Avoid These Mistakes When Taking Corporate Headshots

Corporate headshots need to look stunning and professional. You are presenting that photo to a lot of people and most of those in your circle will judge you, even if they only saw one picture of your face. You want to create a positive first impression.

Choosing a quality photographer like the ones at  mikesansonephotography.com will help you achieve your goals, however if you commit these mistakes, the final output could be just the opposite.

Inappropriate background

For corporate photos, a black backdrop is enough. It looks professional, it’s not distracting and it allows the focus to stay on your face. Even if you use the portrait mode by taking the photo and blurring the background, this is still not advisable. Incorrect focus

You might think that it is easy to take a headshot because there is only one subject, but the problem however is that the face has different parts to it. The focal points are your eyes and if you are taking the head shot at home or with the help of a friend, you need to have the right focus. If you have a photographer who knows headshots too well though, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Smiling (or not)

There is no universal rule regarding a smile for headshots. Some people feel comfortable flashing a smile as it creates a friendly appearance, others think that smiling is inappropriate; the answer depends on the purpose of the photo and the rules for where the photo is needed (if any). Ask questions if you are not too sure about it.

Poor lighting

You want to look bright and fresh on your photo. Although some people would put on makeup to achieve that look, sometimes quality lighting would already suffice so use natural light from the sun or use the lighting in a professional studio. You might also use shadows to create drama if it is okay to do so.

Incorrect posture

You will have a terrible shot when you do not sit in the proper position, so you need to relax and hold the proper posture until the shoot is over. When you slouch, it creates an impression that you are not confident so if you are using the photo as an official photo that your subordinates would see, as a result they might not respect you as much.

Too much personality

Your headshot needs to be as simple as possible. Bringing your character into the shoot is okay and if you want to smile, you can do it. If you are going to look fierce, especially if used for modelling job applications, this is also okay. However, if you are bringing too much personality on the photo it might start to look inappropriate; laughing with your mouth wide open is a huge mistake.

Test a few shots before you finalize the photo. You can take as many shots as possible until you feel satisfied, or at least until there are enough options for final editing. Again, with the help of quality photographers who have experience in taking corporate headshots, you can easily expect a quality outcome.