[00:00:00] Dave: If you're like me, you just hate the way you look on camera. The lighting is never right, the angle is never flattering, and you just can never seem to nail your smile.
[00:00:08] Dave: It sucks, right? But don't worry. This is why I sat down with Kristen Kidd, the owner of Lux Summit Studio, a professional photography studio helping entrepreneurs like you and me Look our best and most authentic on camera. On this episode, Kristen will teach us how to finally crack that million dollar smile.
[00:00:26] Dave: What poses can earn the most trust and likability from our audience.
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[00:00:41] Dave: and how to finally get that dream lighting that makes us shine.
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[00:00:51] Dave: So let's learn all about how to look our best on camera together on this episode of Brand Science.
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[00:00:57] Dave: [00:01:00] Welcome back to another episode of Brand Science. I am very excited today because this is a topic that I personally struggle with a lot, which is just feeling like you are in your best light on camera or being able to just be like photogenic.
[00:01:16] Dave: Um, and so that's why on today's episode, we have Kristen Kidd, the owner of Lux Summit Studio, who helps us do exactly that. Kristen, welcome to the show.
[00:01:29] Dave: for sure. Yeah. We've nerded out about this topic, I think a couple of weeks ago and, uh, really started to get into some interesting topics. And I was like, all right, let's press pause on our conversation because I want to save this for an episode. Um, and so we're going to get into all of that today, but before we do that.
[00:01:48] Dave: What I like to do at the beginning of every episode, being that this is a personal brand podcast is I like to understand my guests stories and how they got into what they do today. So can you give us a [00:02:00] quick idea of what your backstory is around photography and how you, uh, started, um, Lux Summit and kind of what, where that, that passion for photography really came from,
[00:02:12] Kristen Kidd: [00:03:00] most.
[00:03:45] Dave: Yeah, [00:04:00]
[00:04:00] Dave: that's awesome. I love this combination of how you made that blend or transition of being a social worker, which requires a lot of like empathy and seeing someone past maybe what they see themselves as at the moment and like being able to. Help them kind of transform into something. And then you kind of, it sounds like you took that skill set and then applied it to photography.
[00:04:24] Dave: Right?
[00:04:39] Dave: Yeah. Well, and one of the areas that we started to talk about, um, like a couple of weeks ago that I want to start with is this idea that. I was kind of telling this story about, you know, when I look for podcast guests, um, or even like when I get, you know, [00:05:00] everyone's getting these, like gets LinkedIn requests from like a hundred people and you, you kind of have to like eyeball their profile and you know what I mean?
[00:05:08] Dave: Um, so there's that, you know, online basically, um, what I like to say is your profile picture is like your logo, your personal brand logo, and it really represents like how trustworthy. Can I take this profile on face value? No pun intended. So, um, you know, like when I'm going evaluating potential guests, I'm looking at, you know, a wall of profile pictures of people that I could potentially have on my, my show, and there's so many people that kind of the like sniff test that I have is, okay, what.
[00:05:47] Dave: Profile picture looks like they've invested into their brand, right? You can kind of make the leap where, all right, if you have like this really glowing professional, uh, branded profile picture, you've [00:06:00] probably spent time and invested into, um, you know, making sure that that was the case. So where I want to start is on the, cause there's a million places where you can take this, but I want to start with like the profile picture and how to kind of capture.
[00:06:14] Dave: The most authentic and like one that really makes you shine and expresses yourself uniquely, um, online. So imagine like, I am a listener is coming into your studio with the goal of like, I need a headshot that just captures who I am, stand out online and like really makes me shine. What's like your process and what are the tips that you, you look to do in order to make that happen?
[00:06:44] Kristen Kidd: [00:07:00] [00:08:00] it's [00:09:00] [00:10:00] and
[00:10:00] Dave: so what, there's a lot of times I'll, I'll be, you know, scrolling through and seeing different types of profile pictures. And I think different kinds of facial expressions are given to each one. So it could be like facial expression. It could be like the posture and all of that.
[00:10:23] Kristen Kidd: Mm hmm.
[00:10:25] Dave: how, how can we associate?
[00:10:26] Dave: Cause for personal branding, like. We also want to associate like a vibe of who we are and what you can expect from us. And we want that to be attached to again, like our logo, which is like our profile picture. So we want our profile picture to represent like our essence. So what should we be considering when it comes to like facial expressions, like smiling or not smiling, or like, you know, the, the proper pose,
[00:10:50] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: the prom pose versus, you know, what, what should we
[00:10:52] Dave: be considering there?
