No worries, I’m here to help you. If I just took your photo, reach out asap. If you didn’t have your photo taken yet, but are worried about this, this article is definitely for you. Rest assured, the more you give thoughts to attention to detail, the less likely this is to happen.
The number one reason people don’t like their photo: They hate their hair. Either because it needs cut / was cut wrong. They don’t like their color or they don’t want their roots to show. Or they had it styled in a way that either wasn’t natural to them, or just not the look they wanted to go for.
To help with this, here’s my advice – if you have a super-short hair style as many men do, you may not want to schedule your headshot for the next day. Personally, my last shorter style, it took me about 3 to 4 days to like it, and that it felt like “me.”
Clothing: What you wear can say who you are. Are you very traditional and conservative? A dark blazer/suit will usually declare that. (But do you want to be conservative in appearance??) Do you want to show a modern elegance, even though you don’t normally portray that everyday? Then (for women) a “power dress” would carry that off.
Here’s a case study to demonstrate this point:
Justine came in for new headshot photos, to promote her new changes within her legal career. I thought she looked lovely! Beautiful hair, makeup, and smiles. If you follow me, you know I’m not a fan of black jackets, but many people still choose to have their picture taken with them. Here were her final photos.
A few weeks later, she emailed me that she wasn’t happy with her photos, because she didn’t like her hair, clothing, or how her makeup was done. I felt impelled to help her out. Here’s what I said:
Why don’t you schedule my longer session at a time that can work for you. We’ll have one of my wonderful Makeup Artists come, Sara, who can do your hair and makeup. And start shopping to find an outfit that is not just “you”, but reflects what you want to promote.
Here’s what we did on that second shoot:
At the end, Justine expressed she was really happy with the new sessions, and her photos, and decided to buy a few extras. Here’s what she had to say in a review:
“Jen goes above and beyond to work with her clients. I made the mistake of taking headshots after a mediocre hair appointment in an outfit in which I wasn’t comfortable. Despite Jen’s best efforts during the shoot, I didn’t feel like myself and it came through in the photos.
“To her credit, Jen responded quickly to my reshoot plea and even enlisted a hair/make-up stylist for the reshoot. The stylist was excellent, and I will never do another photo shoot without hiring one myself. She did a fantastic job with my make-up, hitting exactly the right tones and highlighting my best features. The photos were excellent and captured me at my best.
“Thank you, Jen, for listening to your clients, putting up with our manic states, and getting our best shot.”