Business Headshots. They are everywhere. Facebook, Linked In, Business Cards, Billboards, Magazines. Anyone can take a selfie and use it as a "profile pic", but should you?
Obviously, I am in the business of taking portraits, so my answer is NO. Selfies have a purpose, but it is not to be used in a professional environment, for your work or to promote yourself to others.
But it can be so much more than just a photo of what you look like.
Here is one of the very best examples of why you should Begin with the End in Mind.
This is the story of Jim. Jim is a writer. A good one. Jim has already written a few published fiction novels, but his next project is his biggest yet. His publisher said, it is time to update your "About the Author" photo for the back of your new novel. So Jim called me. We chatted for a few minutes over the phone, reminisced about the family portraits I created for him over 15 years ago and set a date for his new portraits. He wanted a casual, happy photo of himself outdoors. Great! We did the session and he selected a favorite image. This image is below.
A wonderful and professional image of Jim wearing a favorite color and looking relaxed, natural and happy. Exactly what he told me he wanted.
Two days later I received a phone call from Jim. The image we created was not going to work. His published specifically said, "I don't want a photo that looks like Mr. Rogers". And that is exactly what we had created.
Our discussion led us to dig deeper into the story of the novel that Jim had written. Mystery, Intrigue, Action and Adventure. The image we had created above did not give the idea that this author could produce a believable novel with those elements. That photo portrayed a writer who may have written something closer to a Hallmark Movie.
So Jim came back in. With a different look and a different mindset, we created the image below.
Now THIS is what the publisher wanted!
If we had begun with the end in mind, we could have saved ourselves some extra work and little frustration. It is such a great reminder to me, to ask questions and get to know my subject a little before just "taking a photo".
You have heard the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words", right? We just need to be sure we are telling the story that wants/needs to be told.
Here is the link to PREORDER Jim's amazing book:
Infinity's Gateway
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1631951106/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_t1_-iL.Eb5T29CCS