[00:10:57] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: [00:11:00] [00:12:00] Are there
[00:12:25] Dave: certain like. poses that give off more of a powerful pose like a softer one, I guess.
[00:12:33] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: [00:13:00] [00:14:00] Yeah, sure.
[00:14:22] Kristen Kidd: Um,
[00:14:23] Dave: to, I want to actually explore there too. Cause I have as part of something I want to talk about today is kind of like how to look your most, I would say natural on camera, but part of that being like, you know, there's this, um, the old school, like. Early Instagram days of like, you know, the selfie, the high selfie pose, because like your most quote unquote, like flattering angles
[00:14:48] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: kind of, you
[00:14:49] Dave: know, you hide double chin type of like is there, are there certain angles and tricks to like how to look your best on camera?
[00:14:58] Dave: Or are there psychological things like you're [00:15:00] saying in terms of like pointing the camera a little bit upward might give you a certain vibe versus downward or whatever?
[00:15:09] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: [00:16:00] Yeah.
[00:16:50] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: Yeah. [00:17:00] right Right. [00:18:00] Right. Mm hmm.
[00:18:20] Dave: Yeah. And I feel like it's, it's a bit of like a, a translation, a visual translation of like who you are captured in, you know, a visual format so that as you're saying, like if you, if you have the right. Yeah. If you're in the right clothing, if you're in the right scene, if you're expressing yourself, how you naturally express yourself, then it's like the perfect postcard of like, this is me.
[00:18:55] Dave: If you want to know I am, this is me.[00:19:00][00:20:00]
[00:20:20] Kristen Kidd: I
[00:20:20] Dave: Virtue signaling or whatever.
[00:20:35] Dave: Yeah. I love that. I love that idea. It's very, um, it's an unselfish act. It's kind of what you're saying. It's yeah. And how are they going to know otherwise? You know what I mean? Like it's, It's like any relationship, you have to just kind of be open and honest in order me to be like, do I want to continue to follow you or use your service?
[00:20:52] Dave: Do we align in this? You know, you do need to shed some light on that one area that I know I struggle with and as we [00:21:00] started to talk about this and I'm sure many of our listeners struggle with this, I think is just like, we, we do feel like we're not photogenic like we just can't find our Angle or our smile or what have you like?
[00:21:16] Dave: I just never am happy With how I look in a, in a photo or how I'm smiling. Um, and then there's some times where like, I'm not even trying or thinking about it and then like, I like nailed my smile and I'm like, what did I do there? what did I do that time that I didn't do the So is there like other good practices?
[00:21:37] Dave: You know, there's the classic, like say cheese, but I mean, is there good practices and how to find like a natural smile that makes us look our best when, you know, whether it's candid or. Well, obviously candy is a little different, but if it's, you know, we're posing for a professional photograph or how we're trying to be on camera and for social content and [00:22:00] things.
[00:22:05] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035:[00:23:00] Yeah.[00:24:00]
[00:24:16] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: Yeah.
[00:24:54] Dave: [00:25:00] Yeah. I love, um, the idea of like kind of getting out of your own head too, because I think this correlates really well when people want to create video content and it can be difficult to just speak into a camera and you feel like you're like, you have to give a performance. And so you get into your head.
[00:25:27] Dave: It's very, it's much different than obviously like speaking to just a buddy. Yeah. You know, at a bar or something, right? So all of a sudden it's like lights, camera, action, be, be someone, be this persona, right? Um, and so you don't, you're too in your head and you're not natural and you feel like you have to perform like a script type of thing.
[00:25:48] Dave: But I've, I've found that over, over my experience, the content creation is like, when I just kind of throw that aside and I just drop the shoulders a little bit, give a little bit a [00:26:00] looser language and like looser tonality, it comes across so much more like authentic and enjoyable to watch. And it's like, you know, like the cringey word, but like, you know, you're less cringey cause you feel like, Oh, it's just, just Dave talking to me.
[00:26:14] Dave: So like the similar to, I think what you're saying here is like, If you want a great smile, if you want a great moment, a photographic moment, you can't try for it. You just kind of have to like
[00:26:27] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: be your natural self [00:27:00] Yeah.
[00:27:52] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: Yeah. [00:28:00] yeah,
[00:28:11] Dave: Well, that's why, um, right now, I mean, no one, you know what, in fact, what I'll do is I'm going to take a photo of my setup right now and I'll put it on the YouTube video. Um, But there's a, I'm talking through a, um, forgot the name of it, a teleprompter. And I have my iPad set up so that I can see you in the teleprompter and then the cameras behind me.
