Meet Award-Winning LA Photographer/Director Michael Roud

by Kelly Kearns Head shot photographer

What should I wear when having a headshot taken?

In this era of digital world it is very well said that your face has its own monetary value which needs to be sell in the most lucrative way in the outside world. Head shot photographer is the way to do it. In general sense headshot is the portrait of one’s real time appearance focussing mainly on the person. No matter what is the final outreach of the headshot, be it any of the domains like Corporate and business head shots, a Branding headshots, a Modelling industry headshot or the headshot in entertainment industry, everywhere it is the face that counts and so is head shot photographer. In headshot all what emerges is the real facial image of the person. So it also becomes equally important that what you are wearing at the time of your headshot. Here are few suggestions that can be followed to get more face value and get yourself acknowledged.

Outfit should always be bold and plane in colour so that it may not mar the appealing effects of the face. Earlier headshots use to be black and white and so there was not much to worry about as the colour contrast was always maintained but with colour headshot special care has to be taken.

It is always recommended that the person should wear contrast colour of outfit of him/her complexion so that face keep on looking attractive and noticeable.

It is to be taken care that if the headshot is for corporate professional then the person must be in full formal attire with blazer for sure.

Males should always take care for the tie, as it must be a good contrast fit with the suit and shirt as well.

For fashion industry, it is highly expected that the person must do good research on the taste of the employer, especially the field he/she is working with. It is because a casting director always portrays the character of his project in the person and so in the headshot also he visualize the character .Hence Outfit must always be in accordance which will help director to put an eye with interest over the headshot.

For branding headshot, wearing ethnic clothes resembling the real essence of the product and service is highly advised.

Hairstyle always enhances the real beauty presentation of an individual, so must be highly focused while going for headshot. For entertainment world wearing classic retro outfit to give headshot for recent day’s cinema is always a bad choice.

It’s a general thumb rule that with any headshot that brighter colours express youth and darker colours express maturity. Keep this in mind when considering the image that will represent your professional persona.

Lastly it should always be kept in mind that choose colours that you love and that look good on you which eventually improves your confidence which will add on to headshot.

Why should we have headshot?

There is one well-spoken saying “Never judge a book by its cover”, which is not always plausible in the real world. The reality is that we are all judged, or perceived, by the way we look. And to be very specific, particularly when it comes to professional situations like job interviews, making connections, networking and similar others.

That’s why it’s most important to always appear professional, both when in-person and when seen online. It is advisable that instead of using a selfie-stick to take your next professional photo, consider a professional headshot. In today’s world, both business and personal, we are surrounded by visuals like never before. Our social media profiles are filled with photographs and videos of our lives, we are constantly being inundated with ads and pop-ups from brands trying to sell to us, and business marketers know it very well that content with images, charts or videos bring the most conversions. If quality visuals are key elements to our personal lives and corporate business, then why not it also be essential in our professional life

These day headshot has become our digital identity. It’s like our calling card. Our social public appearance has to be impactful. Companies and personal brands are starting to get that. Anyone who is entering in entrepreneurship field needs a headshot that’s worthy to be spotted and acknowledged, even if it’s just going to sit on LinkedIn. LinkedIn profiles now a days has a headshot mandate.

When personal branding has become the need of the hour, investing in a high-quality, professionally taken headshot is an investment in your personal brand. It shows us at our best, the way we want prospective clients to see us. Many of us are not naturally photogenic. As a result, amateur photography can actually end up making us look nothing like we do in person…and definitely not our best.

Now social media has taken on such an important role in promoting our professional abilities, having an impact-making headshot is more important than ever. Since every social media platform requires a profile image, our headshot will have a far-reaching web presence in addition to more traditional uses like the staff page of our organization’s website and publication in conference or speaking engagement–related materials.

Headshot conveys our professionalism aura. If we look professional, potential clients, investors, collaborators, etc. who even don’t know us personally are going to be more likely to agree with us at our first meeting.

A good headshot gives people an idea of our personality before they meet us. A smile portrays approachability. A serious look portrays determination. Make your expression match your personality.

It makes you feel good to look your best. Having a quality image of yourself to share with your professional peers boosts your self-confidence, and it can even inspire you to share more of yourself with others, take a few risks, and overcome work-related challenges.

Professional headshots aren’t just for top executives anymore. Everybody needs one. With a great headshot, your professionalism and unique personality will shine through, opening the doors to new opportunity and new business.

For other aspects , a nice headshot can be useful in many ways like it can be used as your email account photo, your LinkedIn profile photo, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram photos , your personal website or your portfolio where it is very well needed to be seen and spooted unique.

Your headshot is your introduction and first impression. Your headshot tells a story

It is very likely to be said that it’s best to "put your best face forward", especially when it is going to be start of your career. Irrespective of the job that you're currently working in or want to attain, people primarily judge you on your appearance which is technically said in psychology as "think slicing." Simply put, people decide all kinds of things about you within the first few seconds of seeing your picture and / or meeting you – from your level of intelligence to your socio-economic status. So it is very sure that you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression hence make it pretty sure your one-shot counts.

"A series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov reveal that all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face, and that longer exposures don’t significantly alter those impressions (although they might boost your confidence in your judgments). Their research is presented in their article “First Impressions,” in the July issue of Psychological Science." - Association for Psychological Science.