As a business owner, your headshot is an important part of your personal and professional brand.
You need a headshot for social media, your website, and any marketing materials you produce.
Your headshot should convey professionalism and approachability. You want people to look at your headshot and think of you as someone who is capable and reliable.
While it’s tempting to snap a quick selfie and be done with it, don’t be too hasty when it comes to this important piece of branding.
Whenever possible, it is best to hire a professional photographer — one who specializes in professional headshots — to get the job done right.
In any case, here are a few pointers to help you get the perfect headshot…
Lighting is everything
If you’re lucky to work with a professional photographer, find out if they have a studio suitable for headshots, or maybe they can bring a portable studio to you.
Natural daylight is your best option when it comes to lighting. Try to position yourself in front of a window to find soft, flattering light.
You can also venture outdoors, but you might have a hard time if the light is too harsh. Overcast days are the best for photoshoots.
If you find that there are too many harsh shadows, or the bright light is making you squint or tear up, find a partially shaded area and bounce some light off a reflector instead.
Keep your background neutral
You might be tempted to impress your audience with a flashy background or setting for your headshot.
Maybe you’d like to take a photo in your place of business, factory, or storefront, in order to tell a story about your business.
These kinds of shots are great for medium shots and long shots (photographs taken from a distance) and are great for telling a visual story about you and your business. However, when it comes to headshots (which are close-ups), less is more.
Your best choice is a simple, uncluttered background that won’t distract from your face. Remember, the purpose of a headshot is to get a good look at YOU (not the background).
Often times, when you see a headshot on social media, the image is quite small, so if you fill the picture with lots of busy background, your audience really won’t be able to tell much about you.
Solid background colours, like white or grey work really well in most cases.
Your photographer should use a shallow depth of field to slightly blur out the background to draw attention and focus to your face.
Dress for your audience
What you decide to wear for your headshot is important.
You don’t necessarily have to wear a suit or formal business wear, if that is not what you and your business is about.
If your work includes a uniform, you might want to wear that. If a registered massage therapist dresses like a financial planner, her headshot might just cause confusion and mistrust. She should wear what a client would expect her to wear on the job.
Make sure your attire conveys the image you want. If you own a gym, you might dress differently from the personal trainers that work for you at the gym.
Above all, it’s most important that you look neat and tidy, so that people would want to do business with you.
If possible, you can sneak in your brand colours into what you are wearing.
For headshots, it’s best to stick to wearing solid colours and minimal patterns, as these can distract from the face and sometimes create an unwanted “vibrating” sort of effect online.
Try not to wear too much black (loses definition) or too much white (causes glare).
Learn how to strike a pose
The right pose can make all the difference in a headshot.
Above all, you want to look relaxed and confident, so before you shoot, take a few deep breaths, and shake out any tension you may have in your face and body.
Position your body at a slight angle, relax your shoulders, and then turn your head towards the camera. Lift your chin up and out towards the camera (this will look a little goofy in real life, but really good on camera).
When you smile, smile with your eyes too, not just the bottom part of your face. Your eyes are always the main focus, so use them to engage with the lens.
A little trick you can try is to “over smile” (think Batman’s Joker) and then slowly release and relax into a more natural smile and then neutral face. Your photographer should be clicking throughout the whole transition and then toss out the earlier “too smiley” shots.
Easy on the filters
Whatever you do, don’t over-edit your headshot. You want to look like yourself.
If you erase every fine line to the point where you look like a plastic doll, it’s going to scream inauthenticity, and that will reflect poorly on your brand.
The purpose of your headshot is to introduce you — not Barbie or Ken!
A nice headshot has lots of uses and great potential to build your brand. It’s always best to work with a professional photographer. Use natural lighting and keep your background neutral and non-distracting. Choose your wardrobe carefully, with your audience in mind, and practice posing for the camera. Don’t over-edit your headshot — just be yourself!