High Quality Headshots Get You & Your Business Noticed

 

 

 

 

It’s critical today to have a great looking headshot on your business media pages, from LinkedIn, your website, business cards etc. Yet most people are nervous about getting in front of the camera. Why? Because they probably never had any direction from a photographer and/or the images they’re in are not lit well.

With good direction and posing tips, a photographer should be able to put you at ease so you can look confident, approachable and convey trust in your headshot images. The two women here from a corporate shoot I did last week were both nervous at first because previously they have not had good photographic experiences. I got them comfortable and relaxed in their sessions and the resulting images conveys this.

 

How Often Should You Update Your Headshot?

Are you still pushing that Steve Jobs look in a Black & White photo? It’s time to update your look. Credits: Left Photo: Karaminder Ghuman; Right Photo: Levi Sims

Take a good look at the headshot you’re using on your business social media pages or website and ask yourself: Does this headshot still represent who I am today?

You may like that image, but say you walk into an interview or a meeting with a new client whom you connected with through LinkedIn or your business website; or if you’re an actor and walk into an audition. Ask yourself: will you be recognized as the person in the headshot?

Think about it: For women — if you have a headshot on your LinkedIn page where you’re a brunette, and you show up to an interview, meeting or audition as a blond, that could unconsciously (or consciously) be surprising and distracting to your interviewer, or at a casting call, as they were expecting someone looking different. For Men, same issue — if you have a headshot where you’re clean-shaven and show up with a beard or mustache (or you shaved your facial hair since your last headshot).

So, when should you update your headshot?

Party Photos for Business Headshots?

You’re at a party with friends and someone takes a group picture. You see the shot on your friend’s social media feed and decide to crop the photo and use that as your business headshot.

But is that the most professional way to present yourself on your business social media and your business website?

Think about this: would you wear that outfit from a party to a business meeting? Probably not. It wouldn’t look professional, or the way you’d want to present yourself in such a business environment.

So why use a party shot as your business headshot?

Consider the images above of the same person. On the left, is a shot taken at a social gathering with a group of people and cropped. Not bad for a social pic, but for a business headshot the exposure and the color is off, the background is cluttered, and chunky earrings and lace top are distracting.

The image on the right, from a headshot session, has a solid, uncluttered background, good lighting and has a professional tone. It’s a far superior image to showcase on a business website or social media sites like LinkedIn.

For your professional life you invest in your attire, your education, business organizations; and if you’re in a situation where you present information to people, you invest in the time to prepare for a presentation.

Investing in a professional headshot is one more business decision to further your career. It’s an investment that will pay you dividends.

Rob Feiner is the owner of RZF Images, a New York City professional photographer, specializing in headshot and portrait photography. Reach him at: rzfeiner@rzfimages.com  www.rzfimages.com

 

Business Prospects Should Focus on your Headshot, NOT Your Photo’s Background

The first impression someone will come away with of you on a company website or LinkedIn page is your headshot — and it’s critical to make a great first impression. Images and graphics tend to attract a person’s eye before anything else.

The main aspect of your headshot image that recruiters and/or potential clients should see is: YOU!

Don’t distract people from seeing getting the right first impression with a headshot containing a background that fights for their attention. While the background of your headshot image might be interesting, the following will occur to clients and recruiters either consciously or subconsciously:

• Your face won’t be the most memorable part of your headshot image since your background is competing with you.
• A distracting image may convey you can’t be bothered about certain business details.

Recruiters can be more attune to the second point, coming away with an impression that you’re not investing in yourself professionally with a distracting image, which may make them wonder about your attention to detail. Remember, what you put on your business social media sites tells a lot about you, in some cases even before they read anything.

It’s best to have a solid background on your headshot. White, grey or black backgrounds allow you to stand and burn a positive image of yourself into someone’s subconscious.

Take a look at the two images above. The one on the right with a white background allows your eye to focus on the subject. There’s nothing wrong with the image on the left, it looks great—if I do say so myself  🙂 — but your eye is fighting for where to focus. The solid background of the right hand image allows you to clearly focus on the subject.

Commissioning a professional headshot photographer to make your image for your business social media sites will pay dividends for you.

Rob Feiner is the owner of RZF Images, a New York City professional photographer, specializing in headshot and portrait photography. Reach him at: rzfeiner@rzfimages.com. www.rzfimages.com

Are You Hiding Something? Show Yourself and Get Noticed

Does your LinkedIn profile picture and header look like this image above? In other words, no profile photo and the default header?

LinkedIn studies have shown that users with a profile picture get 21% more views than LinkedIn accounts with no profile image.

Since your profile on social media, whether on LinkedIn or other social media (business and personal) sites are your first, you want to make the best impression possible. A blank profile picture sends a subliminal message that maybe you’re trying to hide something about yourself.

So to make the best impression to business colleagues and prospective recruiters it’s critical to have a great headshot for a profile picture. For business purposes, go with a professionally produced headshot. You’ll more likely get higher a higher amount of views for your profile vs. a smartphone photo in bad light or a cropped shot from a vacation or dinner at a restaurant.

The lighting of your business headshot should be bright and focused on you, and your background uncluttered so it doesn’t distract from your image. And it’s best to be in professional attire for your industry as well as having confident and approachable expression that will get people to stop on your profile page.

I’ve heard the excuse, “I’m not photogenic”. EVERYONE is photogenic, it’s just that you haven’t had a good image made of you by someone providing direction and good lighting and composition. That’s what a good professional headshot photographer will offer you.

Invest in yourself with a professional headshot and you’ll find will pay dividends for you long-term. And, if you’re getting a professional headshot done, also bring along casual shirts/tops to change into for your personal social media sites’ profile pics. It likely won’t cost you much more—if anything. Since you’re scheduling a professional headshot session anyway, take advantage of the time you have and make the most of it.

Now go get that headshot done and upload that image to your profiles!

Rob Feiner is the owner of RZF Images, a New York City professional photographer, specializing in headshot and portrait photography. Reach him at:rzfeiner@rzfimages.com. www.rzfimages.com

7 Seconds to Make an Impression with your Headshot

7 Seconds.

That’s how much time you have to make an impression with your social media profile photo. Whether it’s on your LinkedIn profile, your corporate website, job recruiting site or, for entrepreneurs, your small business website, you have just a few blinks of an eye to catch someone’s attention before they may move to the next profile.

Take a look at your profile pictures and ask yourself if they’re the best representation of you.

• Does it make people stop and want to learn more about you?

• Do you project confidence, trust and approachability in your profile photo?

• Is it a recent image?

• Was your current profile pic shot cut out of a group shot of you in a bar with friends, or on vacation?

• Does your skin tone look correct or is it off because of bad lighting?

• And, is your profile pic in focus?

If any of these questions raise concerns, maybe you need to think about investing in a professionally produced headshot.

Headshot photos are an investment – in yourself, and they’ll pay dividends. For example, many HR managers looking at LinkedIn profiles have noted that vacation photos in your profile – or no photo at all – implies that you can’t be bothered to look professional. That first impression with your photo may be a subconscious way to stand out from other potential job prospects they’re looking for.

Make 7 those seconds count.

Rob Feiner is the owner of RZF Images, specializing in headshot and portrait photography. Reach him at: rzfeiner@rzfimages.com. www.rzfimages.com