With the proliferation of photographers all offering head shots it's easy to be tempted to just go for the best price. After all, it's just a pic for your business card, to slap onto FaceBook, right? Better think again.
Those in the entertainment industry have long known the value of a dynamic headshot, one that gives a glimpse into your personality, one that says "this is me, this is who I am" in the space of a moment. Take a spin through your newsfeed and see which profile pics catch your eye, good and bad...more importantly, which do you not even notice? In this media hungry world you have approximately 5 seconds to make a good impression and your first impression is more often these days your headshot, so doesn't it only make sense to consider it one of your most important marketing investments?
What makes a fantastic Headshot? Great lighting, dynamic facial angles, and most importantly capturing insight into the personality of the subject. By contrast, a mediocre picture will have static posing, dull lighting, a boring background and most importantly will fall short of that special something that causes the viewer to connect with you...and isn't that just the worst thing that could happen?
I had an interesting conversation with a client yesterday. She relayed that the most common comment that she had so far received on her new headshots was that the photographer really captured "her spark". Then she confided to me that she had photos done about a year and a half ago that she didn't even use...they just didn't work for her. I felt good that I had given her such a good experience and product and bad at the same time that she had a less than happy experience elsewhere.
It makes me wonder...when is too much, too much? When you go for the deal and then get less than you paid for? Or when you make the investment and end up with a personality portrait that makes people stop and say WOW!
