The true value of professional, creative headshots
Creative headshots = more than meets the eye
A lot of people equate good, creative headshots with the quality of the image and the equipment used during the session.
This is why many thought leaders and other high-level entrepreneurs believe that if their friend or relative owns a “nice camera” and can get their photo in focus, that simply solves their problem of creating a professional headshot that fully encapsulates their business and brand.
If it were that easy folks, that phone currently sitting in your pocket would be enough to get what you need - and you wouldn’t need to hire a professional to take it for you.
But, it takes way more than that!
Take for example a headshot session I had recently with Danielle.
Moments before we started the session, I wanted to take a test shot of her to make sure my equipment was firing on all cylinders, so, I simply had her stare into the camera - no direction on my part - just had her stand on her mark and look at the camera naturally.
This is what that image looked like:
Now, let me preface that there was thousands of dollars worth of equipment attached to this image, including a “nice camera,” but yet, her expression doesn’t serve to advance her business, brand or personality.
Long story short, the “good camera” and great lighting is merely a starting point, and NOT a means to an end.
In fact, the only purpose this photo serves is to illustrate my sentiment - and Danielle was kind enough to agree to let me use this photo in that manner.
Otherwise, this image would’ve been trashed within 2 seconds of us reviewing it!
Now, once we got rolling, Danielle was a superstar in front of the camera, taking direction and applying it flawlessly as we fired through a couple hundred images.
We definitely captured a ton of creative headshots from which to choose.
This photo is the one she ended up choosing:
Needless to say, she was very pleased with the level of improvement from the beginning of the session.
What made the difference?
Basically, the result can be drilled down to 4 main areas of focus:
Posture - positioning her in a way that draws attention solely to her face and expression.
Head angle - once the posture is aligned, turn the head in a way that powerfully addresses the camera while accentuating her natural beauty.
Jaw accentuation - jamming her forehead forward to further sculpt her face and expression for the camera - and to eliminate the possiblity of a distracting double chin
AND
Candid and revealing expression - The most important part of a headshot. This one involves the rapport she and I developed throughout, which inspired her to feel comfortable enough to let her guard down and be natural in the moment despite the contrived activity of taking a professional photo.
All of these in tandem are what separates a good headshot from one that gets you noticed and followed by potential clients.
Based on this article, how do you feel about your current, professional headshot?
Looking to update?
Schedule a call with me here and let’s see if we’re a good fit to work together.