by Shelly | Jun 30, 2017 | business, women |
Professional Networking — THIS is What it’s All About
Here’s what I remember from the first time I ever met Jennifer Boisvert. I had just started dipping my toes into whole concept of business networking activities. For the uninitiated, there’s a whole subculture of networking in the small business community and it is amazing. Events are usually centered around a meal or a happy hour where groups of people from different professions gather to share information about themselves and their businesses. Occasionally someone closes a sale with a new contact, but more often than not it’s the ongoing cultivation of relationships and connections that keep us coming back. These ever evolving relationships open doors and opportunities, but for an introvert like me, getting to that point is more than just a little bit out of our comfortable box.
Seriously, I think this was the first networking meeting of any sort that I EVER attended. Women Helping Women 2 Network was a brand new fledgling group at the time. I didn’t know a soul in the room. I didn’t know what to expect, but I had made up my mind to put myself out there with a goal of meeting just two or three people by the end of the luncheon.
Baby steps, right? What I really wanted was to quietly escape from the room, run for the safety of my car, and not have to worry about remembering names of people I had just met, presenting a memorable 30 second commercial, or (flash back to junior high) FIT IN.
But there was no escaping. I had already committed to stay.
And through the door flies this charismatic, ebullient red-headed tornado in the most perfect emerald green a-line dress I had ever seen. Her personality filled the room and busted out the windows, raining down on everyone present like super-powered glitter. I was in total awe. We started talking, and within minutes I felt comfortable in a room full of strangers — as if I could possibly actually make it through the meeting and even enjoy it.
Fast forward about two and a half years.
That fiery tornado of a woman chose MY studio for her personal branding portrait session. When she arrived along with Andrea, her childhood friend who was visiting from Canada, we carried in loads and loads and LOADS of clothes.
GLORIOUS clothes.
I wouldn’t have expected less. After all, Jennifer is a fabulous stylist and image consultant and also a managing partner with J. Hilburn, a luxury line of custom mens’ clothing. She has also been named one of the best Personal Stylists & Shoppers by CBS Houston.
We can all use a helping hand with our personal image, so CLICK HERE to learn more and start spiffing up YOUR image with Jennifer’s help.
An amazing anchor to many of our branding portrait sessions is Brandie Seifert, founder of Hollywood Hippie Cosmetics. The talented and oh-so-adorable Brandie always provides just je ne sais quois with her professional makeup application and hair styling in-studio. She makes everyone look great, and our time with Jennifer was one of the most fun EVER!
Another special friend and colleague, Suzanne Joffrion with esbe Designs met with Jennifer before our session to provide the gorgeous jewelry assortment you’ll see in these photographs.
And to think — I would not know any of these women if I had not become involved in the professional networking activities that are available in my community, specifically Women Helping Women 2 Network.
We wanted to capture Jennifer’s fun and outgoing spirit along with her elite professional brand, so we worked together as a team to create images using different outfits, poses, and expressions. Our consistent lighting style brought a cohesiveness to the overall portfolio, tying everything together beautifully.
One important part of the J. Hilburn brand incorporates the blue measuring tape, a critical tool in perfecting the custom wardrobe orders for her male clients, so we made a point to include that tape in several poses throughout our session.
Jennifer’s style is certainly varied — but always polished and sharp. LOVED this funky graphic tee paired with a traditional blue blazer and shorts almost as much as that gorgeous plum colored dress. Who would have thought to put something together like that? Jennifer did. That’s who.
Related Links:
Jennifer Boisvert Personal Shop and Style
Jennifer Boisvert J Hilburn Luxury Collection for Men
Brandie Seifert, HMUA Hollywood Hippie Cosmetics
Suzanne Joffrion Jewelry by Esbe Designs
Women Helping Women 2 Network
by Shelly | Apr 3, 2017 | business, food, women |
WORD-NERD ALERT!
This girl learned something new the other day, so I’m going to share it with you.
Did you know that the art of reading tea leaves is called TASSEOGRAPHY? I didn’t, but it completely makes sense. After all, Tasse means “cup” in German, French, and probably about a bazillion other languages, and of course -graphy is the Greek word for writing.
So… I looked into my own cup after working with LaShan, and there it was, just as plain as day. The tea leaves said, “You will soon hear a whole lot more about this beautiful lady who is in your studio.”
Oh my goodness, what a time we had. The tea was fresh pressed; the laughter, heart-felt; and the spirit, sincere.
LaShan is the proprietress of a culinary treasure-trove called Three Lumps of Sugar. She mixes and markets fresh blends of loose-leaf tea, spices, and artisan sugars and salts for creative cooks and bartenders.
