A picture is worth a thousand words. No matter what type of business you’re in, the photos on your website tell internet users a lot of things, such as if they’re dealing with professionals or not. You may not be in the photography business, but making everything on your website look more professional sends out the message that you take your business seriously, and every little detail is important to you. It inspires trust, especially when the headshot photos of the team are nicely done. So, here are ways you can make your headshot photos look like a pro:
- Proper lighting. If you ask any professional photographer what’s the first thing they think of before they do a photoshoot, they would tell you it’s lighting. It does not matter that you bought the most expensive camera in the market. Without proper lighting, your photos will never look great. Make sure that there is natural light from windows on different ends of the location, or you can provide a professional lighting setup if natural light is not available. To make the most of a venue, check to see if they have skylights as they provide great natural lighting or if you work from home, consider getting one fitted using a Polycarbonate Sheet. Check it out before booking a location.
- Solid backdrop. While it is nice to be creative once in a while, it is most probably better if you opt for a solid backdrop for your team’s headshots. The focal point or the main focus of the photo should be you and your team, not the background. Keep it simple. White is preferable, especially if the website is for lawyers, engineers, doctors, and so on.
- Use lenses for portraits. The most common lenses for portraits are the 50mm and the 85mm. If you are a beginner, these are the best choices for you as they are easy to use, and give great results. Wider lenses give more distortion and do not take flattering photos of the face and body. These lenses have wide apertures like 1.8. Having wide aperture lenses lower the depth of field, which means that the background is blurred while the focus remains on the main subject.
Make sure that your shutter speed is high enough in order to avoid motion blur. You can set it at 1/100 if you are using 50mm lenses. Take a day or two to familiarize yourself with the aperture and shutter speed settings so you are more comfortable when you start shooting. Make sure that you also focus on the right features, such as the eye that is closest to the camera. When you’re shooting portraits, do not use the auto mode because the outcome will not be as good. - Pose properly. Body positioning tells a great deal about a person. Below are some tips on how you or your team should pose for headshots photos:
- Posture – Always check the posture. Straighten up the back to make the person look more authoritative and confident.
- Define the jawline – People are not aware when they pose for a photo that they show their double chin. This can be avoided by pushing the chin forward and then pushing the face a little downward. This trick often minimizes or gets rid of double chins, defines the jawline, and projects confidence.
- Hand position – Decide where to place the hands before taking the photo. If the hands are going to be folded, make sure that they are not pulling at the shoulders. A power pose means having the hands on the hips and not on the waist.
Edit photos. Everybody edits their photos, including all the best photographers around. Do not hesitate to do so because it is common practice. You can use tools such as Photoshop to make your photos look more professional.
Sort through all the photos you took. Each pose should have at least five versions so you can better decide which one is best. Among the five, look carefully at the lighting, the smile, and other facial expressions. Pick one that is most flattering.
Normally, you should edit the lighting, contrast, sharpness, saturation, and shadow. Since you are going to use the photos for your business, there’s no need to put fancy effects.
Conclusion
Having professional headshots on your website or company profile puts your staff in their best light and gives a positive impression for the company. It also improves your brand image and somehow creates a human connection. Your social media followers need to put a face on the people behind the business, and having a professional photo sends a positive message. These photos that you take can also be used for your social media pages. It is a way of putting yourself out there and declaring that you are a trustworthy company, and not afraid to show your face.