It was an absolute delight to collaborate closely with Joanne as she embarked on her new role as a funeral celebrant. I can see that her warm, friendly, and personable nature would make her perfectly suited for this important work. Joanne has a wealth of experience in the funeral industry, but she was looking for new professional headshots for her celebrant work. Our focus was to capture Joanne’s unique personality and create a genuine connection with prospective clients seeking her services. As Joanne understood the importance of visual representation in establishing trust and rapport with clients.
I asked Joanne to tell her a bit more about what she does and her experience of a professional headshot session with Lizzy C!
What do you do? Tell us a bit about what you do.
As a funeral celebrant my role is to provide support and guidance at one, if not the, most difficult times of a person’s life. I meet with a family and ask all about their loved one who has recently passed away, find out their life story, values and beliefs and what they would have wanted their final farewell to include. I then go away and create a customised funeral service that would reflect the essence of that person, including any readings, music and rituals or traditions. On the day I officiate the service and coordinate with the funeral director, speakers and/or musicians to create a safe space that is supportive for the family to share memories, laugh, cry, grieve and celebrate their loved one’s life.
Tell me about how you got into your field
Having been a funeral director myself for the past 14 plus years I knew that I wanted to continue to work in the funeral industry albeit in a new role. I wanted to continue working with families but from a different perspective, so after many months of consideration I took the leap, left my full-time employment, completed a celebrancy course and took on a 6-month mentorship under a very experienced funeral celebrant, grief counsellor and end of life and funeral advocate.
What is the best piece of career advice you’ve received?
Establishing boundaries with the families I work with must be the best advice I have ever received as a funeral director or funeral celebrant. Dealing with grief and loss can be very emotionally taxing, so it is crucial to prioritise self-care and establish boundaries to maintain my wellbeing.
Why did you choose to have professional profile photos taken and what will you use your portraits for?
I chose to have my photos taken to help present a polished and professional look. I believe they will help to create a positive first impression for anyone looking to find a celebrant and they might ‘feel a connection’ with my look, after all I will be the one standing up at the lectern presenting their loved one’s funeral service.
Why did you choose to hire Lizzy C Photography?
After quite a lot of googling I decided to engage Lizzy C Photography because I liked the variety and styles of the portraits she had on her website. I thought she showcased the style of photo that I wanted to align with my vision and how I wanted to present myself and her reviews were positive.
Tell us about your experience working with her. Were you happy with the results of your shoot?
I am very happy with the results of my photo shoot with Lizzy. I arrived 10 minutes prior to my appointment time, and she spent some time with me looking at the different clothing and props I had brought with me, making suggestions about which clothes to wear inside/outside and the different backgrounds we could use to get the best results. I didn’t feel rushed at all and we chatted throughout the entire shoot.
Being someone who isn’t a fan of having my photo taken I was very happy with how at ease I felt, and the resulting photos Lizzy produced.
