Special thanks to our guest blogger this month
Sheila Anderson, Corporate Image Consultant, Speaker
Image Power Play
I have an iPhone, so now I am a professional photographer, right? Wrong. It’s true I have over 900 photos on my iPhone, everything from moments with friends and family to articles of clothing I find for a client while out shopping. But what you won’t find me doing is taking a selfie that I would use for my professional headshot. And what I also won’t do is compromise the quality of my brand, both from a corporate branding and a personal branding perspective, with a low-quality headshot photo. I am better than that. I am better than a selfie, and so are you.
The EVERYBODY’S a photographer phenomenon appears to be the new black. Let me ask you this, would you hire a lawn sprinkler guy to update your interior plumbing? I mean, they both work with water and pipes and hiring the sprinkler person might not cost you as much money. I’m sure the sprinkler guy can figure out some way to patch up your walls so it all looks pretty and presentable afterward. So you might need to sheetrock or paint here and there, but, hey, you saved money.
That analogy may seem a little extreme, but it is not far off when you think in terms of hiring a professional photographer for your headshot versus having a friend use their camera phone or hiring a photographer who takes photos as a hobby. The real value isn’t in the money you spend. Actually, you aren’t spending money. You are investing it, and the best place to invest money is in yourself. It’s proven that if you are willing to invest in yourself, others will be willing to invest in you
In today’s world one of the first things we do when searching for someone online is we want to know what they look like, and it’s no coincidence that the About Us page on a website is the most visited after the Home page. We want to know what people look like, what the leaders are like in the company. Did you know that we judge if someone is credible, likable or influential just by looking at someone’s photo for a few seconds?
The hiring of a professional photographer will guarantee you bring your best face forward. In the personal branding space, your headshot really becomes your logo. A professional works in depth with you to understand what the goal is of the photo, what purpose will it be used for, what image or story you are trying to portray. They are trained to bring that all out in a photo. They are artists. They know how to capture the true essence of you. They have a trained eye for every detail. They know the exact pose to put you in to nail the goal you are hoping to accomplish. They can advise on wardrobe and appearance. A pro will make the photo work for you versus an amateur having to work the photo afterwards with major Photoshopping to make it accomplish its goal. A pro knows there isn’t a one size fits all when photographing someone. Everybody is different and the photo has to be authentic to that individual and their true essence. A pro uses a variety of cameras, lenses and lighting to ensure the best quality for you and for the job. You are hiring them for their expertise, their experience, just like someone hires you. They hire you because you are a pro at what you do.
So what if I told you that you have mere seconds to make a first impression? Would you bring your Plan B? Of course, not. Your Plan A is always a professional photographer.
