I have a new program coming up focusing on Portland business photos for those in the area that need quality photographs of themselves but don’t want to look stiff. No-so-corporate headshots are my specialty and I’m ready to take my knowledge to help you. I’ve been talking with a lot of entrepreneurs over the last few weeks about what makes a great headshot experience. I’ve heard some great stories about what NOT to do! And I’ve heard a few comment on how wonderful the before&after glamour gallery is on my website, so I thought why not expand that into headshots? I’m going to start showcasing headshot before & afters with the permission of my professionals.
But first, why not poke a little fun at myself? When I created this website, it was very much a situation of the cobbler’s son not having shoes. I change my appearance quite frequently and had not a single headshot-worthy photo of myself, let alone one that was current. I’m blessed to have another photographer in the family – my husband. And I still didn’t have a great photo to use for this site!
See? It happens to the best (and most applicable) of us. The good news is, I got my act in gear after a busy summer of shooting lots of other people. And I made myself sit for the camera. And just like all of my clients, I struggled through the poses that feel awkward at times but look great. And – I blogged about the whole experience. If you want more of my thoughts on what kind of effect a “proper” headshot had on my business, hop on over to that article.
The short version is that the response to my own photos is far greater than I’ve ever experienced posting photos of my clients. And that’s because I was willing to be vulnerable and embrace myself. People like a story and that’s why I’m posting these befores and afters. Most importantly, people like to see a photo when they come to your website because they want to know who they’re working with. They want to see if they can start to trust you. They want to see some of your personality. And until I put myself out there in that way, I wasn’t authentically living in my work. I am now!
Your Portland business photos don’t have to be stiff facsimiles of an 80’s portrait studio. They should show exactly what you do and give a hint at how you do it! They should be you, translated into pictures.
