OH Crap- I Need A Headshot! How Do I Get A Great One?

You don’t need to hire Annie Liebowitz for a great headshot. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice if you can do it, but most of us can’t so what should you look for in a headshot photographer?

• Portfolio – Do you like their style? No two photographers are the same and their styles can diverge widely, so make sure to review their portfolio thoroughly to ensure it’s the look you want to achieve.

• Flexibility – Are they available in your timeframe and will they give you the time to get a great image. If someone says they’ll get your perfect headshot in 15 minutes, RUN! Most people aren’t models and it takes time to get comfortable in front of the camera. Your photographer should be looking at you, not the clock.

• Guidance – Will they actively coach you and give guidance to achieve the headshot you want? A slight angle change - a lean in a particular direction – an adjustment in posture can make all the difference for a shot. You want an ACTIVE photographer who is giving you this guidance.

• Patience – Most of us aren’t models so understanding their levels of patience can be helpful as you choose a photographer to work with. Impatient photographers can make for a sub-par image as well as an undesirable experience. Will they work to get you comfortable in front of the camera? Make sure they have the patience to do this.

• Impactful Reviews – Check out their reviews on the website as well as on the Internet. Are they hitting key areas you feel are important in your session, not just if they are positive? The reviews hopefully will give you a glimpse of what it’s really like to work with that photographer so you can make a better choice.

• Consultations - Do they do a FREE pre-session consultation to understand your needs? Your photographer should have a lot of questions for you – not just about the date and number of images you need. They should take the time, for free, to truly understand your needs.

These are a few of the considerations you may want to think of when you book your headshot photography session.