Business headshots Do Not have to be boring.

Your business headshot is one of the first impressions potential clients, and people in your network will have of you. From Linkedin to your website to your Google profile; your profile is your first calling card. But the thing about business headshots is... they don't have to be BORING. This is where your personality should shine before anyone has even met you. Simple, elegant, fun; these are all words that people should think about your profile picture, but not boring. People are very visual, whether we admit it or not, and just like we make assessments of people when they walk into a room, we do the same with profile pictures. 

You might be thinking... I hate having my photo taken. Well, here is a surprise that might make you feel better, 90% of my clients, which include actors, usually are nervous/hate having their photo taken professionally. But that doesn't have to stop you from having your personality shine through to your photo. 

So what makes a business headshot interesting? Well here are some initial tips:

Location: Try to find a location that accentuates or compliments the type of work you do.

Outfit: Choose an outfit that is a different color from your hair or your skin tone. So for instance, if you have black hair, try to avoid black. Layers are lovely; the camera loves them. Jewel tones work great on almost every type of skin tone. 

Accessories: Accessories are great. A colorful scarf, hat, or great pair of earrings, something simple that screams, "this is me".

Props: Find props or accessories that match or compliment your profession. For instance, if you are a jewelry designer; wear a sample. A baker; an apron. Don't be afraid to be "on the nose". Why? Well... 

Variety: It's good to have variety in a photo session, because one type of headshot is not going to fulfill all of your photo needs. You might need a photo for a company's very professional presentation which requests a clean background, while your freelance website might need to showcase a lot of personality to bring in clients. Make a list of all the types of people and social media needs that require a photo. Design your photo session around that.

Lastly, have fun. We all get nervous and that's okay.