Beyond the Basic Headshot. Make a Dynamic First Impression
Not the boring portraits of the past.
We often recall the class photos from school as an example of a headshot or professional portrait. The photographer comes in for a day and everyone has as the same pose, same lighting, same smile, same background. It may be good as a documentary class photo but that’s about it. Today’s professional headshots have evolved to be so much more. A good headshot portrait says something about you. Are you a scientist, a happy hair stylist, a confident lawyer or serious negotiator, a likeable sales professional, a trustworthy business owner, or a highly qualified competent expert in your field. Whatever your vocation, it’s important that you’re headshot says something about you. It’s the first impression most will see before interacting with you. Are you professional? Do you have a pleasant disposition? Are you knowledgeable? Are you approachable? Do you get along with others? Are you a thinker, a problem solver, a collaborator? Are you the person that employers want to hire?
5 tips to help your professional headshot standout.
List a few adjectives you want to convey. Or alternatively, if someone saw your image for just 2 seconds and then had to describe you, what would you want them to say? Communicate this with your photographer. It will also help provide you with a variety of looks for different purposes, social media, etc.
What you feel inside will show outside. Clear your mind of anxiety, worry, and negative thoughts. Don’t schedule a session just before a highly stressful meeting or review. Plan for a time where you can just relax and be yourself. It’s normal to feel nervous or apprehensive in front of a photographer. If they’re professional they’ll be able to make you feel comfortable and at ease.
Dress for success. Match the clothing with the attitude you want to convey. Consider 1 or 2 clothing changes (dressy/formal vs business casual vs relaxed) depending on the mood to convey. More formal for professionals and business, more layers, style and bling for creatives etc. In most cases the “eyes go where the skin shows” so long sleeves will help keep the attention toward the face. Dark, neutral, and cool solid colors work best with most skin tones. Avoid loud and distracting patterns (unless your selling the clothes).
Sit up straight, chin forward and down. Your photographer will help with this but a good posture and a good jawline go a long way to making you look great. A slight lean toward the camera will make our eyes larger while making our bums look smaller.
Trim the locks. It’s best to see the hairstylist about a week or so before the photo shoot. For men, don’t forget to trim the beard/mustache. For women, while a professional make-up artist is nice (and we can make arrangements) it is not required. Unless your in fashion, acting or television, your normal make-up routine will work. Use oil free foundation that matches your skin color (particularly in the neck/chest area), normal mascara, eyeliner. Lipstick and blush can be slightly darker than normal because strobes can wash those out a little, but don’t overdue it.
Have fun with it, enjoy it, be a bit playful and you’ll enjoy the photos for several years to come.