The Importance of Headshots

Let's face it. If we really want to be successful professionals in today's marketplace we need to have a vibrant presence on social media. And if we want to have a great presence on social media, branding is extremely important. A great way to establish branding is to have great images taken of you, especially good headshots. 

I know, I know, it's a lot cheaper to have your friend take a quick picture of you with their smartphone, but the picture won't be as good as if you go to a professional who has experience with making people look their best. I don't know about you, but I hate getting my picture taken. And I know most people are in the same boat as me. I think a big reason a lot of people don't like getting their picture taken is because the person behind the camera wasn't directing them to pose in a way that made them look their best. That takes years of professional training.

So of course with me being a professional headshot photographer, I am getting on that high horse, but I will stop here and spare you any sales pitch. What I will do is share with you some of the knowledge I learned in how to make people look great in pictures. 

Peter Hurley is THE King of Headshot Photography. Not only is he super funny, but he's crazy talented and an expert at what he does. Here's one of his many videos that give insight on how to pose for headshots. It's all about the jaw. No seriously. Even if you have a sculpted jawline, a lot of people tend to pull their faces back when in front of the camera because they are nervous, thus resulting in a double chin. 

Watch this and be prepared for your next headshot!

Ready to get your those headshots taken? Contact me at www.tinagionis.com

I'm still here world!!!

a selfie last time I was in New York

You know, I really, really try to keep up with this blog but sometimes it gets challenging. Especially when the name of today's game is being on numerous other social media sites. Used to be so simple-all you needed was a blog and a website and that was enough. Now, you need to be on Linkedin, and Twitter, and Instagram, and Google+ and all sorts of other things to have any sort of presence in the world. It's a lot to keep up with. Of course me being the overachiever I am, I tried to do it all and as a result didn't do any of them right. I've been hitting the "books" so to speak and really trying to not only build up but integrate my online presence. I know it's the way things are done this days in media, but it's so much commitment and work, especially if you don't have a rhythm going. I watched a tutorial today by Justin Seely and he said that he spends 1-3 hours a day on social media. For me that's a bit too much, but I am trying to get in the swing of things.

So saying that, I don't want to lose sight of this good ol' fashioned blog and need to pay more attention to my website which I've let go to the wayside and that seriously needs to be updated. I'd rather do stuff then talk about how I'm going to do stuff, but whatever, I will now. SO I will make an effort to post here at least once a week. In the meantime you can check me out elsewhere on social media and see where I've been putting my efforts besides this blog.

Instagram:

https://instagram.com/tina.g.photo/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TinaGPhoto

Google+:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/109057891328608686809/posts

Linkedin:

www.linkedin.com/in/tinagionis

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tina-G-Photography/172186932842325

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/tinagphoto/

See what I mean??? Social media everywhere. But whatever, find me there! Follow me! Let's be friends! Or I'll see you next time here when I make a blog post again.

oh and don't forget my website!!! www.tinagionis.com

Reverend Horton Heat

Last night I shot Reverend Horton Heat at the Exit In in Nashville. It was my first time seeing them play and they were amazing! Full of energy and super fun. 

 

Check out my latest post in Nashville Visual Artists!

Mandy Rogers Horton

  

Check out my latest post in Nashville Visual Artists!

Ariel Lavery-Sculptor

Check out the latest installment of my documentary on Nashville Visual Artists!

John Perry- Painter

John Perry makes works of art that speak the story of all the things in our world and the spaces they contain. His process is almost as intriguing as the work itself. I got to learn more about John's work when I visited his studio.

What is the theme of your work?

It’s about the narrative that is naturally found in visual composition-the organization and design of visual elements. For example, when two elements are against each spatial tension is created, and spatial tension could result in feelings of discomfort, or on the opposite side of the spectrum in feelings of intimacy.-human emotions. So in the non-representational work  I do, abstract elements are narrative and represent something. The placement of elements of what’s in front, what’s behind, figure/ground experimentation etc in the work can generate a sense of history which is also creating narrative. It’s all a metaphor for how things in nature respond to each other; the pairing of opposite things into combinations that are powerful. I think  a lot of times we miss what is powerful and beautiful, and so I try to bring attention to these things. I use paint to explore what I’m learning about the world.

The mark making of my process varies from using the palette  knife in order to scrape paint on the surface to allowing the paint to freeze and thaw which creates shards and crystals of color to using a leaf blower to blast large movements from one end of the piece to the other.

What inspires you to do your work?

Being outside in nature and seeing the beauty in natural things inspires me to find beauty in the process of painting. I’m inspired by the patterns I find in nature and also how things relate when they’re next to each other, the juxtaposition of elements. That tension is very interesting and can be reunderstood in a multitude of ways depending on its context.

What are the goals for your artwork?

I want to make paintings that are both beautiful and challenging, because the story I am trying to tell is that we are living in a world that is complicated but beautiful. I feel like I’m  still exploring that story and trying to discover it. I hope people walk away from my work seeing the world a little differently, that they hear the story that I’m trying to tell. Share a little bit of what I love about that world. I believe art is capable of that. If I can accomplish that, I will feel that I’ve accomplished a huge goal.

What are your thoughts on the visual artist community in Nashville?

I’m excited about what’s happening for the visual arts in Nashville, lots of creative people are moving here and this is giving the city a huge surge of energy. I’m excited to be part of the artist conversation in Nashville, and I’m excited to see what happens for the visual arts in the next ten years.

Learn more about John's work at http://johnphillipperry.com/

New Post in Nashville Visual Artists Series!

I got to hang out with Brady Haston in his studio and learn more about his work. Check out the photo story I did on him here!