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Springtime is a great time of year to freshen up your business with up to date professional headshots. Whether you are creating a new brochure, have written a book; or started a new business and want to make your website look as professional as possible, a well-lit photograph of you and your team can give you the edge on your competitors.

Recently I had a client who needed a professional headshot for an online resource site. She presented me with her current photograph and specific requests about her smile, teeth and hair. Thirty minutes later her new professional headshot looked like this:

Some business headshots are made in a client’s office. When working with a team from a company it’s important to have consistency in an image so when presented on a website the photographs have a similar look to them.

Headshot photography can vary.

Some clients are interested in a “lifestyle” presentation. Generally the photographs include more than just their head. The environment may be a keep to what the person feels close to, or the type of work they do.

Besides having a well-lit photograph indoors or out, I look for a pleasing welcoming warm expression that will invite people to buy your product, read your book or hire you. Look for new upcoming blogs in the next few months that will cover  other aspects of professional headshots such as, “What to wear” and “How to prepare for your headshot”.

In the meantime, view more of my work with professional portraits and professional headshots here.
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It is an exciting time of year with the winter Olympics in full swing. I empathize and appreciate all the hard work of the athletes. Working as a sports photographer, every competitor exhibits the characteristics of preparation, execution and release. All of these areas give the sports photographer opportunities to capture the emotions of the athlete. While I am only able to view the Olympic coverage on television, I am currently in Wellington, Florida surrounded by the best equestrians in the world at The Winter Equestrian Festival. Saturday night was the $375,000 FEI Grand Prix. It was an exciting class with forty five competitors, six being called back for the jump-off over a shortened course. It gave me lots of opportunity to photograph the preparation, execution and release.

1. Preparation

Photographing Athletes: In Pursuit Of Excellence

Anticipation for Nice De Prissey with Brianne Goutal, Balance and concentration for Ursula XII and Scott Brash.

2. Execution

Photographing Athletes: In Pursuit Of Excellence

Special Lux with Jonathan McCrea, With Wings and Karen Polle, Mic Mac Du Tillard with David Will.

For equestrians, the rider and the horse are skilled athletes. They must work as a team. I love the different expressions of concentration of the horse and rider as they approach and jump these huge fences.

Photographing Athletes: In Pursuit Of Excellence

Kent Farrington and Willow

The course must be completed in a certain amount of time. The rider must move along. When it’s a jump off, the rider needs to gallop as fast as safely possible. In the end, the jumps have to stay up.

Photographing Athletes: In Pursuit Of Excellence

Jessicia Springstein and Vindicat W, Charlie Jayne and Chill R Z

The course designer builds problems into the course testing the horse and rider’s versatility. Sometimes it’s the number of possible strides between jumps. It may be the size and shape of the jump. The horse and rider have to answer every question with a clean jump.

Photographing Athletes: In Pursuit Of Excellence

Tim Gredley and Unex Chamberlain Z, Scott Brash and Ursula XII

The determination in horse and rider is inspiring!

 

3. Release

Photographing Athletes: In Pursuit Of ExcellencePhotographing Athletes: In Pursuit Of ExcellenceBen Maher on Cella winners of the $375,000 Grand Prix

As these athletes pursue excellence, I to strive to photograph their stories to the best of my abilities!! I hope you enjoy these photographs.

 

 

 
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Do you have a website that’s being redone and your photograph needs updating? Have you always dreamed about becoming a model but have no photographs of yourself? Are you an executive that has changed companies, or looking for a different look for your promotional material? Maybe you have just written a book, started a new home based business and need a headshot? All of these requests come into my portrait studio throughout the year. Each one requires special attention to clothing and location.

Executives:

Professional Headshots

Avoid stripes and patterns. Clothing should be pressed, neat and fit well. Ladies if you are wearing jewelry keep it simple. Men, please chose a basic tie, shave or beards need to be trimmed. If you hair is too long, make your appointment for a haircut a week before the session. Professional make-up done on site is the norm. I will be taking a variety of shots: Full length, ¾ and close-up. Some shots will be formal, some more casual. You will have plenty to choose from.

 Authors, Actors and Other Professionals:

Professional Headshots

Wear clothing that makes you feel comfortable and gives you a professional look. Lighter clothing is better than darker. Avoid stripes and patterns. Bring several outfit changes and include short and long sleeve shirts. Long sleeves can be very flattering. Men, if you need a haircut, please make your appointment a week before the session. Everything shows. Shave if you like that look or trim your beard. Collared button down shirts photograph well. Ladies, have your hair done the day of the session if you have a specific look you enjoy. Make-up should be natural and what you commonly use for day wear. I will be taking a variety of shots: Full length, ¾ and close-up. Make sure you can sit comfortably in whatever clothing you have decided to wear.

 Models:

Professional Headshots

I like to provide a “model” client with four completely different photographs. Scouts like to see how the person may photograph in different settings so I use at least two different locations. I make a formal type shot, a casual, an active shot, a variety of close-up, ¾ and full length views, black and white and color. For the scruffy look for men, I suggest starting off with that look. Then shaving and changing clothes for the rest of the session. The planning stages involve finding out what activities the client enjoys most. I suggest bringing several outfits for each setting and I can choose what will work best the day of the session. Often, I provide the client with an 8×10 which includes a mix of photographs and the statistics like name, height, weight, contact number, and so on.

Personal, Online Dating:

Professional Headshots

For this photography session I recommend wearing clothing that makes you feel attractive. Bring a variety of outfits so that there will be much to choose from. Lighter colors work well than darker. Again, avoid stripes and bold patterns; the viewer wants to concentrate on your face, not your clothing. I like to choose a location that you enjoy going to; be it a beach, a garden, a park. I need you to be relaxed and content so your comfort is paramount! I will be photographing a headshot, a three quarter view and a full length so whatever you decide to wear make sure you can sit as well as stand.

Whatever your situation is, having professional headshots made gives a great first impression to your clients, your readers, modeling agencies, potential dating partners.