I’m sure many people in Tampa considering headshots wonder why they should hire a professional photographer to create their photo rather than just having a friend do it. I challenge you to scroll through some LinkedIn profiles and judge the photos you see. You can tell the difference between professional photos, friend-taken photos, and the infamous selfie. How does each type of photo make you feel about the person? When you hire a professional photographer, you are making an investment in yourself and/or your business. Photographers have years of experience and can improve your photo and results in several ways.
Professional Photographer: Lighting
Lighting is a key element to a good headshot. Poor lighting can accentuate variances in skin color, wrinkles and bags. Harsh lighting can appear scary. Low lighting can look dull. Being lit from above can age you by years. Being lit from below will make you look like a horror film villain. Fluorescent lighting makes everyone look horrible. Clean even lighting without shadows on the face can make you look younger, vibrant and attractive in any headshot. Professional photographers have the right gear to make you shine -- figuratively.
Professional Photography: Posing, Backgrounds and Cropping
You might think your face will always look the same in photos, but that’s not true. Getting a good photograph is about angles and dimensions. Just squaring off to the camera might work for some, but it often takes an experienced eye to quickly find a person’s best pose. Pros also know where to place you in the frame of the photo to show off your best features. Also, every skin tone is different and is best featured with the right color backdrop. Just take a look at these samples of before and after poses to see the difference. Even though she has a slight smile in both, it is more apparent in the second, and the photo is more inviting.
Professional Photography: Post Production Photo Editing
A professional photographer can take your headshot to the next level with post production photo editing. I’m not talking about extreme air brushing or changing the way you look as a person. I’m talking about removing a zit, fixing smudged makeup, removing a cat hair, decreasing a bit of sunburn, removing a fly-away hair - things that are circumstantial and affect the best representation of yourself. Basic photo editing is often included in the cost of the session for a certain number of photos.
These are a few ways a professional photographer can improve the quality of your headshot and ensure that it is a wise investment. I'm happy to answer any questions before you book a session to make sure we make you look your best.
