Headshots: ‘cropped’ vs full body
What is a headshot?
Whether you’re in Melbourne or somewhere around the world a headshot is a fairly standard thing, it’s pretty much in the name, a head…shot - a tightly cropped photo of your head. It usually starts from the shoulders up and the focus is you and your face, that’s right no shying away from it. This doesn’t mean that it’s bold and unflattering, no it is bold, but engaging because the viewer gets the opportunity for a close-up view of your eyes which means engagement and building trust with your ideal client or target audience.
Headshots don’t have to be boring, there are plenty of ways to create variety, from expressions, poses, to what you wear, how you accessorise, to background colour choices. It’s all about creating something that feels unique and true to you. You might want the images to be darker in feel conveying a more professional image. This can be achieved with a grey or black background or even white background whilst wearing darker clothing to create that striking contrast. Or you might prefer light and airy images for that casual/down to earth look.
There aren’t any hard and fast rules about headshot expressions, you can be serious, smile a little, grin, laugh freely or go for something that’s a bit more candid like looking away from the camera. At the end of the day your photos should reflect whatever you feel will fit the overall personality of your business. I am here to coach you and guide you all the way and besides it’s a collaborative process which means you will see what we’re capturing as we go guaranteeing photos you will love.
What do you use a headshot for?
Whether you’re a business owner, a job seeker looking for that next jump in the career ladder, an author publishing your book or an actor, headshots are so versatile that you can make good use of them on many different platforms. Some of the platforms include your LinkedIn profile, your resume, business cards, social media, your website, Gmail avatar or email sign off. Standing out in the Melbourne business market is not an easy feat, but one of the benefits of a professional headshot is developing your brand which means your headshot can act as your own personal logo.
What if headshots aren’t enough?
I believe that headshots are great for many uses but every so often the cropping just isn’t right for what you need. Maybe you need something with a wider cropping for a particular platform or need more space around your head to be able to add some text for print out marketing material. Maybe you want to show a bit more of what you do with props, equipment, tools, or anything that shows others what you’re all about. To add a bit more visual flare I recommend sprucing it up with some decorative elements like plants, a rug and furniture.
Branding headshot
This wider cropping of a full body shot is what I call a branding headshot, it’s somewhere between a business headshot and an environmental portrait. An environmental portrait is usually captured in someone’s natural environment at their office or at their business, but sometimes your setup isn’t quite photo ready, and you need something simple yet appealing to get your image out there without investing in a comprehensive branding photoshoot.
This type of shoot allows the best of both worlds where you can get your tight eye-catching headshot with your bold engaging eyes, and you can also get your environmental portrait captured in the same studio session. Sound convincing? For more info about this type of shoot you can read more on this page