You can – and SHOULD – learn more about her business HERE
To kick things off, she needed a new headshot and we leveraged her session to the next level. While staying true to her personality and style, we created a lovely variety of story-telling images that she can use in her social media, website, marketing materials and more. And we had a great time doing it. 
Here’s what LaShan had to say —
“We’ve all heard the expression, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. As an entrepreneur, building a brand is crucial. Customers respond not only to your products, but also to you as the business owner. The business really is an extension of you and your imaging conveys a lot.
I was so pleased to work with Shelly. She managed to capture the true essence of who I am and what my company means to me. Both my company and I are fun, playful, and creative. I think my pictures say exactly that without any words at all. At Three Lumps of Sugar we create and sell teas, spices, and artisan sugars and salts for bartending. Our images need to appeal to those who would purchase our products.
I arrived for the day and had a consultation with the makeup artist and looked at possible backdrops. We even gave consideration to clothing choices. Shelly took the time and effort to try new things and incorporated my suggestions. I am not a makeup kinda girl, so I was unsure about the makeup. But, when I came to see the proofs – WOW!!! There were so many that I loved and it was hard to narrow it down to just 1 or 2, so I picked 5!! “
Thank you, LaShan, for trusting me with your image and for the very kind words. I can’t wait to sample the whole line of your yummy concoctions very soon.
by Shelly | Dec 29, 2016 | business |
Happy New Year 2017 and THANK YOU for allowing me to get to know you better this year as we created business profile/headshot images for some of Katy and Houston’s finest business leaders in 2017.
If YOUR profile portrait is more than a year old or if you’d just like a new fresh look for the new year, there’s no better time to call than NOW. We’re running an amazing headshot blitz in the studio January 10 and 11, 2017.
Special Pricing — Special Services. Call today for details and to reserve your spot.
Here are a few of our favorites from 2016.
What a good looking bunch of folks you all are!
I know that I didn’t get everyone into this page. If I missed you, it was NOT intentional. Please forgive. If I created a profile portrait for you in 2016 and it’s not here, please let me know.
I will add it to the mix. REALLY — I WANT TO.
This post is a personal tool for me to use as I count my blessings — and each of you ARE a blessing to me. Also, I will to go back through this page periodically throughout the coming year to say a short prayer of blessing over each of you.
I feel honored to personally know someone who amazing and who works in nearly every business and service related field there is, so if you are looking to get something done and need a referral, give me a call. I know people who can help you do just about anything –whether you need an insurance agent or a landscaper, a swimming lessons for your toddler, or a mechanic, we’re just scratching the surface. We’ve got doctors and dentists, attorneys, eye doctors, realtors, medical records specialists,accountants, specialty products, long term care, office cleaning, a commercial sign shop, movers, personal coaches, and so much more. Whew! If I don’t know someone who can help you, I’ll bet we can make a few phone calls and find whatever you need. That’s the beauty of networking with small businesses in this amazing community and I would love to be your Maven-Connector.
It would be my honor to work with you during the January headshot blitz or on your own schedule. We’ll create an image that defines your individuality and your special brand — one that means BUSINESS! We offer services in-studio or at your location and for best results we offer celebrity style grooming for men and women alike as well as complete professional hair styling and camera-friendly makeup application.
Thank you ALL for a wonderful 2016. Bring on 2017! It’s going to be fabulous.
by Shelly | Sep 26, 2016 | business, fashion, women |
“You only get one chance to make a first impression.”
Maybe it was Oscar Wilde who said it, maybe it was Will Rogers. There seems to be a bit of debate on that.
Regardless of who said it, it’s true. You only get one chance to make a first impression.
Especially for small-business owners, that first impression often happens when potential clients visit a website or social media page. Think about it. What’s the first thing you see when you go to a new site? If the photographs are of a professional quality, if they are engaging and show a personal style, they invite the viewer to linger a while. To read the words. To learn more.
And research has proven that the longer a person stays on a website, the more likely they are to engage.
So, when one of Houston’s most well-known and highly recognized personal stylists and image consultants, Ellen Caldwell-Ng, called to schedule a portrait shoot to update her website, I KNEW it was going to be BEYOND amazing.
Even her “Before” snapshot looks pretty darn great, in a casual Saturday sort of way, but after spending a little prep- time with Brandie, Seifert, founder of Hollywood Hippie Cosmetics, and dressing in some of her own new fall clothing, Ellen is positively RADIANT!
Ellen provides full-scale image consulting services starting with closet overhauls where she helps her clients organize their existing wardrobes and “shop” their own closets to coordinate outfits they may have never put together before. She helps them understand how to dress for their own body-types and she personally takes them shopping for clothing and accessories. Who wouldn’t want a savvy shopping buddy to maneuver the malls, department stores, and hidden boutiques throughout the city?
