How is your head shot?

Most of us today have some form of social media page like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or a few others. On that page we have a cover photo and our profile photo which, most likely, is a snapshot of us. For the most part that snapshot will suffice for the fun social media pages but what about the professional pages like Linkedin? Will that same snapshot be good enough for that? Most experts would say  “No.”  

Social Media pages like Linkedin are professional pages where you are branding yourself to potential employers or employees. The portrait you have says a lot about who you are, so it must give the right message. A snapshot on the beach does convey that you are fun and enjoy the outdoors but to a potential employer it could be saying “takes a lot of time off.” On the other hand you may have a portrait that is on a neutral background but shot from a distance which makes you look too small and unrecognizable. As much as we would like to think otherwise, if we don’t look the part we will not get in the door, thereby another lost opportunity.

Below I have included two of my headshots to serve as an example. One was shot outdoors by my wife and the other was shot in my studio setup. The outdoor one has harsh shadows and hard light, not to mention my favorite Fat Tire Ballcap. This portrait says “I love the outdoors and love to drink Fat Tire Beer.” Which is true but it is not what an employer is looking for in a employee.

The second portrait has a nice clean background, my skin tones are even, my hair is neat and without flyaways, my eyes are clean and my smile is good. With the way it is cropped I look sharp and you can easily recognize me if you were to run into me at the store. Everything about this portrait exudes confidence, professionalism  and that is what employers want in their employees. Now that I have their attention I will most likely have my profile read to see if I have the qualifications.  

There are so many things that you must get right in order to get the power portrait you need to brand yourself a contender that it is best to leave it up to a skilled professional. The right expression, the clean background, the hair perfect and the outfit stunning. On my best days I can’t achieve that and get it in a portrait  without a little help from an expert.  So here is what a skilled professional photographer will do for you.

As a skilled professional photographer I am first going to listen and discuss what exactly are your portrait needs. We will talk about outfits and hair for the session yet to take place. On the day of the session I will coach you on how to pose in order to get the best results. I like to schedule an hour for the session so that way we don’t feel rushed and it give you a chance to change cloths. Once we have accomplished our goals then I do a little post production editing to give you a great looking set of portraits on a disc. And it is not just one image that you get. By having 3 or 4 images you will have the ability to change your profile portrait as often as you update your page. This way you can keep a fresh up to date look as often as you like. Try to get that from your friend with your camera phone.

So if you are looking to update your profile portrait and looking to get that 3 or 4 power photos please do yourself a favor and hire a skilled professional photographer. You may pay some up front but landing the dream job will make it a great investment.

I am interested in hearing from you. Please feel free to place a comment below or contact me on my contact page with a question or to book your next appointment. At DFG Studios we Create Your Next Unique Portrait.

Morgann

Hey I just wanted to tell you about a portrait  session I had with my niece Morgann a few weeks ago. The hard think about winter time is the season of outdoor portraits with the snow and cold. The hands get cold and don’t always coperate not to mention that your subject is turning blue in front of you. But Morgann and her mother, Jill, got through it despite the cold.

We first started out at my house for a few indoor shots in different outfits and with her cat, Mister Kitty. Mister Kitty, though not too upset with the situation, seemed not to appreciate his role in the session. None the less he was a trooper and we got a few great shots. With a year to go Morgann is not only getting a jump on her Senior Portraits but did help me out with rounding up my library of Senior Portraits and I can’t tell you what that means to me

After a break we met up at my favorite backdrop, the NewBo area. The old brick and shop fronts really add to the portraits. One of my favorite spots is the old Chrome Horse fire escape where we started first. After a few poses I set her up standing on the escape looking down and with her great smile and a snap of the shutter I know I had the photo.

We kept moving through the NewBo area and eventually out to Morgan’s Creek for some snow fun. There is a line of trees I set her up with the bright pink vest and the sun lighting her hair. Next we went with some playful photo with her many stocking hats. We ending with a her white coat with a fur lined hat with a more serious look. And with the sun on the horizon we called it a day

We had a great time and lots of laughs and looking over all the portraits, it will be hard to choose the best out of the bunch because there are just so many.Thanks again Morgann and Jill for your work and laughs that day. Oh and just to mention; I was down in the NewBo area and the fire escape at the Chrome Horse is gated off, looks like construction is going on and maybe your portrait on it might be the last one. We will have to see.

A Key to Great Portrait Outcomes

Now that the days are going longer photographers all around Iowa, including myself, are gearing up for the outdoor portrait season. With a new group of kids that are becoming Seniors in high school our days from the spring to the fall will be filled with late teens trying to get that portrait that everyone wants. Theses days it seems that Senior Portraits have become a marker or a right of passing from kid to young adult ready to take on the world. With that, my job as a photographer is about creating and capturing that in a small group of images. No pressure, right? So in order to create this situation I need the client just to do one thing, participate.

Imagine if you will that you are an artist and stranger walks up to you, who knows you by your work and says; “ I want you to create a painting for my living room” then walks away. Leaving only their phone number and a time they want the painting done by, they give you very little else to go on. So what do you do? What would you do? Call them and try to see what the space looks like or just create the same thing you always create and hope it works out? This is what I face as a photographer each sitting that the client doesn’t give me the  feedback on what they are looking for in their portraits. Needless to say I don’t feel I have put my best work out for that client that I could have.

Before I book any appointment I like to first meet with my clients and get to know them. This goes for all my portraits sessions and especially when it comes to a session that happens only once in a lifetime like a Senior Session. In this consultation I like to get to know who you are, what kind of things you are into and how we can incorporate that in the creation of your portraits. It’s a time to get comfortable with each other so the final outcome is the best portrait I can deliver to you. I believe that my better portraits I have taken have been the ones with the people I knew well. I understood their humor so laughing and having fun while creating portraits was had during the session. And that is what you want, to be comfortable, having fun which helps create the best portraits of you.

Other things too think about while in this session is what you are wearing for the portraits, what or whom you would like to include in your session. For some Seniors they are into sports, drama or academic activities. For sports I find it easier to book a session while the season is going on. This way if you want to incorporate your sport we have access to the facility before or after practice without making elaborate arrangements with the coaches and school. This same idea can be used with hobbies or activities outside of school.

Locations are another element of what I will bring up. There are many places around the city that some will fit your style and some that won’t. By choosing a location, say a park or more nature in theme, will relay to the your viewer that you are in touch with nature or love the outdoors, right? But if you are a person that will not step foot outside the city, dislikes camping, would rather be inside then outside then a nature like scene most likely not fit you. And the same goes for the nature lover being photographed in the city. Although you may get away with one or two portraits in the city, the rest will seem out of place.

Participation is the key to get your Senior Portrait Session all sorted out. By getting to know you and becoming comfortable with each other together we can create the portraits that are you and not like everyone else’s. And when the day arrives we will have all the logistics worked out so there is no questions on expectations at each place. You will be at ease as well as myself and the fun of the moment will come through. I firmly believe that with your participation we will “Create Your Next Portrait” instead of just shooting it.

I look forward to hearing from you. Feel free to comment or send me an email with your ideas and suggestions or to book your next appointment. Together let’s Create Your Next Portrait.