Why people don’t like their headshots

If you hate your headshots, you are not alone.

Nine times out of ten, when we’re getting to know new clients, we learn that they are dreading having headshots taken. And, more than that, they often tell us they hate their headshot. In fact, some even tell us that they have never had a headshot they liked.

We heard this often enough that, some years ago, we decided to start asking a few more questions to try to find out why. Because if there’s one thing we believe in, it’s that you should be able to love your headshot. We learned that the typical headshot process is a recipe for client dissatisfaction.

What goes wrong:

Too often, a headshot appointment is a rushed affair. The time scheduled for the shoot is too short. There’s no time to relax in front of the camera or to connect with the person behind the camera. And when you’re not relaxed and you don’t feel that you’re connecting with the photographer, you can bet that will come across in your image. As if that wasn’t bad enough, most photographers send you away once they’ve taken the photos, before you’ve seen them. They edit on their own. A week or more later, you see your finished headshots, and, likely as not, you don’t like any of them. It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing. And it’s not necessary.

How we can help:

At C1M, we’ve developed a process of creating headshots that is designed to guarantee your satisfaction. To begin with, we schedule plenty of time – typically 45 minutes to an hour. Often, we’re done sooner, but if we need the time, we have it. Some people take a little longer to relax, and that’s OK. We feel like if you need the time, you should get it, rather than feeling pressured to appear at ease when you aren’t. We also try to pave the way for you to feel comfortable even before the day of your headshot session. Before your appointment with us, we’ll email you a PDF full of the tips and tricks we’ve learned through the years. It provides guidance on wardrobe, hair, and makeup (if you wear it), along with other information to help you feel as prepared as possible.

When you arrive for your headshots, we don’t just stick you in front of the camera and tell you to smile. First, we’ll talk about you – what you do, what audience you’re trying to reach, and how you need to come across in order to reach them. Then, together, we’ll pick an outfit that is in keeping with the image you want to project. Once you’re in front of the camera, we’ll talk you through how to pose, and we’ll tell you exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing. Subtle differences have a big impact on how you’ll be perceived. We’ll make sure you hit all the right notes so that you look approachable, professional, and credible.

Visit our headshots page at http://c1mpp.com/headshots.html for all the detail you could possibly want – maybe even a little more – about how we approach headshots, and why. And then, if you hate your headshot, and you’d like to love it instead, I hope you’ll consider letting us help.