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How to Take Headshots That Reflects Your Brand

Consistency is the key ingredient for business success. Having a brand and sticking to it is essential to continually growing a business that will last for years to come. Consistency goes beyond the products, social media, and marketing campaign. It also applies to your professional headshots.

As a business owner, you are the face of your brand. The quality and style of photos you use conveys a great deal, not only about you as a person, but also about how you conduct business. Whether you’re using the headshot for your company’s website or your social media profile, you want to make sure that it lines up with your brand.

With this in mind, we came up with a list of tips to help ensure that your headshots reflect your brand.

Do your research

Even little details like the background, props, and poses you adopt will help tell your brand story through your photos. Before the shoot, you should have an idea of what you want your headshots to look like. From here, it will be easier for you to plan the next steps. Know what you want ahead of time.  Some things you may wish to think about are whether you want studio or environmental style shots that show the space you’re in.  Do you want something traditional, or something with more edge?  If you’re not sure what you want, consult with an experienced photographer to help you create the right image for your company and budget.

Hire the right photographer

Now that you have an idea of what types of headshots you want, it’s time to look for a photographer. Whether your brand is serious and stark or colorful and fun, your headshot should be taken in the same style as the rest of your brand.

You need a headshot that perfectly encapsulates your professional life. Browse through each photographer’s portfolio and find a photographer who knows how to capture the essence a brand. Can you envision them capturing your brand in a similar way? Find a photographer who can shoot images that matches your brand.

Select your outfit wisely

The type of clothing you choose should reflect your everyday work attire. It should also match or complement the colors of your brand. Also, choose something you feel confident and comfortable in.

You also have the option of using different photos for different platforms. For your company profile and speaker profiles, a traditional business look is ideal. For your social media profiles and other marketing materials, a business casual look may be more appropriate.  Of course, there’s no “one size fits” all, so choose your wardrobe based on overall messaging and what’s appropriate for your industry.

Choose the right setting

The background of the photo is just as important as your clothing. The right setting helps you tell a visual story about you and your business. If you are a fitness guru, consider holding the photo session in a gym. If you are a designer or an artist, we suggest that you get some shots in your studio.

business headshot chicago by g thomas ward

First impressions matter, especially in the business world. People make snap judgments about you. In fact, studies suggest that it only takes one tenth of a second to form an impression about a person. When someone looks at your corporate headshot, they’ll make judgments about your personality based on how you look. As it turns out, it isn’t easy to get past a bad impression.

In the digital world, the internet is your first chance to make a good impression, and impression matters. Knowing this, we highly recommend that you invest in an appealing, professional headshot. Sure, you can save money by asking a friend or a family member to take a picture of you using their camera. But, if you want to create a solid first impression to potential clients and customers, hiring a professional photographer is the way to go.

Whether you like it or not, your corporate headshots define you, your brand, and your business. As the business owner, it is important to remember that you are the face of your business. Keep in mind that this photo will be used on your website, social media accounts, and other company materials. Using poor quality, amateurish, or dated photos can have a real negative effect on your business.

Since most of our business transactions and communications usually take place online, it is important now more than ever to invest on a good corporate headshot. Unfortunately, some business professionals overlook it.

Today’s customers are savvy. They are going to do their homework before doing business with you. They want to make sure that they are dealing with trustworthy and reliable professionals. If they visit your website and find unappealing photos, chances are that you can come across as unprofessional. They may also think that your products and services are cheap, too. No one wants that.

Having a professional headshot is definitely an investment but one that is necessary and is worth it. If you are looking for a photographer who can deliver the fresh, professional images you need, contact G. Thomas Ward Photography today.

Chicago headshots

In today’s digital world, including a profile photo has become ubiquitous as email addresses. If you are a business owner or a company executive, you have probably been asked to provide a professional headshot. You might be wondering why you need one when you can just use a photo that was taken during a wedding, a formal event, or your last vacation.

Here are 3 reasons why you need a professional headshot.

Make a good impression

Most people who are interested in your business will look you up online to see what you do and who you are. Not only are they interested in what your business has to offer, they are also curious to know who the person behind that business is.

Since many of us conduct our initial interaction online, you want to make sure that you make a good digital first impression. An amateur profile picture might not look as bad on your social media account, but for potential customers and clients it may appear “unprofessional”. Think of your profile as your storefront: if it isn’t enticing, no one will walk through the front door.

Personal branding

You probably spend a lot of time and money on your website, branding, and marketing campaign. Why not focus some of that effort towards improving your personal brand?

You want your photos to be current. Clothing, hairstyles, and photography styles change over time. Most importantly, you want people to recognize you when they meet you in person. Make sure that you update your photo every 3 to 5 years.

Represent your business

You, as the business owner, are the face of your business. The photo you chose to represent you defines your brand and your business. For most people, knowing the person running the business is important towards establishing a long term relationship.

Need an example? Pretend you’re looking for a supplier online and come across 3 companies. You researched to find more information about these companies. While navigating through their site, you found a picture of the CEO. It was a casual picture of him, which was probably taken using the camera on his phone. Would you readily strike up a relationship with this company or would you instead move on to the other two?

If you’re looking for a corporate headshot photographer, please contact G. Thomas Ward Photography. You can also view my galleries to see samples of my work.