Do I really need professional headshots for my company?
Here’s a super common scenario:
“I have a commercial B2B business. My team needs headshots so I can put them on a website and also in their email signatures. I have a friend who’s good with a camera, but I think we need to have them done right since it’s been years since we had the last round of headshots. I don’t really know how much this should cost so I don’t have a budget in mind.”
First thing I want to tell you is, whether you have a business that has 2 persons or 50, you will need to invest in your business and your branding. You’ve seen amateur photos that might look “ok” but they are definitely not professionally taken in a studio, nor are they consistent with one another. What’s your impression of that? Versus, seeing a really polished set of headshots of a company team. Does it look expensive? Do you want to get top dollar for your services? Or are you happy just getting ok pricing for your services and you don’t really care.
I don’t know about you, but I do NOT want someone’s impression of my website to be, yeah, she’s ok. I want someone to say - wow, everything looks professional and I know I’ll get a great product and great service.
PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING.
Your website just might be the FIRST impression your next client has of your business. What does yours say?
Contact us for a custom quote for company headshots.
Top 5 Headshot Mistakes
Many who come to me for their Headshots used to believe that good-enough is perfectly fine, until it isn’t. Until you see someone you know who has a killer headshot. Then you second guess that “good-enough” headshot. As someone who’s been in the photography business for 22 years, I know firsthand that not everyone is as particular about headshots as I am. I see a lot of people making some glaring mistakes when it comes to their professional headshots.
Here are the 5 headshot mistakes I see the most often that most people don’t even realize…
USING A SELFIE - We all have that somewhat decent selfie where we don’t look too bad - so we think that’ll do! The problem is that everyone can tell that it’s not a professional headshot, no matter how much you think it might pass as one. Having a distracting background doesn’t translate well when you see the tiny thumbnail on LinkedIn or Facebook. And the quality of the image screams that you didn’t invest in yourself like someone who takes their profession seriously would. We are all becoming a personal brand online and our reputation as an expert (and how we present ourself to our audience) precedes us through that tiny thumbnail image.
USING AN OLD HEADSHOT - The next most common mistake I see is having a headshot that’s old. An by old I mean more than 1 year. There’s hardly anyone who looks the same as they did over a year ago. Even if you LOVE how you looked, that doesn’t matter. You want potential clients and business contacts to be able to recognize you in a room, and having a headshot that actually looks like you is really important.
WEARING UNFLATTERING CLOTHING - The easiest tip I suggest is to not wear a busy pattern or large logos. You want all the attention on your face. Not what you are wearing. Colors are important and how your skin tone works with them. Not everything photographs well either. That’s why our pre-session consultation is super helpful. Set up a Discovery Call to learn more about our process!
DISTRACTING JEWELRY - Skip the necklace and just wear simple earrings. Again, nothing should distract from your face.
NOT LOOKING RELAXED - Nina’s facial expression coaching will get you looking professional and confident. This is the #1 way she can make you look great in your headshot!
Ready to get your great headshots portraits? Contact the studio to get started!
Award Best Photographer in Pleasanton
Thank you for the Best Photographer in Pleasanton Award by the readers and community of Pleasanton Weekly.
Corporate Headshots
Whether you’re in a large company looking for headshots at your office in the East Bay, or you are looking for a Pleasanton Studio, you are guaranteed to get great looking headshots. Here’s a recent company we did. We took care of the scheduling so that each employee and board member could come in at their convenience. In addition, we offer a special new-hire rate for when you have out of town staff or new employees. That way everyone gets the same great consistent looking headshot. Which ultimately, makes your company stand out from the crowd!
Headshots Bay Area
There are many headshot photographers in the bay area.
Do you feel like you’re not photogenic because you hate the way you look in selfies? Where there’s a reason why selfies are horrible to use as headshots, there’s distortion, there’s the auto-filters that super sharpen the images - which look great on cat photos by the way but no so much on human skin.
Through the right preparation - and my coaching you can see yourself perhaps differently than you did before. I want you to see what I see. I don’t see whatever hangups you bring to the studio. My studio is a judgement free zone.
