Having your headshot taken sounds worse than a trip to the dentist right? For most of us, the word headshot = mugshot. As if we’ve done something wrong and now deserve to get photographed for it!
Or, we have flashbacks to school portraits - with those mottled grey-blue backdrops. Or, worst of all: headshot = drivers license photo. Gasp!
Hands up if you’ve got a decent one of those? Nope, me neither.
Fortunately, your LinkedIn profile image doesn’t have to look like any one of those. The trend in photography today is moving away from overly posed, stiff portraits and more towards corporate portraits that are casual, relaxed, and no longer cringe-worthy.
So why you should have your corporate portrait taken by a professional?
You are presenting a professional appearance
Imagine for a second an HR manager recruiting new staff members. A pile of CVs lands on their desk and half of them have spelling mistakes. Those CVs go straight to the back of the pile, or straight into the bin. Would you submit a CV with spelling errors? Unlikely!
Now let’s think about the same HR manager researching their candidates online. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for business networking and recruitment - but if you’ve got that selfie you took on the beach or a picture of your puppy as your profile image, are you giving out the impression that you are a professional?
A badly pixellated cellphone image is akin to the CV with the spelling mistakes. On the other hand, a well-composed, well-let, well-styled photograph speaks professional, confidence and approachability.
“But my friend has the latest smartphone and it’s got a great camera! I’ll just get her to take a photo for me”.
Your friend might have mastered her angles for the perfect selfie, but does she know how to work with natural light, or how to pose you to flatter your body type?
You are representing your company or your brand
Having a professional portrait on your “biography” or “about us” page gives your business a personal touch. People want to deal with people, and put a face to a name, instead of just reading lines of text about the company and its staff.
Having your staff photographed by the same person or at least in the same style also gives your website consistency. And consistency is another key to professionalism.
These images can also be used across all your social media platforms, and well as in your marketing and branding collateral:
Website 'bio' / 'about' page
LinkedIn profile
Facebook Business page
Instagram
Blog
Guest articles
Press releases
Annual reports
Magazine features
Company brochures
CVs
Interview features
etc
Would you be happy with an employee using a selfie on any one of the above platforms? No? Then you shouldn’t be using one either!
Still not convinced?
A current profile image keeps you up to date
I often look up potential clients on LinkedIn and other social media platforms before meeting with them. I like to know who I’m looking out for when I walk into the coffee shop or boardroom.
Your profile image should be current - I recommend a new portrait every year, more often if you change your appearance e.g. dye your hair a different colour or shave off your beard.
Ready to update your portrait?
Ultimately, your professional portrait image is an investment which you will be able to use on multiple platforms. At Rock and Rose Studios, we consult with you before the shoot to plan out exactly what you need so we can achieve those results for you.
The key to any successful headshot session is feeling comfortable with your photographer, which is why we like to find out what makes you tick before you step in front of the camera.
Do you need 100 staff photographed on the same background? Does your website require horizontal, square or vertical images? Do you require special editing or group shots? These are just a few of the questions we might ask you to get the basics sorted.
While the basics of headshot portraits are the same, your session might be styled differently depending on your profession. If you are a lawyer, you’re going to be styled in a different way to a personal trainer. We’ll help you put together outfit ideas, and should you wish to, you can add on the services of a personal stylist and a hair and makeup artist.
Yes, let's do this! Time to rock my profile!
Drop us a mail on rockandrosestudio@gmail.com and we'll schedule some time to chat about your portrait session booking. You can also connect with us over on Facebook.
Imagine your profile image as the logo for your brand.
What does yours represent?
Posted by
Leigh Laskey
Image credits
1, 5, 8: Dean Goosen/DGR Photography/Rock and Rose Studios
2-4, 6-7: Leigh Laskey/Leigh Benson Photography/Rock and Rose Studios