Reflections on a Photo Shoot: Part 1

Photo shoots don't always develop into sales success. In fact, some well-known authors have stayed away from cameras, while talented authors rely on bland photos suggesting average work.

For all that, some savvy pros have reinforced their 'brands' with photos commanding us to give their work a look. Here is a small gallery containing a few of my faves:

Since entering the online arena two years ago I'd thought about getting a photo that packed some magic of its own. The shot I had been using, the only one I had, was taken--well, a while back. I no longer smoked, to start with. And the old moody look seemed old hat.

So I hit the gym and lost some weight, hoping to channel the image of my fictional hero, Boss MacTavin. Then I set out to find a photographer. And here is where my tale begins to suggest a Saturday Night Live skit. In two years I dealt with four photographers, offering half the fee upfront if we could meet to discuss the shoot. Long story short: nothing happened. Not even a ten-minute meet. I despaired. I wasn't getting any younger and I saw the vision sailing.

In December, though, an email came from an unexpected source. A California-based photographer whose fee would have been way beyond me had read of the crash of my laptop. And he'd liked the fighting spirit I'd shown in rewriting my lost manuscript. He'd be in Charlotte on business one weekend in December. If I was free, he'd give me an hour of his time.

Part 2, next month, will chronicle the shoot. Here were my goals going into it, though:

1) I'd make use of an insight I'd chanced on: if traditional publishing is like Big Screen entertainment, then digital books are TV. The authors/actors who succeed are those who master the difference. An online author would need to be seen as open, warm, accessible--the equivalent of an actor we'd want in our homes weekly.

2) In channeling Boss's rugged spirit, I'd avoid any macho posturing. No Fu stances or raised fists.

3) We should try to suggest, instead, Boss's athletic side. Or a a sense of energy.

Finally, an artist in a jaunty cap arrived from Southern California. And I did three things--one shocking, one thoughtful, one careless--that helped determine the course of the shoot. The photographer, though, had a trick up his sleeve that resulted in serious magic.

Stay tuned!

Addendum:

How can we not include one example of an ill-advised author photo? Here's Papa in a different mode: