3 Reasons Why Headshots are Important | Branding and Beyond | Seattle, WA
Top 3 Reasons Why Headshots Are Important
First, let’s start from the beginning, what is a headshot? Well, a headshot is a professionally captured photograph of a person from the shoulders up, the photograph is cut or cropped in order to give focus to the person, not any product one is selling or background details. You’re probably thinking “okay so what’s the difference between a headshot and a portrait then?” The difference between a headshot and a portrait is distinguished with the model being camera aware and often looking directly at the camera with minimal posing and slight variations of facial expressions such as smiling with or without teeth and relaxing the mouth for a more neutral look.
Portraits on the other hand are where the model may be camera aware, but not always looking at the camera, so oftentimes with these factors at play the headshot will be subjected to transform into a portrait. Portraits are also filled with more posing variety and creative elements (i.e. unique lighting, funky backdrops, epic outfits, creative makeup looks, and more) to lean into a more artistic realm instead of a business or corporate one.
There are many reasons headshots are important, but here are MY TOP 3 that will help guide any photographer or model looking for those perfect professionally styled portraits.
LET’S DO THIS!!
#3 Coming in at number three is: Job Application or Casting Audition
Headshots paired with an application, resume or cover letter help give a great first impression when submitting documents of inquiry. Submitting a headshot with a job application helps you stand out from many other competitors simply by bringing a face to your paperwork. More often than not applications and resumes will end up in a pile of papers somewhere and forgotten about until they’re needed again, that’s when your headshot comes in handy! Having a professionally taken well light photograph of you will help draw attention to your application, it gives the first impression the potential employers need to take the next step to picking up the phone or hitting send on an email when scheduling your first interview.
Headshots are an ESSENTIAL part of a casting audition, whether its a live theatre performance, an on screen talent or a voiceover part you’re applying for they will have hundreds to thousands of applications and auditions, when you walk through that room your presence is what they remember, they imagine you on that stage or on the big screen and after your audition is finished your impression is what will stand out the most and that’s the kind of headshot that will take you one step further to landing that role.
#2 Moving on to number two: Solidifying Yourself Within Your Brand Using Headshots
Headshots are VITAL to your brand! WHY?! Because no matter what service you provide or product you sell, YOU are your brand. Your influence or reputation, what your clients or customers are saying about you to their friends and family, how you make other people feel, and your audience’s opinion on how you conduct business, all of these elements are what a brand is and a headshot is simply a piece of your AMAZING puzzle!!
Headshots for your business or company help bring your business to life, for example: if your business is a bakery and the only time people see you is during events then having a strikingly captured headshot is going to let people know that you’re the face of your business, it connects people to you and what you’re passionate about. Or if you’re a company CEO having professional headshots (especially a group photo) of yourself and your employees provides a community-like atmosphere, sharing the image of your company with those that work for you help highlight those making strides in your industry, every smile at a time.
#1 Finally, my top favorite reason why a headshot is so important is having; A Fresh Face Headshot for ANYTHING You Want
I think one of the best reasons as to why headshots are important is to keep a portrait journal of oneself, to have updated headshots as frequent as every few years or so is important for anyone to have. They provide the person who may be receiving or viewing your headshot with key components to putting a face to the name they’re hearing or reading about.
Having a variety of headshots for your personal portrait journal or portfolio will not only help provide extra social media content to share with others or send a nice headshot portrait to your grandparents or loved ones, but it will provide useful material for when you’re putting your name out there through your art or business, your headshot represents you and gives people the first impression through your photograph,
