5 Reasons to Update Your Professional Headshot

5 Reasons to Update Your Professional Headshots

I know what you’re thinking – are headshots REALLY that important? I mean, my cell phone has a really great camera, and with all those filters and editing programs out there these days, I’m practically a professional myself.

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but a good camera does not a professional photographer make. And yes – headshots really ARE that important. In a world where your clients’ first impression of you is most likely going to be on social networks or your website, it is absolutely imperative that you have a ~~good~~ GREAT headshot.

If you’re still not convinced, let me present you with a list of five reasons you need to update your professional headshots. If ANY of those reasons feel especially pointed… let’s chat.

Your “headshot” is a photo someone took of you at [insert event where you’re dressed all snazzy here]. The most common offender is weddings. For whatever reason, people get dressed up to go to a wedding and they decide, “Wow, now would be a great time to ask someone to take a photo of me so I can replace my LinkedIn picture.” You look great, really – but a wedding is not the time or place to be thinking about updating your headshot.
Your headshot is more than 2 years old. We age. Our bodies change. Our faces change. Our hair changes. A good headshot should be an accurate representation of who you are NOW. There is nothing worse than not being recognized by your clients/customers because you look nothing like the photo on your website or social media.
Your headshot is an overly filtered cell phone selfie. I know. We covered this earlier – your phone’s camera is AMAZING. I agree. I don’t ever bring my real camera on vacation or to parties or events because my cell phone camera does a wonderful job. HOWEVER, even I cannot take a good headshot of myself with my cell phone and I’m a professional! I won’t go into the rabbit hole of proper exposure, focal length, and lighting. Instead I’ll just tell you that beautiful selfie does not equal professional headshot.
You don’t love your current headshot. Maybe you had headshots done and you just aren’t happy with them. That is a perfectly valid reason to update them! It’s perfectly normal to want to be confident in the image you’re presenting to potential clients.
You need a write-off for your small business. Just ask David from Schitt’s Creek – a write-off is when you buy something for your business and the government pays you back for it. The write-off people have your back. *
*This is absolutely not accurate information and you should talk to your CPA.