[00:28:37] Dave: And I initially wasn't doing that. And it was just like talking to a camera and that that made it feel stiff and I like it felt like I'm talking to an inanimate object or whatever. Right. But now I feel like I'm talking you. Right. So I'm having conversation it feels like more natural and there just happens to be a camera that's like recording the conversation as well.
[00:28:59] Kristen Kidd: [00:29:00] Yeah.
[00:29:00] Dave: so another area when it comes to capturing, uh, like a great moment and Um, whether it be video or photography, I think a large part would probably be like lighting. I know a lot of people struggle with this. Um, what can you talk about when it comes to like finding great lighting for us? You mentioned kind of like the angles, like the top angle
[00:29:24] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: and
[00:29:24] Dave: facial lighting and all that kind of stuff.
[00:29:26] Dave: What are some of the mistakes people are making there and how can we fix that?
[00:29:39] Kristen Kidd: [00:30:00] [00:31:00] and I was gonna say, can you, can you define warm
[00:31:04] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: And cool?
[00:31:57] Dave: [00:32:00] I was going to say, I, this is why I need your help with that question, because I, I, I live in an apartment that has like floor to ceiling windows and the sun comes like right across it in the afternoon. So like, it just gets blown with sunlight. then I have soft lights as well. And so I don't know how angle things.
[00:32:31] Dave: right now feel like I'm completely too. Lit up so I'm still I'm still struggling this.[00:33:00]
[00:33:13] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: Yeah, [00:34:00] yeah, Yeah,
[00:34:14] Dave: I've, um, you know, I just, I invested into a, like a professional camera besides my iPhone, like a, like a Sony, uh, Sony ZV E10. And the first thing I wanted to do was try to take my own headshot with it. And I remember like, Trying to set up this background and then find the right lighting from window and all this stuff.
[00:34:38] Dave: And I took like a million pictures and I still, the lighting was just terrible. And I think there's also, you know, if you want, if you have a professional camera, you have to know probably like settings and stuff about like that up too.[00:35:00]
[00:35:50] Dave: yeah.
[00:35:54] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: Yeah.
[00:35:55] Dave: um. one area When it comes [00:36:00] to kind of capturing something that defines you, I guess, is also the elements of a photo that aren't just you. I assume there's like backdrops and scenes
[00:36:11] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: and yeah,
[00:36:12] Dave: the So what, what should we be considering when we want to make sure that like, we're capturing a scene or backdrop.
[00:36:20] Dave: Cause even like now, you know, this is more for like video stuff, but I try to like have a backdrop, know, that
[00:36:26] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: represents me. I
[00:36:29] Kristen Kidd: back
[00:36:29] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: it. I don't know if You can
[00:36:30] Dave: see the guitar over there. So like, this like represents me, which I think is good. But also like, is there such thing as being too busy?
[00:36:38] Dave: Because that's something I worry about this backdrop, you know? So like, what we be considering when
[00:36:42] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: comes to this theme? Yeah.
[00:36:56] Kristen Kidd: [00:37:00] [00:38:00] Let's [00:39:00] [00:40:00] bit
[00:40:30] Dave: Yeah. I like the idea of uh, these like props, but they are also representations of, you know, [00:41:00]
[00:41:27] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: right? Yeah.
[00:41:33] Dave: Yeah. Um, so I want to end on a couple mistakes that you think people are making when it comes to showing up and trying to capture themselves on camera. What are some things that people should be trying to avoid in order to represent themselves best on camera, whether it be a video or photograph?
[00:41:58] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: [00:42:00] [00:43:00] [00:44:00] [00:45:00] Yeah, yeah, get
[00:45:20] Dave: it right.
[00:45:24] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: Yeah.
[00:45:25] Kristen Kidd: hmm.
[00:45:26] Dave: Awesome. Kristen. This has been, this has been great. I know there's a lot of actionable tips that I can take because even today my lighting is terrible. So,
[00:45:39] Dave: but, uh, yeah, I'll, uh, I'll be working on that for next Um, this is great if someone wanted to learn more about. Um, and Lux studio, where could they go? Um, to kind find a little bit more information.[00:46:00]
[00:46:53] Dave: Dope. I love that. Kristen, thank you so much for being on the show today.
[00:46:58] riverside_dave_raw-video-cfr_guest_podcasts_0035: Awesome.
