Going Raw

In a Zoom call with the founders of Raw Signal last fall we talked boldly about ways that we could make new dynamic portraits for them. Their earlier photography had served them well, with a strong sense of authenticity, but I thought that it was important to not just update their pictures but also to reflect their accomplishments and confidence. They still wanted to be perceived as different from their more conventional competitors, but I encouraged them to also elevate their brand, to think of themselves as high end bespoke, rather than as young upstarts.

Raw Signal Group provides management training for leaders in growing organizations. For example, they might help a startup with the growing pains of going from a few dozen employees to hundreds. I was impressed by their balance of the practical and the humane; they believe that success comes through being people-oriented first.

When they came back to me three months later with a concrete offer I assumed that we would be smoothing off the edges, and dialing back some of my more dramatic suggestions, but it was the opposite. It was I who was double and triple checking practical checklists, and they were confirming that we are doing the shots where stuff gets set on fire.

Somewhere along the line I decided to lean into a more personal approach to portraits and not worry so much about where the market was at, and that has built me a career that I love. It’s one that often allows me to follow my instincts, rather than follow the crowd.

This one was a win-win, with Raw Signal encouraging the most creative ideas.