I’ll bet you five bucks you’ll get this wrong.

What is a headshot?

Go ahead and think about it for a minute. I’ll wait …

OK, do you have an answer ready? And do you have your wallet ready so that you can hand over that five bucks?

If you said that a headshot is a photo you use on your website and business cards so that clients and potential clients can put a face with your name, you are …

Well, “wrong” is such a harsh and judgmental term. I’ll say instead that if the definition above – or something close to it –  is what you answered, your thinking has not gone far enough. Don’t feel too bad. Even Wikipedia, source of all truth, gets it wrong.

A headshot is not a photo. It is, instead, a commercial document. Yes, it is a commercial document that needs to contain your photographic likeness, but it needs to be much more than just a pretty picture. That’s why it is a mistake to ask a portrait photographer to take your business headshot. While portraitists are skilled at making pretty pictures, commercial photography is a whole different animal. Marketing is a subtle science. It takes practice to get it right. And if you recognize that your headshot is a marketing tool, you can see why engaging a commercial photographer matters. A commercial photographer spends his or her day immersed in the subtle psychology of marketing. Without that underpinning, you headshot will be just a pretty picture. And a poor marketing tool.

It can be tempting to cut corners. I can even be necessary and quite wise to budget tightly. But your headshot is not a place to scrimp. Of course, you can get a head-and-shoulders portrait – technically a headshot – just about anywhere. Walmart, Target, JC Penney. These days, digital cameras put the ability to take a pretty picture in almost anyone’s hands. We all have that friend who has a great camera and an interest in photography. You know the one – who hears what you’re prepared to pay for a headshot and says, “I have a white sheet we can use as a backdrop and an empty garage. Come on over on Saturday and I’ll take your picture for free!”

These are options. I won’t deny that. But they are options that will leave you with a photo that may show potential clients what you look like, but will totally fail to show clients who you are and what value you will bring to a business relationship. You may still attract some clients, but will they be the best possible clients you could get?

A headshot is a commercial document in which every element – set, lighting, wardrobe, body language, facial expression – must work together to communicate your value to potential clients. It takes fine-tuning. It takes commercial photography experience. And, for you, it could take nothing more than a visit to our studios for your own headshot session. To learn more about our approach, please visit our website, or give us a call.

Walter Schnecker, CPP, CPC

Walter Schnecker is the owner of C1M Photography, LLC, in Amherst NH. He loves using his years of experience in the industry to provide each and every client with a polished, professional and, most importantly, effective headshot.