This lady knows where and HOW to shop! She’s also an Independent Consultant ant Team Leader for Cabi, a designer clothing line for ladies which is sold in home shows and by personal appointment.
We wanted our images from this session to do more than show off Ellen’s beauty and and fashion sense, so we styled a mini-boutique right in the studio.
If your closet overwhelms you. If you want to LOVE your own wardrobe and look your very best every single day. Ellen is the person to call.
And if you want top of the line photographs that show off your personal style,
whether as gift for your spouse, or significant other,
as an heirloom to share with your children years down the road,
or a branded collection to highlight YOUR business
Call the studio at SPCcreative Photography and we’ll create an unforgettable series of images that is BOLD — PERSONAL — UNIQUE– FUN — and most important of all, it truly is ALL ABOUT YOU!
by Shelly | Aug 26, 2016 | business, women |
Quality portraits and headshots are so very important to the branding process for any business professional. They create a first impression that can make or break a deal before negotiation even begins. If you were selling your home, would you call a Realtor whose profile image was out of focus or had restaurant dishes in the background? Probably not. You’d want to choose someone who obviously understands polished presentation — start to finish.
So …What’s a Realtor to do when one or two traditional headshots simply won’t do? When one Gary Greene Realtor Alicia Jammer wanted a series of branded images in lieu of traditional basic headshots, she called to discuss ways that we could showcase her smile and personality in a vibrant and consistent manner.
Alicia knew that she wanted something special. She had a vision in mind. She wanted a series of unique images that were bright, fresh, and contemporary. She wanted a variety, yet she also wanted the images to work together so that they could be combined in different marketing materials.
So, that’s what we did. We used two different outfits and a single bright white evenly lit background.
Her smiling face will appear on her property flyers, business cards, online, on printed stationery, and on the personalized notecards that she sends out to her clients and vendors.
Alicia grew up in Houston, so she knows the area very well and has watched it grow over time. She offices in Sugar Land, but has current properties listed from Spring all the way to Rosharon.
The images are fresh, fun, and breezy — and there will be no mistaking Alicia for another Realtor. Her clients and colleagues will recognize her immediately — even from a tiny thumbnail reference photograph, and they will know that she is an energetic, lively and professional who will guide them through the processes of buying, selling, or leasing their next home or investment property.
Thank you for choosing SPCcreative Photography to showcase your beautiful personal brand. It was a such pleasure working with you.
by Shelly | Nov 16, 2015 | business, women |
Meet Flavia, you’re going to love what she’s been cooking up for you.
Some readers may be familiar with the blog she began writing back in 2009. Flavia’s Flavors was chock full of her yummy cooking and pretty pictures– and let me tell you, Flavia knows her way around the kitchen.
Throughout those years of writing and traveling, Flavia kept coming back to her true passion, the Italian food that she grew up with. So after much soul searching and research to develop a style that is truly her own, she took the last few months to completely re-brand and re-style the blog. She took down all of her old recipes and kitchen secrets and has started fresh with a bold crisp clean style and a razor-sharp focus on purely Italian cuisine.
In the new blog, we’ll dive deep into her Italian Kitchen and cuisine. We’ll be alongside Flavia as she is — cooking — writing — and soon TEACHING cooking classes in her GORGEOUS kitchen or in yours. Her hands-on classes will include specific regional home-style recipes and techniques as well as classic traditional favorites. YUM! I can hardly wait to gather up a few of my close friends for a Flavia’s Flavors class.
When she told me about her rebranding plan and her classes, I thought it was a great idea, and couldn’t wait to see her thrive. THEN . . .she asked me to photograph her so that she would have fresh bright images to populate her blog. Ummmm yes thank you. I was THRILLED. We spent a delightful morning together creating a few bright and cheery portraits — and THEN she started chopping tomatoes, garlic, and basil to create a tray of bruschetta toast.
I believe I INHALED more than my share. Soooo very very delicioso!
Check out HER post where she talks about our shoot HERE!
I first met Flavia a couple of years ago along with several AMAZING bloggers and social media masterminds who live in the Katy area, and I liked her from the beginning. What’s not to like? She is gorgeous, poised, sweet, kind, talented and oh so very nice.
Once when I needed some help figuring out how to integrate my own social media workflow, Flavia was the one who invited me to sit down with her and learn how she does it. Seriously saved my sanity — or what little there was left of it.
Thank you, Flavia, for allowing me into your beautiful Italian home. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for us as this blog and class takes off. Please count me among your biggest fans.
Be sure to check out her blog and subscribe to it. You’ll find her at www.flaviasflavors.com
