In this digital age, networking is primarily online and your resume, work experience, and life story are behind one thing; your headshot. Today, people are investing time and money into their branding in the exact same way an actor or model would and they are getting hired.

With an upbringing in acting, I have plenty of experience helping actors focus their branding in a professional headshot session. Preparing for role after role, actors are constantly asking the questions:

“Who am I?”

“What is the story here?”

“What do I want my audience to receive”

These three questions are the pillars of preparing for every headshot session. For corporate headshots, LinkedIn headshots, and any business headshots alike, I don’t change a thing about my approach, and the results - even working with professionals who have never stepped foot on a stage - are always impressive.

When preparing for a business headshot session, my biggest advice is to answer these three questions - and here’s how:

Who am I?

Sounds simple enough.

“I’m a lawyer.”

“I’m a real estate agent.”

“I am the owner of a small tech startup.”

I challenge you to get specific with it - because we are all complex humans with layers beyond our job title.

“I am a career coach and a mother of 3 children who can help you master your work/life balance”

“I am a fitness instructor and proud military veteran who will instill discipline and accountability into your fitness routine”

“I am an author who wants to make people uncomfortable and inspired by pointing out hard truths of human nature”

The ands and buts and alsos of our identities add layers of complexity. Complex headshots are interesting - and interesting headshots are clicked on.

What is the story here?

A common misconception of a headshot’s purpose is to link a face to a name - when, in fact, its purpose is to communicate a story and relate to a viewer’s perception in context of the candidate they are searching for. Think about some of our identities.

“I am a lawyer.”

Not specific, but there’s a story there. Let’s add in some layers.

“I am a lawyer who has devoted my life to protecting rights for marginalized groups.”

In this story, there is more information that we can use to make our headshots specific. A corporate lawyer interacting with high-stake transfers of large sums of money will need a vastly different headshot than our civil rights lawyer. Instead, we want soft light, strong posture, but a face that has warmth and confidence that says, “I will listen to your struggles, I will not judge you, and I will fight for your rights.”

Corporate headshots with this level of specificity are going to give you a leg up in finding your way into spaces that align with your desires and interests.

See here how both headshots here are similar in a lot of ways. Both clients wanted to appear professional, yet they were directed in two entirely different ways and tell different stories. The story on the left is about someone who is intelligent, confident, and will be decisive under pressure. The story on the right is someone who is wise, well equipped, but will listen to your financial needs and care for them,

What do I want my audience to receive?

First we have to establish who is in our audience.

Who is going to be seeing your headshot? Networking connections on LinkedIn? Clients to whom you wish to sell your services? Potential employers? All of these audiences will uniquely shape your work with a professional headshot photographer.

If your headshot is going to be broadcast to potential employers, you’re going to want to appear charismatic, impressionable, eager to learn and grow (of course this will change depending on the job you are in the market for).

If you own a business and your picture will be the first thing a potential client will see (and it often will be), you want your headshot to be interesting and to be telling a story that makes them want to click and learn more (see question’s 1 and 2). If you want your clients to see that you are professional and trustworthy, a headshot that directly communicates elements of intelligence and confidence will more likely draw them into your LinkedIn profile, newsletter, facebook ad, etc.

Decide who your audiences are - If you have more than one, it is a smart idea to have different headshots that cater differently to these specific audiences.

I’ve answered these questions! Now what do I do?

Great! This is a crucial step in preparing yourself for a session with a professional photographer. The key word here is professional. This is the conversation I have with all of my clients and it helps me take control of the session. As the photographer, the pressure is on me to coach our session in a way that communicates your specific needs. The more information I have about those needs, the easier the job is.

Upon booking, you’ll receive a questionnaire to help you think about all of these things. I use these details to focus our time together and direct headshots that capture your identity, tells an interesting story, and speaks to your target audience without asking any extra work from you. All you have to do is relax and have fun!