The Perfect Professional Headshot is Worth the Money and Possibly a New Job

What is a Professional Headshot and Why it is Important

A couple of weeks ago the Wall Street Journal published an article “The Perfect Professional Headshot Is Worth $1000, and Maybe Even a Job”. It seems that they read my mind what I have been preaching! It is more clutch now more than ever getting the right professional headshot to make the best on-screen first impression. That selfie of you at a wedding or party, might be free but you get what you pay for. With the right headshot photographer, you will not get that boring high school yearbook look. In fact there is evidence that that a great headshot will make your profile stand out. According to LinkedIn, when there is a picture with a bio , there are 21 time more views and the users get 9 more time connection requests!

What Does a Headshot Specialist Do?

In the article, few professional photographers who specialize in just headshots were interviewed. One of them was Peter Hurley of the Headshot Crew. Peter is a NYC based photographer, who I have apprenticed with in the past. He discussed the importance of the photographer “coaching” the person in front of the camera to get the right expression or facial conveyance. One goal is authenticity and not vanity. Another goal is to capture your essence, who you are and what you are about. A good professional headshot is scroll stopping image that pause the HR manager and cause them to linger on your profile. These are things that trained headshot photographers will do, where your friend the product photographer will not do. I have been mentored by some of the best headshot photographers in the world, when we do a session you will be prepared before and coached during the session.

Here are Some of the Things I do to Prepare You

I want to deliver to you the best professional headshot, so what do I do. I always try to build a rapport with you!. Whether it’s a zoom call or meeting for a cup of coffee, let’s meet. Most people DO NOT like getting their picture taken. When we interact before the session, you will feel more comfortable when you come into my downtown Cleveland studio. When clients look at images, usually I get a couple of questions about how and why I shoot a certain way. Here are somethings I do that will differentiate your headshot from others. First off, I shoot you at a slightly upward angle, by doing this it will help you look more powerful. This will promote confidence. Why are your headshots horizontal (Landscape) and not vertical (Portrait)? The human eye visualizes the world this way and it looks more contemporary. It will set you part from the competition! It seems my head is cut off? By doing this it emphasizes your facial expression so the world knows who you are. As they say the eyes are the window to the soul, this way of shooting makes a more impactful image because your eyes are above the center line. Do I need to hire a make up artist or hair stylist? For most headshots the answer is no, but if you would like that we can arrange one before the session. I have blemishes and marks that I don’t want visible, what should I do? All my clients get a FAQ about how to prepare for the headshot that will answer this question. All my images are sent out to a professional retoucher. so they come back looking like a million bucks. Besides any facial marks, the image is retouched for even skin tones and fly away hairs. So what are waiting for! You have found the best professional headshot photographer in Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Columbus, and all of Ohio. We also do corporate and group headshots, so just let us know!!