With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, we’re seeing a spike in bookings for headshots. The other trend that we are also seeing is individuals reaching out to us to ask “when should someone take new headshots?” There are some obvious answers such as you’ve made a significant change to your appearance (vastly different hair color, change in body shape, or moving into a different industry) but there are a number of other tell-tale signs that you might not be aware of.
- Your current headshot is more than 2 years old.
For many of us, the past two years have felt surreal in a number of ways. We’ve even heard individual comments from clients saying that they feel as though “time has stood still.” While it may feel that way, our bodies and physical features have continued to change, even if we haven’t realized it. It’s true, as we age, the transformation of ourselves is slower but it still happens. If your last headshot was 2020 or earlier, it’s time for an upgrade.
- You don’t like how your headshot looks (or how it makes you look)
We get it, we take a headshot for a company website or business card when starting a new position and at that time, we think “it’s fine, I’ll keep it for a while and change it later.” Then a year passes and you realize that you really don’t like the photo or how it’s making you look. This may seem obvious, but it’s time to update your headshot.
- Your headshot has a distracting background
We see this issue come up with clients who try to DIY a headshot- cropping a photo they took at an event or a selfie that they like. While there are parts of that photo that might be flattering, a distracting background is going to pull focus from the headshot as a whole. A headshot should direct focus to the face, not the event that is going around in the background.
- You look too intimidating
Every so often a client comes in who wants to look “serious” in photos. Arms crossed. Not smiling. While that intensity can be captured in a way that will produce beautiful results, it can also look menacing or unapproachable. At a session, we’ll work with you to help you find that important balance that will read in a more serious way but will not deter clients from wanting to work with you.
- You don’t have a professional headshot
This one also seems very obvious, but we see this quite often. When clients start a new job or are just starting out post-college or grad school, the budget can be pretty tight. Adding in the extra cost of getting a professional headshot is not often in the cards. We understand that, and while a good iPhone photo will suffice for the early days of a new position, we encourage clients to look into a professional headshot as soon as they are able. Photos from a phone can offer a grainy or pixilated resolution that will not transfer as well between platforms (e.g. a website to a business card to a social media page.)
Whatever your needs might be, we’re here to help. Spring and Summer are great times to upgrade a current headshot, especially since many clients’ schedules tend to be more relaxed during these months. We can offer headshot sessions right at our studio or we can travel to your office. Cream City Photo Video is also pleased to offer group sessions in which we will capture several headshots for multiple employees over the course of a day or two. Please visit our website to learn more.
