mandurah
Business Owners Perth ... Health, Organic, Fitness, Beauty, Photography
Buy/Sell/Swap WA -- Business
Advertise Your Business Perth
Perth Small Business
Perth Business Group
Perth's Home and Small Businesses
Perth Business
Small Business Owners -- Perth, Western Australia 

There are numerous Australia-wide ones as well that you may want to post to also. Here are a few. 

Business Network in Australia
Australia Wide Home and Small Businesses
Australian Small Business Website Link Exchange
Australian Business Group
Australia Business Group
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Local Facebook marketing tip: join business groups

1/17/2015

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Facebook is great for local marketing. If you have a page, one of the best ways of getting it in front of Perth people is to advertise it in local business groups. Now, unlike with the Google Plus communities, you can't actually join these as your business page. You can only do so when logged into your personal profile.

Some may see that as a drawback if they want to keep their personal profile totally separate from marketing activities. Still, you can't have everything ...

If this aspect of them doesn't bother you, you can turn it to your advantage. That's because you can make lots of personal connections with other local Facebook users. Once you've done that and built up a bit of rapport and trust with them, you can then suggest that they like other pages you have. Given that they know you already, they're much more likely to like them also as a result.

You can find locally oriented Facebook groups by using the search function. Just use keywords like "Perth business" and some will come up. When you've joined a few of these, Facebook will start suggesting others anyway.

Some of these groups are a bit spammy of course. But a lot of them are not, and have lots of engaged local members.

As with all groups and communities on social media, the key is to keep returning and engage thoughtfully and sincerely. Not only will people get to know you, they'll get a sense of who you are as well. So, the more you do this, the more likely you are to get people looking at and liking the Facebook page you are promoting -- as well as your website if you choose to include the URL in your posts.
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Why businesses resist using social media

1/15/2015

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There's no doubt that these days if you're in business and not utilizing social media in your marketing, you're missing out on potential sales. So it's definitely a good idea to get into it and get moving -- the sooner the better. Still, there are many people who are putting this step off. Basically, they fear doing so -- and for several reasons.

One common cause of their reluctance to embrace social media is the belief that because it involves computers it's primarily a technical process, and that you have to be a tech-head to get into it. But this is just not true. If you can write an e-mail then you've got all that you need to get going on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. Sure, there are a lot more things you can do with technical know how. But you certainly don't have to be any kind of a geek to get going.

Even if they don't have this misconception about it being overly technical, I think a lot of people fear it simply because it's new and somewhat mysterious. So they assume that if you are to market something on it you'll need a whole new skill set; that you have to be an expert in its use. But the truth is that you don't need to be an expert in social media marketing to get going and get some benefit. You just need to be an expert in what you do. And if you are in business, dealing with problems and challenges in the field day in and day out, odds are that you are exactly that. And what you need to do is show (as opposed to tell) other people this on those social networks. You do this by connecting with others in your niche and sharing good useful info with them -- without going the hard sell.

Remember, it's called social media for a reason. The whole point of it is to enable people to socialize around a common interest. Ironically, even when people fully comprehend this, some of them think it's this very factor that is what makes it not worth pursuing. This is because they think that business should be business-like. They believe that you don't want to draw your personality into things too much. So when they get on these platforms they go into a kind of corporate mode and immediately start talking business (that is, offering or suggesting their services). This almost invariably doesn't work and so they decide it's not for them.

The trick is in being yourself, while being mindful of your business goals. You're an individual seeking to make genuine friendly connections with other individuals in the same field. If you do this a whole bunch of good things can then develop. They might eventually buy stuff from you (particularly if you're in B2B). They can also lift your profile by sharing your content, and they can help your SEO by linking to your site form theirs (less powerful than it used to be but still beneficial).

I know this sounds a bit vague and non-linear. But that's the nature of it. It's a human process. It's about relationships, communication and trust. And these things go by their own timetable, and in their own way. You can't force them too much. You have to let them develop organically.

Considering that so much of business is about effective time management and getting the absolute best possible results from whatever activity you're using, this arty-farty, touchy-feely aspect of social media is a cause of great frustration to many. As a result a whole new industry devoted to measuring social media ROI has developed recently.
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Facebook marketing tip: Find your company's story

1/2/2015

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If you want to have success on social media generally -- and Facebook in particular -- it's vital to involve your audience emotionally. That's not the only reason people connect with a company, of course. They will do so to keep informed about offers and sales, give their feedback about service, etc. But they'll return, engage and share your posts much more often if they get a warm feeling from your page and its updates.

So, you've got to make them feel part of the community they've created. As well as being welcoming, polite and reliable, it helps if you can tell a compelling story.

I know this is a somewhat vague term. And people tend to invoke it in different ways when taking about online marketing. But I think a good way to describe it is to liken a company to an ongoing TV drama. One major reason viewers get hooked is because they get to know the characters and their motivations, and end up caring about them as a result. It's this emotional attachment that keeps them coming back to watch the next episode. They want to see what they do to solve their problems and achieve their goals, as well as what happens to them at the hands of the other characters. They also enjoy the look and feel of the show along with the score.

In short, viewers are drawn to the human story and the way in which it is told. Now if you can inject some of those elements into your Facebook page, it will gather momentum. Needless to say you won't want to have any of the drama, violence, crime and general skullduggery that TV fans also find compelling! The story has to be overwhelmingly positive. But it's a story nonetheless.

So, how to do this? Well you could start with the characters (staff members), for example. Get each of them to share an update about what they specialize in and how they're trying to help their customers. Throwing in some personal background is also humanizing. Perhaps one of them is originally from a different country. So why did he come to Perth? What are his hobbies outside of work? Of course you don't want to make this stuff too personal and intimate. Could end up seeming a bit needy then!

As well as showing these actors, show them in action. Say you're a cafe, with a gun barista who makes spectacular looking lattes. Why not devote a whole sequence of posts, with photos, to her trademark approach to doing this. If it's a multistage process you could even draw it out over several weeks. One week, say, she could explain what kinds of coffee she likes to use most and why. The next she could devote to the coffee machine and its workings. The final installment could show how she turns the froth into little artworks ...

In every business there must be numerous compelling little stories like this that staff and management can tell online. As they keep doing this the momentum builds and a unique "meta-story" is created, drawing in more and more viewers, who eventually become fans.
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    Matt Hayden, Perth

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