Sep 9, 2021
We all desire and deserve to have beautiful photographs of ourselves: to share with our friends and loved ones, to feel good in our own skin, and—if we’re pursuing our passions in the online business space—to visually represent our grand vision and put it out there for the world to see.
And yet, few of us feel fully at ease in front of the camera. We stress about our clothes and our smiles, worry about where to put our hands, and convince ourselves that we’re “bad at photos” (looking back on unflattering school photos as evidence). These stories stick with us for years—but a single session with your soulmate professional photographer can change that narrative forever.
In this episode of the I Heart My Life Show, our founder Emily Williams sits down with world-travelling personal branding photographer Wendy Yalom. Wendy’s work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and the New York Times—but perhaps the most remarkable thing about her is her magnetic energy, which makes everyone she meets want to work with her, and see themselves through her lens. One of Wendy’s most fundamental beliefs is that every woman she photographs is gorgeous, and she considers it her personal mission to help her clients see themselves as such.
Wendy has been traveling the world and photographing some of the world’s most transformative coaches for almost a decade, and most recently teamed up with Emily at the stunning Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia ahead of the launch of the all-new Emily Williams brand. It’s safe to say her work holds a special place in our hearts here at IHML!
In today’s episode, you’ll get to soak up Wendy’s wisdom around the evolution of brand photography and how to feel confident in front of the camera—PLUS get a behind-the-scenes look at the glamorous EW photoshoot, with insights from both Emily and Wendy on how it all played out. Be sure to take a look at the Emily Williams website as you listen to this episode to see how the vision for the shoot came to life!
Trust us, there’s a lot more to beautiful imagery than meets the eye! From scouting locations to prepping and pairing outfits, it can be a stressful and nerve-wracking process. But hiring the right person will make sure your mind is at ease, and your essence is captured. What we love most about Wendy is how much thought she puts into every minute detail of the process—so that each of her clients feels totally taken care of on the day of the shoot. Once all the details are ironed out, what matters most to her is the message your photos convey—and that you feel as good as you’d like to look.
Whether you’re looking to elevate your personal brand with some new imagery, or you’d like to get into the photography business yourself, you’ll pick up invaluable pointers from Wendy—so you can ace your next shoot.
In This Episode:
- How Wendy got into the world of photography, from shooting weddings to top coaches
- Why Marie Forleo was the pioneer of the authentic personal branding photography trends we’re seeing in the online business space today
- The most common fears and worries that hold women back from showing up as the face of their brand, and how to overcome them
- How to identify and shut down the stories you’ve been telling yourself about benign bad at photos—and start feeling confident in front of the camera
- Why money mindset work is the key to confidently charging at a high-ticket price point
- Wendy’s foolproof shoot planning process, from organizing outfits to scouting locations
- Why location matters for brand photography shoots
- Emily’s perspective on preparing and posing for brand photos—and the emotions that show up beforehand
- Wendy’s top tips for the day of your photoshoot
Quotes:
“For me, there are two things that are fundamentally important. The first is that I’m collaborating with the person on their vision for their brand. So I’m not creating a cookie-cutter version. I could have six different women say they want elegant, beautiful, sophisticated shots, and each one would have a totally different interpretation of what that is. So it’s about getting inside their imagination. And the second piece is about creating a space where the day itself makes them feel that they are so taken care of.” - Wendy Yalom
“We have all these beliefs about how we think we should look in photos in order for them to be good. Few of us actually look like that version of ourselves. And it’s an ever-changing thing. There have been times when I’ve hated the way I looked in photos, and looked back years later thinking I looked amazing. Like, what world was I living in? I love that woman.” - Wendy Yalom
“Am I doing this right? Should I be doing this? Are my hands in the right position? Is my smile too big? Is it not big enough? We all have a story we tell ourselves that gets in the way of us having photos we love.” - Wendy Yalom
“When it comes to location and clothing, it needs to have you feeling psyched about life. However you’re feeling in this space, however you’re feeling in your outfit, is going to get translated.” - Wendy Yalom
“Be bold, and be you. If being you means Chanel bags and Louboutins in Paris, great. If being you means a great pair of jeans and a t-shirt on your couch with your cat, great. Whichever it is, do it fully.” - Wendy Yalom
Links & Resources:
Follow the I Heart My Life Show on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-heart-my-life-show/id1569047758
Subscribe to the I Heart My Life Show on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zw6fI37FrfVjZMXlMiZZ6
Connect with Wendy:
Visit Her Website https://wendykyalom.com/
Wendy on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wendykyalom
Connect with Emily:
I Heart My Life Website https://www.iheartmylife.com/
I Heart My Life on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/iheartmylife/
I Heart My Life on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/iheartmylifenow
I Heart My Life on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/i-heart-my-life/
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Episode Sponsor: I Heart Branding