FREE (YES...FREE!) STUDIO PHOTOS FOR YOU

WHO: me, you and a camera

WHAT: FREE business headshots for your professional network profile (i.e. LinkedIn)

WHEN: december 19th (10am to 4pm)

WHERE: a studio in downtown yyc - message me for details (see contact info below)

WHY: an opportunity to pay it forward this holiday season and help those who are working hard at finding work.  a professionally done profile photo will boost your marketability to potential employers and expand your professional network

HOW: photos will be done in a professional studio and selected high res digital images will be provided FREE of charge

studies have shown that professionally done profile photos increase your presence on social media sites and gets you noticed.  whether it is online dating or professional networking sites, a good current profile photo makes the difference on whether someone wants to take the time to learn more about you or not.  more specifically for those looking for work, a clean and accurate visual representation of you will likely lead to increased views on your profile which contains all the important information about your work experience and education. in a tough economy such as this, why would you not consider doing everything possible to make people notice you?

here are two articles which i think adequately explain the value of good profile photos for professional networking sites such as LinkedIn:

Why it's smart to have a profile photo
Why it's smart to have a GOOD profile photo

i personally have an affinity for LinkedIn because my networks helped me with two opportunities in my career, one when i wasn't actively looking for work and the other when i was.  i believe that building a professional network starts with being personable and putting a face to the name.  being faceless means being ignored and being ignored is not why you signed up to be on a professional networking site in the first place.

too often i have come across profile photos that are either non-existent or poor quality. think about some of the memorable profiles you have come across on LinkedIn...and now think about what their profile photo looked like. chances are you remember them because their photo stood out and then you took the time to read more about them out of the hundreds of other profiles you could have looked at.

this is where i hope to be of service.  like many other professionals who have 9 to 5 jobs, i also moonlight as a photographer and i want to be able to help out where i can.  i'd love to be able to hand out jobs to people who are looking for work, but that is not realistic. but through this special FREE event, my goal is to offer up my time and expertise to help others improve their profiles and get them noticed online.  who knows - that could be the first small step in finding employment again. it's not a guarantee, but it does check off that box that asks, "are you doing everything possible to make people notice you?"

space is extremely limited so book early to reserve your desired time.  limited spaces will also be available for those people who are employed and looking for a current professional headshot, but i will be asking that we use the honor system and request a cash donation to be made on the day of the event.  all collected donations will go to the Salvation Army on your behalf.

email me at d.dejesusjr@gmail.com to make a reservation and do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions/concerns.  did i mention that this event is absolutely FREE?! what do you have to lose?



de jesus. FREE professional headshots. out.

LIFESTYLE SHOOT: ANNA

you may recognize Anna from a previous client project where she was dressed as a stunning young bride back in the summer of last year.  this time around she changed her formal white dress for the more comfortable, less suffocating stretchy garments of colorful yoga gear.  Anna is a talented, hard working yoga fitness instructor here in town and wanted to be able to showcase some of her work with some professional photography. 

of course i was happy to oblige and i have to be honest in saying how easy a shoot this was.  i usually have to coach my clients to pose in certain ways to make sure their best features are accentuated while deviating away from the standard elementary school studio portrait sessions.  with Anna however, her poses were all unique and very natural - allowing me to just simply move my legs around her to find the composition and press the shutter button.  here are just a sample of the images we were able to capture which highlight just how amazing the human form is and the skill required to manifest such beautiful poses of strength and tranquility.

please check Anna out at the hotshop at the calgary NW location where she teaches yoga and spin classes and also at studio revolution where she teaches surfset yoga.  be sure to tell her i sent ya (but don't get excited, i can't get you a discount...besides - quality instruction is its own reward isn't it?)

de jesus. namaste. out.

BOOBY WHO? BOOBY U!

i was very fortunate to be asked by some of the organizers of the rethink breast cancer  foundation to help with their annual fundraiser aptly titled the "boobyball".  this very worthwhile and fun event will be held in calgary on october 24, 2013 and tickets (still available) can be purchased through their website.  proceeds from the event go to support the rethink breast cancer movement, whose aim is to bring awareness and visibility to a new generation of breast cancer supporters while providing support and research funding specifically to the young women afflicted by this disease.

of course i was willing to lend a helping hand to the cause and instead of providing direct monetary support, i chose to donate my time and am proud to offer up my services as a professional photographer  as part of their silent auction.  if you do attend the event, you will see a host of donated prizes and services offered by local businesses and your job is to bid on the items you like and wait and see if you won once the bids close.  you can bid as many times as you like and previous bids are always visible so all you need to do is monitor the items you are bidding on and be sure you are the last name on the list when time is up!

below is the poster ad i have prepared for the event, which will be showcased alongside many other great businesses.  it truly is an honor to be asked to help out and my only hope is that i can generate a few hard earned dollars for the foundation.

booby ball poster ad
courtesy: me

last year's event was camp themed and was an absolute blast, complete with live music, food and drink and fun activities to keep the party going to last call. this year the the theme this year is booby U, a take on college life and everything associated with those impressionable years *cough cough*. unfortunately, i won't be able to attend this year because of scheduled (routine) surgery, but i'm asking you to dust off those letterman jackets or cheerleading skirts and come out to support this great cause!


de jesus "i like boobies" out.