What is a Personal Brand?
A personal brand is the unique combination of qualities, values, skills, and experiences that defines an individual and distinguishes them from others. It encompasses how one presents themselves to the world, both online and offline, and influences how they are perceived by others. Developing a strong personal brand involves consciously crafting and managing one's reputation, communicating a clear message about who they are and what they stand for, and consistently delivering on their promises. In today's interconnected world, a compelling personal brand is essential for building professional credibility, attracting opportunities, and achieving career success. (Monarth, 2022)
My personal brand is based on emotive imagery and messages surrounding the topics of wildlife awareness and the mental health benefits of engagement with nature. I hope to be perceived as a skilful photographer and filmmaker, a kind and helpful person who values others and encourages them to connect with the natural world.
Reflection on Opportunities for Workshops and Lectures at UWTSD
As part of my personal development plan, I had the privilege to engage with the academic community and contribute to the learning environment at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) by delivering workshops and lectures. I hope that these experiences not only enriched the educational journey of students but they served as valuable platforms for enhancing my presenting, public speaking, and teaching skills.
Enhancing Presenting Skills:
Delivering workshops and lectures at UWTSD provided an ideal setting for refining my presenting skills. Engaging with diverse audiences, ranging from undergraduate students to faculty members, allowed me to adapt my communication style effectively. Through interactive presentations, I endeavored to captivate the audience's attention, convey complex ideas clearly, and foster meaningful discussions. Tailoring my presentations to different levels of expertise among UWTSD students sharpened my ability to communicate complex concepts in a comprehensible manner.
Improving Public Speaking Abilities:
These engagements significantly contributed to the improvement of my public speaking abilities. Addressing students in classrooms provided valuable exposure to speaking in front of diverse audiences, helping me overcome stage fright and enhancing my ability to articulate ideas persuasively. Constructive feedback received from students and faculty members served as invaluable insights for refining my public speaking techniques and addressing areas for improvement.
Developing Teaching Proficiency:
Engaging in workshops and lectures at UWTSD nurtured my teaching skills. Collaboration with UWTSD faculty members facilitated knowledge exchange and mentorship, enabling me to refine my teaching strategies and contribute meaningfully to the academic community. I was also able to draw on some theories I have studied at the university myself, such as Kolbs learning experiential theory in relation to the outdoor workshop. (Kolb, 1984)
In retrospect, the opportunity to deliver workshops and lectures at UWTSD was instrumental in my personal and professional growth. These experiences not only honed my presenting, public speaking, and teaching skills but also made a positive impact on the academic journey of students at UWTSD. Moving forward, I am eager to continue leveraging such opportunities to further develop my abilities and contribute to the educational landscape.
Discussing Animal Tracks, Trails and Prints with students. Photo Credit: Brett Aggersberg
As a wildlife photographer, aligning with a reputable brand within the imaging industry offers a unique opportunity to enhance my social value and credibility within the industry (Indeed, 2023).Endorsement from such a brand not only provides me with powerful tools for enhancing my photography but also positions me as a trusted authority in the realm of digital imaging.
Endorsement from a respected imaging brand would lend me credibility as an expert in the field of photography and digital imaging. (SocialMediaToday, 2008). As I showcase my wildlife captures and discuss how relvant brands have helped me to achieve these images, I would establish myself as a go-to resource for aspiring photographers and enthusiasts seeking guidance on mastering their craft.
Networking within the photography community becomes even more potent with the backing of a renowned brand. Collaborations, workshops, and events facilitated by the brand offer invaluable opportunities to connect with fellow photographers, industry professionals, and conservationists. Through these interactions, I can share insights, exchange ideas, and foster collaborations that further amplify my impact and influence within the wildlife photography community.
Ultimately, brand endorsement from an established imaging industry brand not only enhances the technical and networking aspects of my career but also elevates my status as a respected voice of authority in the space. With credibility as an expert and a robust network of like-minded individuals, I become empowered to drive positive change and make a lasting impact in areas that are important to me, through my photography.
