Environmental portraits (most would call these “on location”) are simply portraits shot in a specific environment relevant to the subject. Annie Leibovitz is well-known for environmental portraits, especially for Vanity Fair magazine. Environmental portraits not only place the subject in a specific environment, but they usually showcase a personal or work connection between the environment and the subject being photographed.
Dr. Vicki Freeman, the new interim dean for UTMB Health, School of Health Professions at Galveston, is a great example of our most recent environmental branding shoot. Dr. Freeman was looking for several images that could be used for various marketing materials, but she also wanted something that felt more personal than a corporate headshot. Another important request was showing off various aspects of Dr. Freeman’s personality, as well as, the various facets of her job.
Why choose environmental branding portraits (instead of traditional in-studio)?
- They provide your audience/customers with context about you and your brand/job
- They provide more interest within your portrait
- They help you relax, as most people feel more comfortable in their own space
- They can often give your audience real insight into your personality and your lifestyle whereas a plain backdrop in the studio can not.
- They will be unique images for you, your business/brand and will not look like everyone else
Dr. Vicki Freeman, the new interim Dean for the School of Health Professions, UTMB Health at Galveston, was previously the Associate Dean of Faculty Development in the School of Health Professions, Chair and tenured Professor in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences. She also holds faculty appointments in the School of Medicine and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Freeman is a University of Texas Distinguished Teaching Professor, a Minnie Stevens Piper Professor and received the UT System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award in 2014.
Dr. Freeman leads UTMB’s clinical laboratory sciences program, which is one of the largest and most dynamic in the country. In 2016, she established the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences degree program, the second of its kind in the nation. Dr. Freeman’s efforts have been funded by the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services. Currently, she serves as the Director for a collaborative project with the Kenya National Public Health Laboratory Services through the American International Health Alliance Twinning Partnership Program.
Dr. Freeman received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Community and Human Resources and Master of Arts degree in Adult Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry and a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from the University of Texas at Austin.
To learn more about business, branding and headshots, see a few of my previous posts:
- “The Power of white in headshots”
- “How to go from awkward to savvy at networking events”
- “What is personal branding?”
Get my 5 steps to reinvent your professional life in 2018 >>> here!