Approach Your Next Professional Headshot This Way

Let’s be honest, most people don’t love getting their photos taken. Cue: A lot of clients before we even meet, “let me just tell you that I hate every photo of me”. Well, golly, that’s not the greatest attitude to approach your headshots with, now is it?

Sometimes I feel like I’m the dentist the way people react to needing headshots. Rest assured, your experience with me behind the camera will be nothing like a dentist visit, and you will come away with some fabulous and authentic headshots that you can be proud of. So how can you shift your preconceived notions and attitude you ask? Think of your headshot session more like a trip to the spa… why the spa? Because your number 1 job during your headshot session with me is to breathe, relax and go to your happy place.

Why is it important to approach your professional headshots with a positive and relaxed attitude? It’s because the camera, and your images, will reflect any tension, anxiety or stress in your face and body. When that happens, your headshots will come out forced, unnatural and won’t reflect your authentic self. What exactly happens when you get tense or anxious during a shoot? There’s lots of different manifestations, but common ones include: You stop breathing and get that “deer in headlights” look; you start leaning away from the camera and your chin starts rising giving an unapproachable vibe, or you lower your chin too much and get that unfortunate double chin look.

Other signs of stress/anxiety include giving a fake smile that looks very unnatural and cheesy, scrunched up shoulders, diverting the eyes so that they are looking off to the side and not at the lens/audience, tension around the eyes and mouth that can result is extra unwanted wrinkles, and raising of the eyebrows that make you look inappropriately surprised. And believe me, I will know right away if you’re uncomfortable, and if you are, I put my camera down and we chat and make all the necessary adjustments to change your state of mind and body. Having worked with hundreds of different people all across the “tension spectrum”, I am comfortable in knowing how to turn the session around and getting rid of that tension as best as I can. Mind you, I’m not a miracle worker, but to date I have not had any “failures” in this department.
Now to the good news… what can you do to prevent and combat these unwelcome results? Easy: Just breathe, relax and go to your happy place. And remember the outcome of the final images will depend on you being comfortable and relaxed for your session. I know, you’re thinking, easier said than done, but this is also where I come into play. I am here to help you through this whole thing. I’ll give you my tips on relaxing, direct you to get your best angles and poses, let you experiment with different poses, show you the images as we go along so you can see what’s being produced and make adjustments when needed, and I’ll be your #1 cheerleader! I’m a super easy-going and friendly person, and I take my time to make the session as successful as possible. I will also tell you what’s working and what’s not, so you don’t have to guess. Communication on both of our ends is key to a successful headshot session.
Finally, remember this: Your headshot should be an authentic reflection of you in all your glory. It’s the first impression you want to make without being able to speak to the person who is “meeting you” virtually or in print. It’s not meant to be a perfect photo; it’s meant to be an authentic photo. So, breathe, relax and go to your happy place and then let’s take some photos already!
If you have any other questions or concerns before to your session, please reach out and contact me!

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