1. Headshots are not necessary, I can just take a selfie. FALSE. Sure, if you do not really care what others think about your business you can get away with just using a selfie. I mean, if you’re not willing to invest in your business, why would anyone else be?
2. Headshots are done only for certain jobs. FALSE. Nowadays any business that values online presence is understanding how important great approachable portraits of its staff can be for future bookings. People love doing business with people and they will book if they feel connected to your business. Gone are the days when only realtors had updated photos of themselves.
3. It doesn’t matter what my headshot looks like. FALSE. The quality of your headshot is extremely important, not just the fact you have it. Even people who are not professional photographers can see the difference between a low quality snap on a cell phone and a professionally done and beautifully retouched portrait and will judge the headshot.
4. Only BIG companies need headshots. FALSE. Since small businesses can’t compete on quantity they need to compete on quality of their products. That is what will set them apart. Impeccable customer service, high quality products and great online presence and approachability, including staff images to help connect to clients, are paramount now.
5. Headshots are expensive. FALSE. I have covered it in previous posts, but essentially headshots can be as expensive as you want them to be. My headshots right now start at $295+gst which is on par with most portrait photographers in Calgary, some charge more, some charge less. However the main thing to keep in mind is what kind of service are you going to get, how fast is the turnaround for the photos, how big the photos are (I have many clients who are printing posters, bench ads, trade shows ads etc and I create big files for them). All of this comes in play when you’re looking for a headshot photographer.
6. The Photographer can photoshop everything so I don’t need to really prepare. This one is sort of false, because the photographers can use a lot of photoshop on the images (some examples of things I have had to do for my clients – change the colour of the dress to match the brand colours, make teeth whiter, make women slimmer, get rid of grey hair and old age spots, change lip colour, change backgrounds, etc). This kind of extensive retouching is added to the price of the photos. In order to not have to do this, I always ask my clients a lot of questions beforehand so any extra work is down to a minimum, which also means they will get their photos sooner. Having professional hair and make up done, wardrobe consultation and careful session planning is usually enough to make your photo session a success. I can’t photoshop unclean hair into a beautiful hairdo, or make a jacket that’s a couple of sizes too small look like it fits.
7. Headshots won’t show the real ME. FALSE. The sole purpose of a personal branding session is to show YOU to the world. I don’t do fake smiles, I get you to the point where you’re comfortable enough to show me that beautiful real smile. It’s not your job to be a model, I coach all my clients through flattering posing to make them look and feel their best. It will be the best and most polished version of you!
