Head-shot: Your old one might not be doing its job. In fact that head-shot might have gotten its job on false pretenses. Your best friend snapped the head-shot ten years ago when you first started your business and you loved it. Fine. So it is unprofessional and the friend knew nothing about lighting. It neither represents you or your company at the present day.
That hairstyle is ten years old. Thus, the head-shot isn’t doing its job. It’s time to consign that old head-shot to your memory file, Instagram, or a scrapbook.
“Fire” it from your website and social media. Fire it from your company annual report pages or video, and please fire it from your brochures. “Hire” a new one that will do the job.
Your New Head Shot
We would be remiss if we did not tell you that we love to create professional head-shots for business and corporate use. Bullhorn Media is named “media” because we do both videography and photography.
This Head-shot says, “Welcome to My Business.”
But the photography “department” sometimes gets quieter notice. And it’s time to remedy that. Video gets more attention these days. Perhaps this is a cultural thing because of the popularity of video. However, we want you to know that photographic head-shots are one of the many products in our photography repertoire.
Your Head-shot, Your Company, Your Brand
The right head-shots can endorse and enhance your brand. You do not want to look out of date or unprofessional on the “About” page of your business website.
Likewise, you know that your clients check out your social media. So, you also might need to have a flatteringly posed professional head-shot that enhances your casual side without destroying your credibility.
The 21st Century Head-shot Session or head-shot “Event” Features Versatility for You (and Your Company, too!)
For example, a bank president had a traditional shot made in his mahogany office, for his website and brochures. Then, for his Facebook business page, he removed jacket and tie and posed leaning on the rail in the late afternoon light of a little local park bridge. The photographer did them in the same day. The clients of his bank loved and mentioned both head-shots in social media.
Then, during a subsequent head-shot event, he did the same type of shots for the banker’s corporate partners and managers, packaged in one afternoon. Never underestimate the power of a head-shot.
Whether you come to us or go to another professional photographer, we advise you to invest in current head-shot photos for yourself, your company staff, and your brand.
Forbes magazine stated “82% of consumers trust a company more — and 77 % are more likely to buy from a company — if the founder uses social media. Whether for a social profile or your company’s website, the quality and style of your head-shot conveys a lot about you as a person and signals how you conduct business.” And guess what? Social Media requires profile photos–yes, they are head-shots.
8 Hot Tips for Your Head-shot
A Slight Squint and a Wide Smile Can Build Your Client’s Confidence
Many people do not know what to look for in a head-shot. If you have a professional do the shooting, you need not know all the details. However, for your information, here are a few pointers.
1. Three Pro-photographer Points to Ponder
According to Forbes magazine, “Pay attention to framing, lighting, and background.” That is good advice. The typical head-shot is chest-up with good lighting on your face, and no strong dramatic shadows. We want the background to be soft or blurred, so you stand out. Likewise, if you are electing a studio style shot, your photographer might offer you a colored background. Did you know white backgrounds provide the best look on most of today’s websites? That must be because so many sites use white or light gray pages. Black or Gray looks good in print. Environmental backgrounds of your own business area could help enhance your brand.
2. Your Head-shot is not a Glamour Shot
Go ahead and look your age. You can’t lose. On the one hand, clients will see you as wise and experienced. That is, if there is some age showing around your eyes. On the other hand, your head-shot can reveal you are a young entrepreneur full of innovative ideas. Just make sure your type, age and personality all shine through.
Our head-shots strive to display the natural you, on a great day, looking your best.
Ladies should take it easy with the make-up. Today’s lenses are so sharp that too much make-up can appear harsh or unnatural. We also suggest you avoid metallic highlights on eyes or cheekbones. That type of highlight can be too distracting or shiny. You want to be taken seriously by your viewers.
3. The Eyes Have It
Your Age and Identity Can Help Brand Your Business
Your head-shot is a close-up moment with you. It is a freeze frame of your energy and enthusiasm for your business and life. Strong expression in your eyes will bring the image to life. Be sure your thoughts are focused so there is a “story” behind your eyes. Here’s our best advice: Look right at the lens as if it is your dream client, then focus, smile, and we will catch your expression.
4. What Should I Wear?
Classic, simple and professional clothing works best. If the color of your shirt or blouse is causing you anxiety, just match it to the color of your eyes. Mark Liflander, Co-Owner of LJ Studios Photography in Harrison, NY, states,
“It can be hard to carve out the time needed to take a quality head-shot, but it should be on every founder’s top “to-do” list. A good portrait photographer can work with you to get the perfect shot and guarantee that you will finish the session with high quality results, you can use in a wide variety of sizes and formats moving forward.”
5, Photoshop Gets a Bad Rep
Liflander says that there is nothing wrong with getting a little “brush up” using Photoshop. The trick is to trust a photographer to use just the right amount of retouch to emphasize not plasticize you.
6. Posing in the Head-shot Hot Seat
Our first advice as you face the camera is to simply pull yourself up tall. Do not slump. Did you know posture can shape your appearance? Of course you know that–and from that point, leave it up to the professional who coaches your pose. He or she, like a movie director, can softly guide you into a natural pose with appropriate lighting. The amazing photographer, Diane Arbus put it well, “Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory.”
7. About Sitting Tall
The professionals at Bullhorn media know how to lead you into the perfect tilt of the shoulder, turn of the head, or lift of the chin that will bring out your best. With some executives, all that need be said is that you must stand or sit up tall. But tall does not mean stiff. The big secret of professional head-shots is that even a prompted “pose” must be natural. Then you can project professionalism and confidence.
Head-shot photographers can even evoke expressions of confidence and credibility that will establish your brand.
An Environmental Head-shot Can Include Meaningful Equipment
Beyond the Ordinary Head-shot: What is an Environmental Portrait?
Many head-shots for corporate officers have become environmental portraits. The environmental portrait shows you in your element, perhaps at your desk or in front of your building. For example, an optometrist might pose near his new digital eye-examining machine. Likewise, the president of a cement company might have the background of the wall of the building his company built.
In such situations, the business owner might be more relaxed and his or her pride and energy will shine through. Perfect for the environmental look. So, we say again that it might be time to fire your old head-shot and style a new one.
A Photographic Post Script
This is the holiday season, the giving season. We know you are busily shopping for gifts. So please consider the gift of Bullhorn Photography. A Head-shot session would be perfect for the business owner on your list. If you are a business owner, you could give your company the Head-shot Event, with quick individualized sessions for your staff on an appointed day. (It isn’t like school picture day!)
And we must add, “Happy Holidays from Bullhorn Media.”