HUB Lunch and learn - How to take a great headshot

From the HUB in Sydney's lunch and learn series.

Any great photo will tell a story and why shouldn’t your head shot?

It is the way you as a small business will have the first interaction with you client these days. Your online presence is just as important as how you present yourself in real life and that first digital hands can really set the tone for how your client will perceive you when they do finally shake hands with you. You need to groom that digital persona just as much as you do yourself.

These days pretty much everyone will look up the person they are thinking of doing business with online, so your portrait should let them know who you are. Not just what you look like. It should show a bit of your personality and even what you do.

A genuine headshot in you place of work that is up to date will make your next meeting a great experience because the person you are meeting will already feel like they know you.

If your business has you working outdoors or in an interesting location, use that as a place to ground your photo. Use the location to tell a story about you. Its a subtle thing that can be out of focus but it really makes a difference and shows you as a real person.

People do business with people they Know, Like and Trust.

A recent survey from LinkedIn showed that 61% of people see an employee 

as more trustworthy than the business they work in. That includes sole traders!

In the HUB lunch and learn we chatted about how body language and where the photo is taken can alter peoples perception about you.
Some common sense things to remember are:

• Smile! Everyone is attracted to someone that is both confident and approachable and a genuine smile is always attracting.
• Try to not cross your arms in photos. It closes yourself off.
• Move between shots. If you pose you tend to look stiff. Try different poses each time a pic is taken and it will loosen you up.
• Have your photo taken when you feel best. Some people are morning people and others feel best after a good workout at the gym. Know yourself and have your photo taken when you feel great.
• Ask a friend to help you choose your profile photo. We all have biases and things we dislike about ourselves but that can stop you from picking a truly great photo of yourself. Ask a friend to help and get them to say why they like the photo. It may surprise you.

Thats it! Nice and simple.