Turning heads
Melbourne-based Headshot Photographer – aka Julian Dolman – has more than 20 years’ experience photographing actors, authors and individuals, and is now expanding into corporate team headshots. The brief was to develop concepts for a distinctive visual and verbal identity: one that would engage new audiences, especially corporate clients, give them clear reasons to choose Headshot Photographer and work across a range of brand applications.
Early research with the client set out the brand values: friendly, funny, skilled, creative, astute and considered. The brand character is a calm, intelligent film director, someone who draws people in through his work and reputation rather than by being the centre of attention. The key difference is the photographer himself: two decades of experience and a clear understanding of who he is and how he works.
The identity is built around a simple idea: the photographer is as important as the photograph. A good headshot depends on how relaxed and confident the person in front of the camera feels.
The verbal identity pairs a changing set of words with ‘Photographer’: curious, expert, human, engaging, corporate...
Together they describe the person behind the camera, not just the service. A second set of messages takes on common objections directly: Not photogenic? Can’t afford it? You can do it with AI? Won’t feel comfortable?
Visually, the identity uses subtle lens and camera cues, with a single blue dot as its focal point. A strong, bold typeface and confident colours give the brand a sense of assurance that carries over to the people being photographed. Layouts are kept stripped back and calm, in keeping with a personality that's stylish, minimal and relaxed. Blue, the client’s own starting point, adds a colour suited to corporate audiences, while black-and-white images of the photographer at work keep the focus on people.
