Is it time for a new Business Headshot since many of us are still 'meeting' online these days?

Pennie Withers - Headshot Photographer Berkshire

With many of us continuing to work very much online these days, our business headshots have become more and more crucial in creating the right impression. As a Headshot photographer in Berkshire, I have 'met' many new clients/colleagues online via Teams/Zoom calls and Linkedin and I have found it hugely noticeable that many online profile photos are simply not up to the job of representing professionals. Many have out of date profile photos, selfies (yes, really!), holiday photos and worst of all.....no photo at all!

And yet, according to Linkedin, you are 14 times * more likely to have your profile viewed if you have a professional headshot. And with 575 million* people on LinkedIn, you really do want to find ways to stand out. But many people are still reluctant to book a session with a Headshot photographer - maybe they feel nervous about the idea or just don't know how to get the most out of the session.

Fear not - with these 5 easy tips, you can make sure your photo session runs smoothly and you come out of it with a photo you can be proud of and that you're happy to share across the ether.

Tip 1: What should I wear? I am asked this ALL the time. My answer is always the same.....

My advice is always to wear something that you feel confident in and not something you feel you should wear. Also, bear in mind that potential and current clients will see these photographs - so, I think the best advice would be to wear whatever you would wear for a client meeting.

· For women in particular here are a few general tips:

• You will always exude a much more relaxed persona when you are wearing something that you feel comfortable in. Also, you want your headshot to last more than a year, so classic, timeless clothes are best rather than something that will date.
  
• You can never go wrong with a classic, crisp white shirt which you can dress up/dress down with say, a colourful scarf/cardigan/necklace or jacket.
  
• Long sleeves are good – much more flattering
  
• Consider a jacket or a cardigan – something that can be removed/put on to give another look. (also consider scarves/necklaces which can also change an outfit)
  
• Don’t opt for busy, bold patterns – they will date quickly and also distract from your face. Consider solid colours or simple patterns

· For men in particular here are a few general tips:

• Wear an ironed shirt and also perhaps bring a suit jacket/tie so we can try a few different options. You may wear a suit for client meetings, but will perhaps consider an open neck shirt for more relaxed social media profiles?
  
• Also perhaps bring a couple of different shirt/tie combinations - you'd be amazed how different you look in different colour combinations

· For men and women:

• Remember – the photograph is only going to be you from the waist up so don’t worry too much about your lower half.
  
• and most importantly – you need to look like YOU . Don’t go trying out a completely new look!

Tip 2: Should I smile or not?

To smile, or not to smile……that is the question! Some people are very self-conscious about smiling but my view is that a photograph of someone with even the slightest of smiles will convey the impression of being far more approachable, likeable and confident than someone just staring at you. This gives the impression that you are uninterested and lack confidence. I'm sure you agree the photo below is much more appealing with a smiley face than a straight face?

Tip 3: What about my glasses? Will they be an issue?

If you wear glasses for the majority of the time, I would suggest that you have your photo taken with them (we want the photo to look like you after all!). However, I won’t lie, they do add certain technical problems when it comes to reflections. So, if you only occasionally wear them, I would suggest having the photograph taken without them.

Tip 4: I hate having my photo taken – will you be able to get a natural photo of me?

Please don’t be put off having your photo taken just because you think you don’t like doing it. I promise that I have photographed hundreds of people – nearly all of which constantly tell me they hate having their picture taken. Nearly every single one of them has left my sessions pleasantly surprised. In fact – I usually receive the (slightly backwards) compliment of ‘It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be’. Some – have even said they enjoyed it!

So – trust me – the headshot session will be very relaxed. I can direct you on how to stand, what to do with your hands etc.. if you’d like me to but usually, most people find it just comes naturally as we chat and I click away

In fact, I very recently had a headshot session with a friend of mine - so I know exactly what it's like to be the other side of the camera ! Here's the proof...

Tip 5: What sort of headshot do I need?

I can take care of the technical stuff behind the camera, but sometimes it is difficult to get an impression of what exactly you want your photograph to look like. So, the best exercise I can recommend is to spend a few minutes on Linkedin looking up people in similar professions to you and see which photos you like and equally those you don’t like! Do a quick right click and copy the photos onto a word document. Then send it through to me. This is the best way of visually communicating to me exactly what you like and don’t like!

So, hopefully that will have reassured you that a session with me as your Headshot photographer need not be stressful and maybe now is the time to update your profile photo? Afterwards, you can use it not only on Linkedin, but also on Zoom/Microsoft Teams/Skype/or other video conferencing platforms, your Facebook business page, your email footer, google my business and newsletters.

So, what are you waiting for? Now's the perfect time to update your headshot.

If you would like to book a session with me - please email me on pennie@penniewithers.co.uk or phone for a chat on 07715 889457. I look forward to hearing from you. Pennie