By now you might have realized the importance of a Headshot Portrait image for personal branding needs and ready to choose the best professional to capture an image for your needs.
How do you decide types of headshots or location vs backdrop?
Consider image in the left, its a great photograph, stands out, beautiful and emaculate makeup, lighting – one of my favorite portraits.
Had the model used this image to represent herself as an engineer, nurse, politician, successful Realtor – would it work? The answer is an obvious, no.
Here is the image of a client who has since become a great ally and friend. She has an incredible personality and is an innovative thinker with lots of wisdom. Would you say that this is an adequate Headshot to represent her skills and experience? Is this an image that arouses the curiosity of her potential clients? The answer is an obvious, yes.
Your headshot is an opportunity to say thousands of things without having to write any content, speak to the sub-
conscious mind of your future client, investor or partner. The viewer is forced to listen when viewing a Headshot image, rather than choosing not to read all the boring jargon.
You can accomplish that by;
a) hiring a great photographer and
b) bringing yourself to a meaningful place, mentally and or physically
In this Headshot my client wanted a certain background as a backdrop we scouted the location that made her feel relaxed, heard and acknowledged. While we don’t see much of the background that was so important to our portrait model… She found what she wanted and felt fully relaxed and it was at that point in time that we found her greatest image.
Some clients on a tighter budget may choose to do a simple portrait image with a backdrop, most of my Headshots are captured with a black backdrop. But my favourite images are taken outdoor. If cost is a priority, one can get an acceptable headshot with a black backdrop, have the photographer clean up the shoot in post-production and now you have a headshot that will represent you well.
Sometimes the opposite becomes true the studio experience becomes the better headshot. Why not have the images taken outside and outdoor, it will stretch your budget a little, but consider that your Headshots are working for you 24 hrs, 7 days a week, even while you sleep.
Tomorrow we will cover possible styles of finishing.
