There are many professions that seem obviously in need of a professional headshot, but not all of us are capitalizing directly on our faces or appearances. Why in the world might a tradesman in a factory or a high school teacher with a secure income need a fancy picture for a website? For these people, the typical uses of a headshot may be unimportant, unless they are unhappy with their positions and decide to go job searching. Instead, one needs to look deeper to the personal benefits of viewing a confident photograph of oneself.
1. Utility: A professionally produced image shows that you care about your appearance. If you are concerned with how the world views you and take every step to put your best foot forward, people are more likely to expect that of you in other aspects of your life and work.
As our society moves to online resources to make us more efficient and cost effective, so does the hiring process. Websites like LinkedIn are essentially job-hunting and networking platforms and public resumes. For certain professions, these websites and how you appear on them is very important. If you were a hiring manager with an application from someone who couldn’t be bothered with posting a profile picture or completing an online profile, how effective of a hire do you think they would be? Wouldn’t you instead remember the people who had more complete profiles?
If you were a real-estate salesperson, you would want your potential clients to see a confident, charming smile so that they can start to like and trust you immediately. Few people buy from those they don’t like or trust.
2. Having someone take the time to capture you with your best, most comfortable, relaxed and confident expression is a small investment with a huge return.
People will see your picture and make a judgement. It’s like a micro-first-impression. Like before, people will not only notice the quality of the image, but the quality of your expression and the care in your eyes. If you are looking to do business with people, or sell yourself as a good match to a new organization or potential spouse or death metal band or flying circus, then you need to be present in the photograph. As a professional, it is my goal to make you relaxed, present, and to recognize and capture that fleeting moment of perfection.
3. Personal Motivation: All that other stuff has been written time and time again about personal portraits, but I want you to concentrate for a moment on how an image makes you feel. If you have a confident image that you can wake up to every day, then you can set your sights easier as a confident person.
No one wants to be considered vane or narcissistic, but we can fight against those vices so strongly that we act in demoralizing ways! Yes, you deserve to have a beautiful portrait, and yes, you can feel good about yourself!
Get the best image you possibly can. As a person dissatisfied with every image of themselves, “good enough” has to do for me. I like to ask a friend and have them pick their favourite of the images that I think are “good enough.” We’re often more critical of ourselves than our friends, and having the third party can help us make a decision.
Get the kind of image that when you look at it you say: “That’s me. Today, that’s me. That confident, intelligent, happy, go-getting, unstoppable force. That’s me.” Ultimately, you want an image that gives you pride. Something that shows the best version of yourself, the person that you can aspire to every day.
Good luck!
Thank you to all my friends who have acted as guinea pigs for my projects, allowed me to use their photographs and helped support my business. I really appreciate it!
