Who needs headshots? Traditionally, only actors needed them and only for job hunting. But now, with so much happening online and in social media like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. everyone pretty much needs one! I even did some headshots for a college student last year who needed headshots to apply for waiter jobs in NYC!
Why? found this quote from Claire Boyles, who writes for a blog called Success Matters:
“A professionally taken headshot… shows people that you care about the details, and how you appear to others. It doesn’t look cheap, it looks professional, captures me in a positive light, and creates a good first impression.
Your headshot is often the first contact people have with you, especially now we’re all so active on social media (If you’re not, and you’re in business, you need to be!) If your headshot isn’t professional, it doesn’t help people warm to you, it doesn’t inspire confidence in you, it doesn’t help people trust you.”
- Find a photographer whose work you trust and who has the right equipment. It’s extremely important in the realm of headshots that a photographer have the right lighting equipment (natural lighting can be hit or miss for professional headshots, and you want a photographer who can control the light to make you look your best/most professional).
- Find a photographer who has the right personality. If they have $3000 worth of great equipment but can’t draw you out and help your personality/warmth shine through the photos, it’s not a win! How can you tell if the photographer has a good personality for this kind of work? Look at other headshots they’ve done. Do the clients look comfortable? Natural? At ease? If you are comfortable, your photos will be good. If you’re uncomfortable, it will show in the photos.
Now What? Once you have your new headshots, you’ll need to select which one(s) to use. Ask your close friends to pick their favorites. See which ones people pause at and which ones they verbally praise (both responses are good indicators). After you’ve asked around and decided which photo(s) to use, set about replacing all your online accounts with your new photo.
Tip: Use the same photo in all your professional and business platforms to create consistency and recognition.