I spent a lot of time with the Skylum team at the recent Photography show at the NEC. This was a good networking opportunity and led to conversations about future collaboration. Photo Credit: Jakub Bors
Conducting a SWOT analysis is crucial in my personal development plan (PDP). It helps me identify my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, providing insights to shape my growth strategy effectively. By understanding my current position, I can leverage my strengths, address weaknesses, seize opportunities, and mitigate threats efficiently, guiding my PDP towards success. (Pestle Analysis, 2022)
The feedback received from peers and mentors aligns closely with my SWOT analysis, providing valuable validation and guidance for my personal development journey. Peers and mentors have affirmed my identified strengths, validating my capabilities and expertise in certain areas. They have also corroborated weaknesses highlighted in my analysis, offering constructive criticism and areas for improvement. Furthermore, their insights have shed light on opportunities to leverage my strengths and mitigate threats effectively. By integrating their feedback into my SWOT analysis, I gain a comprehensive understanding of my position and a clear direction for growth and development.
The first draft of my CV, below was acceptable, but following a conversation with Mel Cameron I was advised that I would be better placed rearranging the CV so that the most relevant information to leading wildlife photography trips was at the beginning (Cameron, 2024). This feedback was mirrored by Brett Aggersberg, who suggested that while the business experience and accomplishments I have are impressive, they may be less relevant in relation to the role of a photography workshop leader or guide (Aggersberg, 2024). I was also advised to break down my skills in to separate categories, as well as removing some information such as my address.
I decided to include a personal statement to add context to my CV and make it more relevant to the role I hope to achieve. As well as my skills and languages, I included a section for objectives and causes in order to convey motivations and information that is important to me.
I feel like the final draft, on the link above, most accurately represents my suitability in leading nature photography workshops.
I decided that a presence on LinkedIn was crucial in establishing myself as a professional practitioner of digital media creation. It is also vital for me to compound on connections that I make during networking events, for example, with people or businesses who are currently delivering photography workshops that I would be interested in working with.
I also find this a very useful space to showcase work I have previously done, to a captive audience in similar sectors to previous clients (Williams, 2020).
The difficulty with LinkedIn is that I use the platform for all aspects of my working and professional life, this means that it could confuse my personal brand image. I could possibly use LinkedIn more affectively by creating a page specifically for my nature photography tuition and workshops.
My website was created as an online space that I own. Here I can showcase my best images, sell products such a prints and merchandise, write a blog and advertise services I offer. (Gibson, 2024)
I plan to use this website as a platform to provide a free digital product, which will allow me to build a mailing list of potential customers. I can then advertise my photography tuition and workshops via my website, as well as send emails to make a captive audience aware of the services I provide.
I think that my website looks professional, concise and user friendly. I decided to cycle through 3 images on the cover page, one is a wildlife image, one is a landscape image and the last is an adventure image. This matches my ‘elevator pitch’ that my photography is about wildlife, the environments that they live in and the journey of people to those places. My biography on the about page mirrors the causes I outline in both my PDP and my CV. I also use this space to showcase any awards I have won.
My logo is designed to be minimalistic while still conveying to the viewer what the subject of my photography is likely to be. The minimalistic deer design is based on one of my photographs and the fonts are strong, clear and bold. Perhaps I could improve consistency across the brand by settling on one set of fonts and changing my logo to match the font on the landing page of my website.
My instagram page is carefully curated to appear as a gallery showcasing work and projects to my growing audience. My presence on instagram can be leveraged as a marketing tool, allowing me to collaborate and achieve endorsements with and by relevant brands. I am nearing the 10,000 follower mark, which allows me to monetise my audience and offer subscriptions in return for digital products or discounts on my services. (Ranft, 2023)
An area I could improve my instagram profile is by producing more short form video content that provides value to my audience. This will help me grow my profile, as well as help me secure interest from relevant brands.
Instagram is traditionally a photography centric platform, this means that many of the users are already interested in photography. This is why I think instagram is still the most relevant social media in the digital imaging sector. (Adobe Express, 2022)
I believe my instagram profile again mirrors me as a person and practitioner, amalgamating my presence as a personal brand.
Bibliography:
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