01 Dec Tips for Creating Great Author Photos

Planning to get your Author Photos done soon?

Guest Post: tips on getting great shots for your author bio, social media, and book cover.

Photos and post by Erin Rose Kyle.

Got a client that is looking for updated portraits for their business website or social media?

I recently learned some useful pointers on how to go about planning a photoshoot for an author and these tips could easily be applied to any professional in their respective field.

 I recently shot some photos for Kirsten’s website and it was my first time photographing someone that works in the author or editing industry. The first thing I considered what was Kirsten wanted to convey in these new shots. She wanted her photos to come across as more personable give a greater sense of her personality.

 Prior to the shoot, I had already known Kirsten for a few months and we had met a few times. This aided my thought process when generating ideas as I had already grasped quite a strong sense of her personality and also the kind of aesthetics she likes. This coupled along with good communication with your client makes the initial plan that much easier to create. Kirsten allowed me to have free reign on ideas initially but she communicated effectively some ideas that she would like to work in or anything she definitely didn’t want to do. From this, I was able to streamline the initial ideas to create a more solid plan moving forward.

 The next tip I would give is to think outside the box when it comes to locations, poses, lighting etc. Pitch some more creative ideas to your client and see what they think, they’ll probably want photos that represent their brand but there’s no rule stating that there can’t be a bit of variety. They might like the idea of being able to stand out in their industry. For Kirsten being an author/editor, we selected some bookshops to be used as that is what the brand is and something Kirsten is passionate about however I suggested having some photos taken in the greenhouse of the botanical garden, not only does it have great lighting, it made sense for the brand as Kirsten has a strong stance on the business being green and she is actively seeking and changing to make sure her brand is. 

 Moving forward to almost the shoot day, one thing I will say is you can never be over-prepared however don’t let your plan be too rigid. As the shoot I did with Kirsten was on location I had to anticipate other factors like weather. We had originally proposed to do more outdoor shots however that day we had settled on was forecast for heavy rain therefore we had to adjust our plan so we wouldn’t get caught in a downpour. Therefore if we had all outdoor locations planned with no indoor backups, then the shoot plan would have to be majorly altered or cancelled. Save yourself the stress and plan for any possible setbacks.

Now for the shoot, you’ve planned ahead and made any adjustments necessary anything else to think of? When shooting professionals you want to gauge how comfortable they are in front of the camera, the more comfortable-the better the end result. For Kirsten, she had some pictures taken before but she’s not used to being in front of a camera all of the time. To combat any nerves I suggested going to the greenhouse first, this allowed us to get some photos at a quiet spot with very few people about to gain some familiarity and into the process. Also, I gave minor direction but not too much which allowed Kirsten’s to pose comfortably to allow her personality to shine.

The photos speak for themselves, no?  

Written by Erin Rose Kyle