There's a Time to Look the Part

I once wrote a story about an adorable woman and her equally adorable great-grandson about how she was raising him after his mother could no longer care for him.

We spoke for hours about a typical day and scheduled a time to come back and take photos for the story.

When we showed up for the photos, my adorable grandmother was decked out in her Sunday best, with her hair in spectacular curls and heels -- to cook with her grandson and push him on a swing.

Notice anything a little off? Well, when you're thinking visually and a photographer is filming or taking pictures of what you would NORMALLY do -- i.e. making bread, fixing cars, painting -- you need to look as natural as possible.

Though my interviewee enthusiastically wanted to put her best face forward, what she didn't do was look the part of an everyday grandmother, which was the reason for the story at all. We made it work (because I've worked with some truly awesome photographers) but capturing the heart of who she is would have been so much better if she had done more or less what she normally does.

The moral of the story? There is a time to look the part, especially when it comes to the visual telling of your story. Train horses? Get out there in your duds and show the photog what you got. Bake bread? Put on your poofy hat and go to work. Restore old cars? Don't wear a suit to get under the hood.

It makes for a more authentic telling of your story when you are authentic in your presentation.