Professional Headshots 101
Customers and clients decide to purchase from your business when they trust you. And they can more easily trust you if they can see you, and know a little bit about you. Right?
What follows are a few quick tips to make sure that you get the most out of your new headshots...
Photo credit: Portrait Photography by Oren Sew
1. Consider your Branding
Are there certain colours in your logo, on your website, on your business cards and on your social media that you use consisently? (if not, let's talk)
Use those same colours in your headshot - or at least use colours in your headshots that don't clash with your branding colours.
2. Get Prepared
Make sure your eyebrows are under control, have your hair done, and have your make up done (professionally, if possible). You want to present your best version of yourself!
3. Pay for Quality Images
While it might be tempting to ask a friend with a cell phone to take your headshot, this is one area where you usually get what you pay for. Don’t damage your professional image with an amateur headshot. Save yourself money and aggravation in the long run by doing it right the first time. Using a professional photographer is a bargain compared to the value you get — not to mention the real harm a bad or even not very good photograph can do to your image.
4. Rise!
Sit up straight and look up at the camera. Put a twinkle in your eye!
5. What should I wear?
Wear flattering clothes that you feel comfortable in.
Choose a professional suit or business-oriented outfit that has a classic look: you shouldn’t be able to tell what decade it is in the photo. Don’t choose anything with bold, distracting patterns or colors, unless you can layer a plain blazer or sweater over it so not much of the pattern is showing and you get just a pop of color.
Clothing with tight grids or a small herringbone pattern can have a moiré pattern effect on camera, so stay away from grid-like patterns. Thin stripes are okay.
Try not to wear stark white unless it’s under something, such as a suit jacket, cardigan, or sweater. V-necks accentuate the neckline and generally look best on women. Just don’t choose something with too low of a neckline: no cleavage. And no turtlenecks: they tend to make people look like they have no neck at all in photos.
Try to stay away from short sleeves or tank tops: executive headshots tend to look better without bare arms, but if you'd like to try showing arms in a sleeveless blouse or shift dress, we could make it work. Just bring a blazer or sweater to put over it as an additional option.
For jewelry, go for something small, classic, and not very reflective or flashy. Earrings shouldn’t dangle more than an inch from your earlobe. Simpler is always better, so if we notice your jewelry before we notice your face, we may ask you to remove any excess jewelry.
If you are in the central Alberta region and would like some photographer suggestions, just send me an email and I'd be glad to recommend a couple that might best suit your style.
