It’s Time To Update Your Headshots Today!
Why You Need New Headshots
As you know, a headshot is your first impression to anyone who’s looking to hire you. You always want to make it count. What people don’t mention enough is the importance of keeping your headshots up to date. You may think, well I just took some not too long ago, and I spent a pretty penny on it too. Well as time goes on, things change like your appearance and your job opportunities.
There are plenty of reasons why you’d may need new headshots. If you’ve changed anything about how you look, you’ll need something to reflect your new appearance. Maybe your current headshots aren’t helping you secure the jobs you want. Or maybe, they simply don’t look good enough to impress someone who could hire you. These are common problems that can mediated with the right photographer.
Let’s talk about these issues and see how we can help you get you the right kind of headshots that meet your needs.
Timing And Styling
Sometimes we think can get by with the same old headshot we’ve been using for years. Obviously, things change with time. You won’t look the same as you did last year, or even last month depending on your grooming habits. Even if you don’t look too different from your current headshot, your headshots can get stale based on the current trends in style and commercial aesthetics.
Styling choices also influence how your headshots are perceived by employers. Your past sense of style, professional or performance-oriented, can send off the wrong signal to people looking to hire you. You want to look like you’re up-to-date with the current trends, otherwise you’ll seem a bit out of place compared to your competitors.
Your Current Headshots Might Be Too Old
If you’re a performer going into an audition, judges want to hire you based on your current look. Similar rules apply for professional interviews, whether we want to admit it or not. If your headshots don’t match what you look like when you walk through the door, you could potentially be looked over as a “catfish.” Of course, we want to be considered for our talents and abilities over our looks, but unfortunately, the reality is often much more superficial.
We don’t want to be disqualified based on something trivial, so we have to put our best foot forward no matter what. That included having a great headshot that signals our willingness to look the part as well as excel in our potential role. Keeping your headshots up to date whenever you make significant changes to your hair, face, or body gives us the best chance for people to know exactly who they’re going to see when we finally meet them in person.
Poor Styling Choices Can Ruin A Great Headshot
The purpose of a headshot is to see you at your most natural and most current look. Depending on the job you’re looking for, you typically don’t want too much makeup or extravagant styling if you’re going for actor and modeling roles. Model digitals, for example, usually suggest minimal makeup with a T-Shirt and Jeans as a style template. Actor headshots can be a little more glam, but not too much, and basic clothing as well. Dancer headshots can allow for more personality in your wardrobe and styling choices.
Corporate headshots are usually business attire with a polished, professional makeup look. As far as personal brands go, the world is your oyster, as long as it accurately represents you and what your brand stands for. Keeping your headshots simple will make it easier for employers to see you, and not distracted or confused about what you’re wearing. When we make deliberate styling choices to reflect who we are professionally or creatively, we want them to align with the specific roles we’re after so we can look the part before we even step into the room.
Representation And Quality
Above all, you want high-quality headshots that accurately represent who you are as a professional. You want to think about what your headshots say about you when someone looks at them. Do they say you’re confident and always come prepared to work hard? Do they say you’re open to new opportunities and challenges that arise? Learning how to showcase these qualities in your headshot takes time and practice. Establishing your own version of professionalism will help you stand out amongst the crowd. Once you figure out what that looks like, your headshots will easily reflect those same values through your style and pose.
Finding the right photographer is the final step. Again, you’ll want someone who is considerate of the details and willing to meet your expectations for your shoot. If you settle for the cookie-cutter photographers, you risk your headshots looking too similar to everyone else in the industry. These photographers get a lot of business because they have an approach that works, but it doesn’t serve the people who need to stand out amidst the competition. Unless you want to drown in the sea of formulaic photos, you’ll need to find a photographer with their own unique style that closely matches with your version of professionalism. This may take some time, but you can’t go wrong with someone who’s competent and collaborative.
Bad Headshots Will Misrepresent Who You Are
Your headshots could potentially misrepresent your personality, performance quality, or management style. This is another time where posing and expression make all the difference. As an actor, if you’re best cast as the dark and brooding type in your acting roles, a headshot where you’re smiling and posing with jazz hands probably won’t get you booked for those jobs. You want to make sure your poses and facial expressions best suit the kind of job positions or roles you want.
Even in corporate positions, you don’t want to give off an energy that doesn’t align with the brand of your employers and associates. If you’re a friendly, laid back manager who fosters personable workspaces, let that show in your headshot with open arms, wide smiles, and bright colors in your outfit. If you’re someone who’s more serious and logical, you may want to show less teeth, maintain a strong posture, and wear muted tones. People want to know who they’re really working with. With small changes in your expression, posing, and even styling choices, you’ll have headshots that win you the positions you’re looking to fill.
The Photography Quality Is Not Good Enough
Sometimes your photographer didn’t quite get the lighting right or the angles are just not flattering to your face or body type. Trust me, it happens to the best of us. Even the most renowned photographers in the industry make mistakes. Some photographers choose to be more formulaic to avoid these problems. Mistakes can happen for many reasons, but the most common reason is due to some sort of miscommunication or misunderstanding. Next time you book your shoot, you’ll want to communicate to your photographer exactly what you’re looking for. Don’t skip the details. The more your photographer has to work with, the closer they can meet your expectations.
Tell them the kind of jobs you’re looking to apply for and don’t be afraid to show them some sample headshots as a reference. If your photographer is open to collaboration, they’ll factor in your ideas along with their experience to bring out the best version of you on camera. If not, you may need to find a different photographer with a portfolio that matches the kind of look you need for your headshots. Most photographers can be flexible, but make sure they have some experience with professional headshots and not just creative portraits. Knowing the difference can save you money in the long run.
If you’re ready to update your headshots, let’s book your next session today!
Right now, I’m offering headshots as my flagship service under a new brand: OVA Productions.
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