Is Your Headshot All It Should Be?

If a picture’s worth a thousand words…We all know the expression, yet so many of you cut corners on your own portrait, which is usually part of your About page. You then follow up with long wordy bios.

If you’re working hard to build your business as a professional photographer, then how in the world do you justify a bad, poorly lit selfie, or worse, a headshot that anybody’s “Uncle Harry” could capture? I’ve written a lot about the importance of your headshots over the years, but here’s the bottom line with two great examples. 

Your headshot should capture your love for the craft and demonstrate your skill set.

I recently shared Alycia Alvarez’s header on her Facebook page because it clearly captures her love for the craft. A great headshot is like a magnet that draws customers to learn more about you.

Another great example is one of my favorite headshots of Kay Eskridge. Sadly, she passed away in 2024, but she’ll always be in so many of our hearts. 

Kay wrote about the headshot, captured by her husband, Howard:

Years ago my Mom gave me the ultimate compliment … she said I am good at what I do because I use my heart before I see with my eyes. I KNOW!! Way to go Mom! I also think that the older I get I also use my soul somewhere in the mix… I guess that’s why I’m always smiling when I’m behind the camera

And if you want to share more than just one headshot, do a three-image collage. For the main image, work on a side shot of you with a camera in your hands, and in the background, just beyond the depth of field, your subject. Use your headshot to convey a great message of what you do for a living. Even great portraits don’t demonstrate what you do for a living. Then add a shot of you and your family or staff. With another image showing you working with a client.

This image of Kay’s and Alycia’s might not tie in directly with a subject, but what a kick for a client to see how much they love the craft. Whether high-key or black-and-white, they both capture the artist’s passion.

The bottom line…STOP compromising on your website presence and let your audience see the passion you have for your business and the industry you’re a part of!