The Headshot Refresh

182.

That’s the number of corporate style headshots Minick Photography, LLC has shot already this year for its clients…and it’s only the end of February!!!

Why so many?

I think folks are catching on to something I talked about a while back – fresh, professional headshots make a difference.

Sure, you can grab a quick selfie with your smartphone and add all those crazy, super slimming and age defying filters. Those are ok for Facebook (hint: your friends know what you’ve done!) They are straight up are terrible for LinkedIn and other professional uses.

Let’s face it (pun intended):  In today’s fast paced, high tech, social networking, multi-tasking, crazy world, first impressions are even more important than ever. Something as simple as a good looking, professional headshot can help accomplish this.

It doesn’t matter what your title is – or – the size of your company, you need to make sure the headshot you attach to your professional touchpoints doesn’t look like your yearbook photo from 1985.  You want to clearly represent who you are TODAY on things like:

  • Press releases,
  • Posts on your website
  • Professional social media accounts
  • Your company’s website
  • Marketing collateral.

My rule of thumb:  Headshots should be updated every 3-5 years unless your look has drastically changed.  

It amazes me how many times I am out shooting new staff headshots for my clients and get told:

  • “Just use the old one.”
  • “I had hair then.”
  • “I weighed 30 pounds less.”
  • “I just looked better 25 years ago.”

I seriously heard almost every single one of these lines recently during a large headshot session. 

Really?

A headshot from a session on City Island.

I understand why folks hesitate and aren’t always confident in their own appearance, but do you really want to have a 10 or 20-year old photo represent you now?

We all want to look younger, but when a potential customer strolls into your business looking for the 30-year old with a thick head of hair – but, instead – finds the 50-year old bald guy sitting in the boss’s chair they may think twice about how you have represented yourself from the get-go.  (On a side note:  I hear bald is beautiful!)

Ladies.  The same goes for you, too.  Hairstyles change (remember the “Big Hair” of the ‘80’s?), and that change can make you look unrecognizable at your first face-to-face meeting with a client.

Now before you decide you can use those crazy selfie filters or the over-done photoshopping techniques to drop 20 pounds or eliminate every single wrinkle and pore, realize that one-click buttons are just not made for professional photos.  I’ve seen photos of people who appeared to have melting skin and/or a plastic-like finish. 

No one looks like that in person.   No one.

That said, I do some light retouching for sure at Minick Photography.  There’s nothing wrong with softening some wrinkles, reducing dark bags under eyes and eliminating the blemishes…but everything in moderation.  And I can assure you that it’s more than one-click to get this to look just right.

Don’t sweat it!   As a professional photographer focusing on corporate marketing, I have a knack for making my subjects look good at any age, size, or shape!

And, if you’re curious about what actually happens in a headshot session with Minick Photography, keep an eye out for our upcoming post that will break down the workflow of a session from set-up to selecting finished photos.  You’ll learn my techniques for getting folks comfortable in front of the camera.

How long has it been since your last headshot?  If you think it’s time to update yours, check out our work at Minick Photography and contact me today to get yours scheduled!

(Jason Minick, is owner/photographer at Minick Photography, LLC)

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