Why People Avoid Having a Professional Headshot Taken?

Many people would rather have root canal than have their headshot taken – OK, root canal isn’t necessarily fun and maybe that comparison is a bit of a stretch but you get the idea – in fact, when was the last time you updated your headshot? And is it professionally done?

Some of the most common excuses I’ve heard include “I don’t like the way I look in pictures” or “I’ve never had a good picture taken of me” – or the very common one –“business photographs look too stuffy – I really love this one of me at my cousins wedding”.

Here’s the thing – we all can’t look like (fill in your favorite/best looking actress/actor) or the models on the covers of GQ or Glamor. But a skilled photographer CAN show you how to break some of those habits you have when someone is taking your picture (including that smile that looks like you just swallowed a frog, uncooked). And, most of those things you don’t like about how you look – nobody else is really noticing, or cares. We are our own worst critics – and those fears should not prevent you from having your headshot done.

We headshot photographers are 30% technicians and 70% psychologists – yes, lighting the face is a specialized skill, and helping people pose/creating the right look are all fundamental skills. But to create great looks, we need to help our subjects relax, instill confidence in what we’re doing, and provide the right direction to achieve the best look. It’s the photographers job to help you look your best – so if you haven’t had a great headshot taken of you, maybe it’s not your fault – you just haven’t found the right photographer. I’ve had people (plenty!) come into my studio and immediately throw down the challenge – “I’ve never liked a picture taken of me so you’re going to have your work cut out for you” – before we start, we talk about this – what is it you haven’t liked? And how can we mitigate this?

Sometimes it’s physical, sometimes it’s emotional – each requires a different approach. For example, people who have a round face that they don’t like may benefit from a different lighting style, or turning their head slightly so they’re not facing directly at the camera. For someone who is nervous, we can slow things down, have more conversation, get to know each other, and explore some of the basis for their anxiety – which of often relates to some physical attribute about themselves they don’t like. We’ll trying some approaches to mitigate that, and when they see the results are better than they feared, their anxiety usually goes down.

Why have you delayed having your headshot done? Drop your thoughts in comments.