It’s the photographer’s technical expertise to ensure that there is the correct type of lighting for the shoot.
However, you can get involved.
Unless you have a really strong opinion on what background or location you want, be guided by the photographer. For instance, having a shoot outside in some specific locations can be tough. Wind can disrupt hair, clothing and the background. Bright sun can bring out shadows and add unsightly reflections in spectacles.
There you have it, tip no 5 to help you, the paying customer, get the best out of your headshot shoot. If you’re In Perth, Western Australia, I’d be happy to help you achieve your best look.
I always shoot tethered. What does that mean? Well, the photographer will have a laptop connected to their camera that will instantly have the photos loaded. You can then see them as they are taken on a reasonable size screen instead of the small LCD on the back of the camera.
This enables the subject and photographer to review the images together to ensure the client (you) get photos that you will love. A good photographer will empathize and invite subjects to tell them specifically what changes they want to make. It’s normal for most of us to see our face much more critically than others, and we tend to exaggerate the flaws in our minds.
There you have it, tip no 4 to help you, the paying customer, get the best out of your headshot shoot. If you’re In Perth, Western Australia, I’d be happy to help you achieve your best look.
It can be hard for both the subject and the photographer to get a natural unforced smile.
The subject needs to be relaxed and the photographer needs to make the subject feel relaxed. There are lots of methods for this and saying cheese or being asked to “smile” are not one of these.
You can help yourself (and the photographer) by being relaxed and remembering this is not life and death or a medical operation.
If you’re relaxed, it will reflect in the photos and help represent you in the best possible way.
There you have it, tip no 3 to help you, the paying customer, get the best out of your headshot shoot. If you’re In Perth, Western Australia, I’d be happy to help you achieve your best look.
That old clique rings true. Everyone has a better side. Whether they know which one it is or not is a different matter.
Ask the photographer to take any side on poses from both sides. Better still see if you can work it out with some selfies at home before the shoot session.
There you have it, tip no 2 to help you, the paying customer, get the best out of your headshot shoot. If you’re In Perth, Western Australia, I’d be happy to help you achieve your best look.
The best headshots are from natural-looking and simple poses with clean lines. So having a pose that feels unnatural is not going to aid the final result.
I usually shoot head on first which means that the head and shoulders are directly towards the camera and then I’ll ask my subject to move around 5 degrees to one side or the other.
There you have it, tip no 1 to help you, the paying customer, get the best out of your headshot shoot. If you’re In Perth, Western Australia, I’d be happy to help you achieve your best look.
So what’s better a background of bricks or a plain white background. Most of my clients ask for white or grey backgrounds, but the odd one ask for a natural background be it a wall a tree or a vista. What do you think?
In my post You are your LinkedIn Profile Image I stated “What’s the point of being on LinkedIn if you are not going to show people what you really look like?”
So lets’ see some examples:
So Jane is this really you? You’ve got a Lamb in the photo! Might be part of your job but a lamb – really!!
Now Giovanni is this you? Can’t even see your face. Yeah I know the dog’s sooo cute. But do you think anyone who’s looking to recruit or hire you cares? Can’t even see your face for goodness sake!
Hey Bruce, Is this really you? Your kid’s cute and you’re probably a great Dad. But, mate this is business. You as a recruiter should know better. People want to know who you are and they will vet you well before they meet you. They want to know what you look like not your kid. Save that for Facebook!
Is this really you Baz? You with your brother or mate when you were (a lot) younger? Or is it your kids? Either way lovely picture but it has no place on as your LinkedIn profile image. Get a good one of you.
These look familiar to you? Actually there one even worse than these and that’s this one:
Come on – nothing, really!
If you’ve got a profile image that’s not all about you and you alone, of good quality and shows you at your best and most professional, then go get one! If you’re in Perth or coming to Perth (granted it’s a bit of challenge at the moment) I can help. Just DM me or go to wantaheadshot.com.
Showing the world some of your personal-life interests is one of the best ways to set yourself apart. Whether that’s walking your dog, reading, listening to podcasts, getting ice cream with your kids, or gardening, it’s important to ‘open the door’ on your personal self.
I don’t mean pretending (to work) I mean it’s good to give a little behind the scenes look at what your professional life looks like, have some photos taken of you working on a laptop or on your phone. These types of photos allow you to share what you’re working on with your audience especially if you post an photo that relates to the project you are working on.
Want a HeadShot? 