Friday, December 9, 2011

A new me

With thanks to my lovely and talented photographer friend, Dan O'Brien, Emmie-The-Author now has a new look! Up to now you've seen me looking like this:

I still love this picture, which was taken by DeanFun-pants-Hayley in an impromptu photo sesh in her loungeroom, but I needed a proper, 'grown up' photo to use now that I'm officially appearing in places like Amazon, etc. So this is my new look:

We took the photos at the gorgeous Greengrocer Cafe in North Fitzroy. Kudos and much thanks to the lovely staff there who allowed us to fill a corner of their bustling establishment with photography equipment and, well, me.

It's incredibly difficult to be objective about photos of yourself. I admit to asking Dan if he could photoshop a couple of them just "so they looked a little less... like me." To his credit, and testament to his portrait-taking experience, he just nodded and said something reassuring and then asked me to lift my chin and kept clicking away.

I like the teapot in the shot, because it references one of the critical ingredients for my writing -- a good cup of tea. (Right now: Husk Green Lapacho.)

Hope you like them.

17 comments:

  1. Great photos. Love love love the second one.

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  2. Love, love, LOVE the photos! Also love the teapot. I've been getting into tea lately, after my trip to China, finishing off most nights with a cup or two of aged puer tea. Looking forward to reading your books next year.

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  3. They look great Emmie! The Greengrocer is one of my favourite haunts when I go to Melbourne.

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  4. Thanks JJ and Susan! It's kind of a nerve-wracking thing to do, because basically I'm "re-branding" Emmie and to have to do that with a photo of myself is, well, a little scary... Really appreciate your feedback!

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  5. Thanks Keziah! Love the Greengrocer -- there's something special about sitting surrounded by organic produce while you eat. Not to mention the food is awesome. Love their breakfasts in particular...

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  6. Gorgeous photos. You look pretty AND natural!!

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  7. The photos look great Emmie. Your new 'brand' is gorgeous, even though I do really love the spunky shot of you in the hat :) What an interesting thing to consider - how to appear to your readers! Was it difficult to decide on a new look?

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  8. You look beautiful, Emmie. These are the kinds of photos your readers will look at and love to imagine you writing the books they love to read.

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  9. Thanks Rachael and Madeline!! Madeline -- yes, I put a lot of thought into this -- the clothes, the make-up, the location. My background is in PR and communication, so I probably 'over-thought' it all, to be honest! But I do think an author's photo is their brand (covers don't really work -- they change too frequently), so I figured it's worth investing some time and effort into it. I'm lucky to have some professional friends in the industry who could help out, too.

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  10. The pictures are fabulous Emmie! I love the one with your hand on the wall - it's like you're opening the door to your home and welcoming someone in!

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  11. Thanks Anna! I do hope that comes true!

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  12. Thanks Debbie -- I hadn't thought about it that way, but that's a really nice way of looking at it!

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  13. Emmie, you look gorgeous. Lovely pics!

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  14. It's so hard to do something different with author photos, well done for getting a look that is fresh, lovely and *you*

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  15. Aw, thanks Serena, you're so sweet!

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