Happy New Year! I hope 2018 is as prosperous for each of you as I hope it will be for me. I am starting the new year by sharing a little advice below that I strongly suspect will give you a boost in your search for business prosperity this year.
I spend 80% of my professional photography time working with individuals and corporations on headshots. It is a daily thought and a daily ritual for me. As such, it is easy for me to believe that everyone knows the importance of a professional headshot. I recently was reminded that my assumption (as most assumptions are) was untrue.
I had a client come to me for headshots just before Christmas. This client is a very established and successful professional, but had not had ANY professional images created since their wedding (a period of over 20 years). I was a bit shocked to hear that, so I asked for the reason. The client told me that things were successful enough and the thought of the professional headshot seemed to be unimportant. Then, my client was notified that the board was considering adding him to the board as a Director. At that point, the client realized that it was time to create a professional headshot for the interview process.
You don’t have to be a Director or senior officer in your organization to commission a great professional headshot. There are advice columns all over the net that implore everyone to get a professional headshot – from the entry level employee all the way up to the CEO.
Below is an except from a Huffington Post article written by Melinda Emerson back in 2015 (full article HERE). While a few years old, the advice is spot on:
- Hire a professional photographer and makeup artist. A photo from your iPhone will not do.
- If you need to tweak your style, hire a professional stylist to go shopping with you to pick out a few outfits that would be flattering in a headshot.
- Select at least two looks to be photographed, (pick a colorful jacket or tie and avoid black or white).
- Plan on spending at least $500-$1000 for what you need.
- Be sure to get .jpeg and high resolution .tiff files so you can use them online and in print.
It is important to have a visual brand that presents you in the best light, with an up-to-date look. Invest in a new headshot today; it could do wonders for your business.
Call the STP Images studio for more information or to book your headshot today!