Are professional headshots worth paying for?
You’ve heard the expression “you get what you pay for.” This applies to just about anything. To get high quality website design doesn’t come cheap. Yes, you can use wix but will it be optimized by an expert that knows your industry and the ins and outs of SEO?
The same is true of professional headshot photographer. Getting attorneys to understand the importance of professional photography of themselves is often a challenge. They don’t see the long term ROI. If you have a selfie of you sitting at your desk (or home office) how does that correspond with your hourly rate?
If you’re getting ready to list your house with an agent, and they arriving in clothing that looks like they just came from the gym, how likely are you to give them your listing?
That’s precisely the same message that a bad headshot sends on your company website and/or linkedin profile.
When asked why Y Combinator success story Airbnb.com invests in professional photography, Creative Lead Venetia Pristavec replied, “Quality breeds trust. When you’re introduced to a new place, you look for signs that the information comes from a reliable source. Our listings with professional photographs earn more than twice as much money as those without them.” [Source: Fast Company, April 2013]
I did not take this "before" above. But I had to share the difference between a JCPenny headshot and working with someone who SPECIALIZES in Headshots, and knows posing, facial expression coaching and professional studio lighting to highlight your BEST FEATURES.
Who would you take seriously?
Why Headshots Are a Great Personal Branding Tool
Recently I was interviewed on the Solopreneur Nation podcast. I share some of my best tips on how to maximize your professional headshot and why I think it’s the #1 tool needed for a successful personal brand. Check out the other podcasts as well!
How to Use Instagram For Your Personal Brand
This crazy digital world we live in can be a stage for anyone, anywhere, to present themselves to a wide audience. You can have your personal brand, business or ideas seen across the globe in a matter of seconds without spending any money. If you take control of your personal brand now, you can leverage the internet to work in your favor.
Your online personal brand is crafted by posts, photo, videos and articles. Each of these can shape the lasting impressions that others have of you and should represent your experience, expertise, capabilities, actions, lifestyles and accomplishments.
Your brand should speak for itself; it should exude your message without you saying a word. If you were to review my Google reviews or search results, you would understand why it’s easy to build rapport with a potential client.
So how does Instagram come into play here? Here are some steps to help get you started.
Define your brand - The posts on your Instagram feed should be a direct reflection of what you think might pique your target audience’s interest. A good exercise is to think about the initial perception people have after viewing your profile. What thoughts would they have? What would you like them to remember most? You can also do some research by browsing through Instagram profiles of other successful people in your field. What are they posting? I’m not saying to copy them, but you can get ideas on how to enrich your content and overall brand.
Only post your highlights - Your internet presence should contain content that increases your credibility and further establishes your authority in your field. Only post content that has relevance towards the brand you want to portray. Rule of thumb, if it makes your target audience want to hire you, admire you, get to know you, research you further or turn on your post notifications, then post it!
Consistency - Consistently post content, not necessarily everyday, but I would say once a week at a minimum. Engage with your followers. Respond to their posts and comments on your feed. Your brand is the first thing that people are going to see when they look you up and the last thing they’ll remember when they’re done searching.
I’d love to know if you found this helpful! If you’d like to learn more about Personal Branding photography for your business, contact me for free discovery call.
Also, check out my e-book OWN IT: A Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Your Personal Brand. Download the first chapter for free!
Best Portrait Photographer in Pleasanton
Thank you for selecting Nina Pomeroy Photography as the Best Portrait Photographer in Pleasanton!
“Nina Pomeroy Photography provides unique photography services to a variety of clientele in Pleasanton and the neighboring areas. The experienced portrait photographer takes beautiful personal branding and headshot photos that tell the business or product’s story and shows the clients’ personality. Nina Pomeroy captures the special little details and moments in events such as weddings and vow renewals, and takes lovely children, family, and seniors’ images. The agency also takes high-resolution images for interior designers, architects, realtors, and contractors for marketing purposes.”