Last week, I had the time of my life getting new headshots done with a local photographer who’s also become a dear friend of mine. We set out for the middle of nowhere for a yellow wildflower field she’d spotted days prior, only to find IT’D BEEN MOWED DOWN! 😂 So we ended up in a random field of fluffy white weeds behind a marble store, and then headed down to a plant nursery.
And you know what? I LOVE THESE PICTURES. They’re everything I wanted in my first set of professional headshots. So before you get new photos made, take my advice! Because, trust me— I knew next to nothing going into this process!
- Be less concerned about the perfect location and more concerned about the perfect photographer. (Like Megan at Southern Grace Photography in Gulf Shores!) Find someone whose style you love and whose experience you can trust. That’s a sure fire way to know you’ll be happy with your photos.
- If your writing voice has a regional flair, consider an outside location that pulls in those vibes.
- Choose colors that are classic so the photos can transition well from project to project.
- Similarly, choose classy makeup and jewelry. Don’t be afraid to go for a bold lip color or bright blue necklace, but be sure you’re selective about choosing only one or two bold details.
- Not sure what to wear? Pick what makes you feel most confident. Headshots are so much about the smile and eyes.
- And last but not least— have fun! Even if you don’t normally enjoy being photographed, consider the session a chance to invest your time back into yourself. Think about all the places these photos will go, and don’t be afraid to smile wide! The most important thing to convey in these photos is YOU!
I want to hear from you! What tips do you have to add to the list?
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Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.
2 comments:
You look wonderful! I think one thing that distracts me about a photo, is something that ages them in it, and I'm not talking about the person! Ha. Just a culture icon or something on a shirt or so on, that will be "old" in a few years. If you don't get to redo your photo for awhile, I think it can still be fine, but if it has something that was "in" a few years ago, that turns me away from it. Does that make sense? I'm very visual, so it's important to me.
What a delightful photo! It just doesn't come naturally for most of us to 'work with the camera', so it takes some time to get into it. Lighting is so very important. (Especially as we get older!) And you're absolutely right that it should be a fun break from the work of life to just focus on something like a photo shoot!
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