Business portraits for a travel company
Corporate photography in the form of business portraits with the realization of a uniform photo concept for mobile travel consultants was the task that I was allowed to realize for Solamento Reisen at the end of 2018.
The consistent expansion of Solamento Reisen’s brand quality also includes giving all mobile travel consultants their own company website. Professional business portraits are an important part of the new website.
https://meinberater.solamento.com/solamentoreisengmbh
The annual conference “Fit for the future” took place from 23-25.11.2018 at the Aldiana Club in Salzkammergut.
Corporate photography in tourism – important points in photography
A uniform appearance and recognition of a brand is becoming increasingly important these days. How do I recognize my service providers? To ensure a uniform appearance, uniform specifications are required so that a recognition effect also occurs.
Last year 2017 I was already allowed to accompany the Solamento annual conference at the Dorint Hotel in Oberursel and now this concept was also further expanded by conducting new corporate / business portraits for the travel consultants.
Also here Solamento journeys goes new ways and the managing director Sasche Nietsche had already converted the concept for itself and its coworkers in the company headquarters in meals Kettwig and its idea and defaults were converted now also for the mobile travel experts further.
A white T-shirt, shirt or blouse, along with a white tablecloth, are the company’s “key visuals” or “specifications.”
Every airline has its “service uniform” and even with rental car companies, for example, we recognize the provider by the colors of its appearance.
A credible and reliable identity can be established through a uniform external appearance.
The travel consultants should be photographed sympathetically, authentically.
I had brought my equipment consisting of Hensel studio light, various brighteners, Octabox and a uniform background.
The participants had to complete an advanced training program with a wide variety of topics in the form of workshops on both days. In the context of the Workshops then also in a single conference room in the Aldiana club the Portrait photographs were accomplished. A white and gray wall of the room was then used as a background.
Preparation and set construction
Good preparation for the implementation of corporate photos is important for me. Technology is not free of errors and therefore I always have everything with me twice. This includes a second camera, several flash heads, two radio triggers, spare fuses and Osram halogen lamps for the modeling light.
I arrived a day early so that I could test the lighting and the set up for the corporate photos in advance. In addition, more photo opportunities then arose, which could be carried out by a tour of the club.
Challenges for the photographer
The challenge for me as a photographer was, among other things, to also keep to the given schedule of the customer. A total of 45 portraits were made. In addition, the request came on the set in the Aldiana Club also to take new press photos of the management.
Portraits of women
For most women it is certainly once again important to be photographed particularly “well”. Due to time constraints, we were not able to include a makeup artist on location this time. I always advocate the use of a make-up artist, because you can implement shadows, spots and shiny areas with the right light and an experienced make-up artist better than in post-production through further retouching work. In addition, retouching after the fact is more expensive for the client than immediately eliminating shiny spots on set and achieving harmonious lighting immediately on location, even with the right lighting set-up.
Styling – hair for women
For women, there is also the “issue” of hair. Especially with long hair, you can create a completely different look with slight changes. Hair combed over the ear or laid over the right, left shoulder create a completely different look. We tested all variants during the photo shoot on the set and then selected together with the portrayed persons which image is the “best ” for the new uniform website.
In addition, a wide variety of photos were taken by each participant, so that there were 3-5 photo motifs per person to choose from. A photo was then used for the personalized website.
Additional services from the photographer
The client briefing was about business portraits – a photo for a personalized website.
My customers get more photos e.g. for men with jacket, without jacket, with glasses without glasses. These additional photos will not be charged extra. For me, it is important that the customer is satisfied with his images and is also provided with different variants.
Strategic expansion and business development are the responsibility of Tina Kirfel, who also presented the completed brand relaunch and other innovations to the participants at the annual conference.
Image usage rights
A very important issue with all photo requests is how the photos will be used and utilized by the client. Does he need the images for a website, or is there still a brochure to be printed. Are the photos also given to other partners and sponsors, so that the photos are also used multiple times?
If this is the case, i.e. the customer would like to use all images exclusively for himself and in addition the photos should also be allowed to be passed on to partners, press agencies and sponsors, we speak of extended image, usage rights.
The basis for the calculation of these image usage rights is the MFM list, a list not only for photographers, but also the basis in the media industry, which is also recognized in “disputes” in court. For me as a photographer, I also use this overview as a “calculation basis” for my business and corporate photos.
The further use and exploitation of the photos has a certain “value”, which must always be agreed with the customer in advance.
If, for example, a trade or business newspaper advertises with the pictures and a special article, the circulation of the newspaper, the number and size of the pictures are also taken into account for the calculation. It is very important to understand that this picture, fee overview (MFM list) does not reflect fixed prices, but shows an overview of the fees achieved over the year.
However, it is a good basis for openly pointing out in direct discussions with customers which factors are now still applied in the calculation and which price was shown for the image usage rights item.
Solamento Reisen is an important and appreciative client for me. All pictures were made available without restriction, so that then also technical periodicals e.g. FVW media, tourism current can access the pictures.
Solamento Travel has an excellent network of strong individual entrepreneurs who have built up expertise in their fields. Each of the sellers masters his daily business, but the changes are never effected as an individual, but only in the community. Competence and external perception create trust and success.
I am happy that I was part of this team as a photographer and that I was able to implement a component of the overall concept with uniform photos.
Here are two examples of what Solamento’s new travel consultant websites look like:
https://meinberater.solamento.com/nadineschmidtolschewski
https://meinberater.solamento.com/katjaburgard
General info about Solamento Travel
Solamento Reisen GmbH, founded in 2005 as an independent company, offers travel agents a modern employment environment. By selling in the tourism home office, they benefit from the highest possible flexibility.
Around 300 tourism professionals currently work for Solamento from their home offices under agency contract and are supported by the head office in Essen with, among other things, business equipment and external image, customer service and accounting, as well as training and development opportunities.
The owner and managing partner of Solamento is Sascha Nitsche.
For more information:
Birte Deppe / Marion Krimmer Wilde & Partner Public Relations GmbH
Tel. +49 (0)89 17 91 90 0 info@wilde.de
www.wilde.de
www.facebook.com/WildeundPartner
