Do you use your face to sell a product or service? Do you value making client relationships last? Yes? Then you need to invest in your own face a little bit more! Many people who need headshots, fail to invest in this one area of their public persona. A set of good headshots will have the following qualities:
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Clean Editing – No “fancy filters”
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Complimentary lighting and color correction
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Professional Skin Retouching (editing)
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Direction & Posing from the photographer
Where to Start?
As much as you may want to use your favorite SnapChat Selfie, you know it’s not the best choice! 😂 Even the best SmartPhone Ninja cannot replace a decent photographer.
So your first step is to find a photographer. This can be by personal referral, local Google Search or even through a referral website such as Thumbtack.com.
Don’t go choosing the first camera-wielding-joe you see online. Make sure to look at their portfolio. A good website that is easy to navigate and has current portfolio on it, is a good sign. Once you find photographer options, you should start to get a feel for styles and price ranges. This will help you plan an ideal budget around what you need.
This brings us back to your initial reasons behind getting headshots done:
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To put on a business card – This will help leads and clients remember who they are working with.
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To put on your website – This will introduce you to leads and help clients remember who you are.
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To use in print media – Speaking at a conference? Need a headshot for their program? Print ad’s or features all need a great image to go along with copy. Be ready!
It’s good planning to have these headshots in a digital press folder ready to go. This eliminates the runaround scramble to get them done.
Also, I cannot stress enough that you must feel comfortable with your photographer of choice. Not only for your own safety, but for what you will end up with when the shoot is over. You want your photographer to work with you to achieve your natural self. You want your headshot to look approachable and professional.
CAUTION: NEVER EVER meet someone you do not know in a secluded location (outdoor or home studio). If you are meeting a photographer for your session, make sure to bring a friend. If you cannot bring a friend, tell someone where you are going and what the timeline is and be sure to check-in with them. In addition, meet them at a more public spot, such as a cafe near the shoot or a public library. I am not overly-paranoid, but I use this method in reverse when meeting clients I meet via Google or Thumbtack. Do as much “online research” of your photographer. Any real photographer should have a decent online footprint such as a reputable website, Facebook and/or instagram presence and more..if not, you shouldn’t be paying them for portraits. I would take at least 15-minutes of online research to make sure you know WHO you are meeting.
How often should you update your headshots?
Photography itself tends to look dated 3-5 years apart. With that said, your Personal Headshots themselves expire in about 1-2 years. Consider the fact that your personal style and hair changes over the course of a year. And as much as you don’t want to admit it, you do get older, and it shows! If you photographed outdoors, your portraits will have a bit of a seasonal stamp on them as well.
Seasonal Examples:
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Using a cooler image in the middle of summer looks depressing and uninteresting.
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Using a cooler image in the middle of winter, seems fitting, cozy and in-season. (i.e. wear a seasonal top, like a cozy sweater)
A a solo-preneur should get standard headshot re-takes every 1-2 years.
TIP: Plan ahead with your photographer. In some cases, planning ahead may offer an opportunity to work out a deal for two different shoots in the same year. I know that if I can count on my client to come back in 4-months, I can make it financially rational for both of us.
What time of year should you do your headshots?
In most cases, it’s in our human nature to put headshots off your list until you have an immediate need for them. This places the photographer on an tight turnaround schedule. And that’s fine as long as you communicate this before you commit to a photo shoot. I have learned to expect that a headshot client is needing these images within 24 to 72 hours… or sooner in some cases!
All that in mind, sometimes you may not be able to choose the time of year, becuase you need them,”..tomorrow!” If I was definitely going to choose a time of year, I would opt for late summer to early fall. Your skin usually takes on that summer glow which is nice to look at any time of year.
For the majority of portraits, I much prefer outdoor vs. indoor. Especially here in the beautiful state of Oregon. Outdoor headshots lends to much more personality and flavor to who you are and what you do. Even if the backdrop is going to be blurry. Realistically, outdoor headshots can be done any time of the year. Utilizing buildings, tree’s and non-rainy days, works out just fine!
In this article, I am referencing the person needing Individual Headshots. The investment is low and provides a good variety of head and shoulder shots with optional outfit (top) changes. I also provide the hi-resolution digital files so you can use them in many ways to market yourself. I provide a variety of of headshot portrait options on my services page.
Individual headshots are great for anyone:
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Real Estate Agents
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Insurance Agents
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In-Person Sales People
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Banking & Lending Officers
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Author’s, Musicians and Artists
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Speaking Engagements (Conference Programs and PR)
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Actor / Model (keep it simple here or see the section for this)
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AirBnB Profiles for more urban, professional spaces
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Bloggers
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Online Social Profiles: LinkedIn, Facebook Business, Google Local Business and more…
