By Darren Saul – The Aperture Club
When potential clients, current customers and even your colleagues see your head shot–what do they see? Is it the same thing you see?
These days we are all building a brand of some sort and a quality headshot is a must! In many cases it is your photo alone that influences someone to either engage or continue swiping.. However, getting professional headshots taken can be quite a daunting experience for many. We all think we aren’t photogenic enough, our hair isn’t right, we think we are too tall/too short/too shy–and the list goes on..
Well, I’m here to tell you that none of this makes any sense–a good photographer should be able to create a fun and relaxed experience for you and ensure you walk awaywith a headshot you will be super-excited with–one you will want to share around!Here are a few tips and tricks to break down the process for you..
PREPARING FOR YOUR HEADSHOT SESSION
You can’t just shave, put your makeup on and turn up–there are lots to think about and discuss with your photographer first!
– Think about what colour background you would like and what would fit in with your site–black, white, grey, colour
– Do you want classic portrait orientation head and shoulders? Or from the waistup? Maybe landscape orientation to include more of the setting?
– Indoor (studio-style) or outdoors..
– Colour or B&W–or both?
– Choose an outfit that will match your chosen background and your site colours – avoid busy outfits
– Glasses or no glasses?
POSING DURING YOUR HEADSHOT SESSION
Now comes the fun part–posing and working with your photographer.
– Photos taken from a slightly higher angle with a longer focal length are generally more slimming
– Same for the body turned at a slight angle
– Push your forehead forward while keeping your chin down–feels strange but makes all the difference to give you that lovely jawline
– Smile or not to smile–this depends on what the photo is for–think about what message you want to send.
– What do you do with your hands? There are a million different poses that your photographer can show you
– Which is your best side? With women it’s usually the side they choose to part their hair. Take both sides though! You never know which photo will have the“magic”
– Is your tie done up properly–is your shirt creased?..
CHOOSING YOUR FINAL HEADSHOT
It’s always fun to look through the proofs–but what should you be looking for exactly?
– Look for a photo that exudes the message you want to send
– The eyes and mouth usually give it away!
– Show it to friends and family to get a second opinion..
There you have it! If you take into account these little gems you should be able to work with your photographer to create a sensational headshot that will leave them wanting more!..