Heading for Success - Why a professional headshot is a no-brainer
A professional headshot is essential for anyone looking to portray themselves well online. Gone are the days when the only people who needed to worry about having a first-class headshot were aspiring actors. These days, whether they run a vast corporation or teach yoga via Zoom in their spare time, everybody’s responsible for their own ‘brand’. If you have any kind of online profile, it’s vital to ensure you’re being shown in your best light.
Do I really need a headshot?
People like to connect with other people, and having a clear idea of who you’re dealing with helps any kind of interaction. This applies particularly in business, where trust needs to be established as quickly as possible - whether this is a customer feeling comfortable ordering a product from your website for the first time, or an employee sourcing a subcontractor to help deliver an important project on time.
Many people will get a photo taken of themselves specifically for their LinkedIn profile. (Although remember that any potential employer looking you up online is also likely to find you on Facebook, as your profile picture will be visible even if your posts are private, as well as Twitter, Instagram, and so on.)
If you’re the owner of a small business, then you are literally the face of that business - and your customers are far more likely to make that initial connection if the About page on your website features a great photo of you.
Can I use one of my own photos as my headshot?
Most people have at least one photo of themselves that they like, and it’s tempting to just use that. But, wait! Is it really suitable for business use? That slightly out-of-focus shot the waiter took of you on the last night of your holiday might show your fun side, but might not give quite the right impression to potential customers - even if you do crop it to hide the massive cocktail you were holding at the time. Any kind of selfie is probably a bad idea. Mobile phone cameras are pretty excellent these days, but they do tend to have fairly wide-angle lenses, which can distort your face. Also, people taking selfies tend to look at their phone’s screen rather than the lens, which results in an off-putting, disengaged look.
And this mainly applies to the men, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking that by cropping your spouse out of one of your wedding photos you can create a serviceable business portrait! It rarely convinces anyone.
Essentially, if somebody else can take your picture specifically for the purpose you’ll get a better result, and if you can find someone with an understanding of light and who has the confidence to give you some direction in terms of your pose, expression, and so on, you’re onto a winner. You don’t necessarily need a full studio set-up to get a great headshot, but you do need to be properly lit and positioned.
How often should I update my headshot?
The recommended shelf-life of a headshot is around two or three years. Sadly, aging is inevitable, and a new hairstyle, weight loss or gain, or changes in fashion (headshots don’t feature a lot of your outfit, but key elements like the collar are likely to be visible) can also mean it’s time to get an update.
Bear in mind that if someone who’s meeting you for the first time has seen your picture online and find it looks nothing like you, that’s going to affect their perception of you. An outdated profile picture can bring with it all sorts of negative connotations - suggestions of dishonesty, vanity, or just plain laziness - none of which are likely to help with that first impression.
How do I get a professional headshot?
The good news is that hiring a professional headshot photographer doesn’t have to break the bank. Some photographers will have particular days where they open their studio or hire a suitable venue and you can book a short slot to go in and have your headshot taken. This is by far the most economical way of doing it, but you can feel a bit like you’re on a conveyor belt and if you’re not immediately comfortable in front of a camera, you may not be happy with the end result. At the other end of the scale is to book a private session with a studio photographer and benefit from a much longer shoot, with plenty of time to relax, try different looks/outfits/backgrounds. This of course involves a much bigger fee.
Personally, when it comes to headshot photography, I aim for somewhere in the middle. I have a portable setup that I can bring to your home or workplace, so you can be on familiar territory (and you don’t have to traipse into a town-centre studio carrying a bunch of different outfits and worrying about where you’ve parked the car!). My headshot photography fee covers an hour’s photography, which is typically enough to get plenty of shots to choose from, and even try out a different outfit or lighting set-up, so you can get a selection of images that really work for you.
The cost of a professional shoot might put some people off, but think of it as an investment. Most people wouldn’t think twice about getting a haircut and buying a new shirt or dress to ensure they look their best for a first date or a job interview, but spending money on “just” a photograph of themselves somehow feels like an extravagance. It shouldn’t: these days that photo could be the first thing about you any future employer, your next customer, or the potential love of you life will ever see, and you owe it to yourself to make that first impression count.
