As waves and waves of new phones come out featuring high-quality cameras, headshots are often taken for granted. Selfies taken from your smartphone are only good for your social media posts, not your professional headshots.
It is important to take the time and spend a little money to get yourself that perfect headshot so that you have better opportunities available for you. Particularly if you are launching a new business, your headshot just might be one of the primary branding elements behind your marketing. This is especially true for some industries, such as real estate and law.
Portrays a professional representation of you
To get potential customers to take you seriously, you need to showcase yourself as the professional you are or seek to become. So, whether you are a real estate agent, a lawyer, a financial consultant, or any other profession where you regularly meet with clients, having the right headshot can create new business opportunities for you.
This is because visual representations still hold a lot of value for people. The more put-together and professional you appear in your headshot, the more motivated customers are to work with you. There are many studies found online about the positive role a good headshot or profile photo plays in creating business opportunities.
Many individuals stepping into their professional careers are often advised to make sure to get a headshot, at the very least to use on LinkedIn. Doing this rather than using selfies is proven to give a person a better chance at being hired by a client or recruited. But a professional headshot should also be used on your business website and other related online profiles. People do view them and can judge you by it alone.
Putting up professional headshots on LinkedIn and other online profiles can really amp up your opportunities. So, you should be looking for someone who can take professional headshots, particularly in competitive cities, such as Los Angeles.
It is always good to be prepared for urgent submissions
It is also important to have a few headshots ready to go, to use beyond posting to online profiles. For example, you might have one look on a given profile like LinkedIn but use another for the company website. Also, depending on your profession, you might author articles for publishing in trade magazines. They often request a headshot to go with it. The same is true for event speakers, and so on.
Now if you do not have one already, you will be left in a tight spot as generally submission deadlines are not flexible, and it is sometimes difficult to get your headshot done on a last-minute basis. Making sure you have one beforehand will make things much simpler for you.
It is essential for certain types of careers
Some career paths deem it essential for you to have a headshot so that you can showcase yourself properly. One of these is acting, where getting your headshot is a big priority. This is for film, TV, streaming or theater performances. The same is true for modeling careers.
However, acting and modeling are not the only places you will need a professional headshot. Medical school graduates opting for medical residencies often need to submit photographs with their medical residency applications. Since these photographs are used for application purposes, it is important to get the photograph right. This is best done if you opt for a professional headshot. There are specific dimensions that need to be met. So, it is natural to opt for a professional to take your headshot.
If you’re looking for good entrepreneur or corporate headshots, then you should head to a professional photographer to get one made. Be sure the photographer has a studio and the necessary equipment for a good photo. This includes studio lighting and professional-grade camera gear. Usually this means a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a full frame sensor and studio lighting. Remember, high-quality business headshots can significantly enhance your professional profile.
Some photographers and people opt to use natural light. While this can usually work, a studio with all its gear provides a more polished look. If your business is outdoors-themed, then perhaps natural light might be preferred lighting or you can opt for lifestyle headshots to better align images to your business services.
A professional headshot will leave you more prepared to properly brand your services as an entrepreneur. Even those with corporate jobs can benefit strongly from using a professional headshot for career-related online profiles. Remember that in most cases, businesses are judged by the visuals they use in their marketing and a headshot is often included in this assessment.
