Category Archives: Business

“The most important part of your LinkedIn profile is your picture.”

A client pointed me at a great web video today called “The Do’s and Dont’s of LinkedIn Branding” by Kevin Nichols.

About 7 minutes into the talk, the Mr. Nichols states something I’ve been telling business clients for years:

“The most important part of your LinkedIn profile is your picture. It’s your first impression”

“…it’s worth hiring a professional.”

This is solid gold advice for personal branding.

Check out the full video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCkZoAZe41o

3 Ways to Look Better in Photos

Glamour magazine recently posted a few great tips to look better for your next headshot or photo shoot.

“…avoid sparkle. It accentuates fine lines and ages you.”

“Do use an anti-shine product to keep skin matte. Oily skin gets shinier thanks to the flash.”

Although… I’m not 100% behind this comment (in the photo caption):

“Tilt your head so hair is visible,”

Head tilt will usually depend on the camera angle. Instead – I recommend working with your photographer to get a variety of angles that both accentuate your features and show your hair.
Check out the full article for products that will help get great results.

Get your headshot right

Here is a great article on getting great headshots for your business by Dedham, MA portrait photographer Gretje Ferguson.

A good headshot is a business essential. It gives you a leg up when it comes to publicity, a professional web presence, or a potential speaking contract. A strong business portrait personalizes your business. People see who you are and are more likely to want to work with you.
In contrast, an unflattering, badly posed or technically inferior headshot can work against you. The subconscious questions that may come up are: Does this person take herself seriously? Is she a consummate professional? Will she give my account the attention it deserves?

Your headshot is part of your brand. Be sure it is sending a message compatible with your professionalism.

Solid advice.

Guys in ties (or not)

For a lot of photographers shooting PR headshot photos is often referred to as shooting “Guys in ties”. Its all just part of the business uniform.

So what should you wear for a business portrait?

Generally speaking try to avoid complex patterns and stick with (mostly) solid colors. Pinstripes are ok, but houndstooth will look “busy”. Horizontal lines should be avoided. Try not to be too trendy as your headshot will probably be used for a few years. Think about timeless or classic looks.

What to wear – Men

For men, a dark suit jacket (black, grey or navy), white or light colored shirt and a basic tie is standard. For ties, crazy patterns or colors can be distracting so a simple pattern or bright color is best. Tie color can also help accent your eyes. A blue/green tie will bring out the blue/green in your eyes.

For a more casual look, some clients opt for a shirt and tie without a jacket. In these cases, I tell my clients to avoid a plain white shirt or a white shirt with stripes. Your eyes naturally go to the brightest part of a picture so a white shirt draws attention away from the face. In this case a blue or pastel colored shirt often works great.

A jacket over a crew neck shirt or a simple golf shirt can also work depending on the client’s type of business.

What to wear – Women

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Women have lots of options, but a classic business suit or simple blouse with a skirt or pants will get the job done nicely. Try not to choose something that’s obviously a summer/winter outfit or anything that’s too trendy.

The key thing to look at for a woman’s outfit is the neckline. A “V” neckline will have a slimming effect (elongating the face). On the other hand a scoop neck or crew neck blouse will typically make a face look wider. Avoid turtlenecks at all costs (they crowd the face and can make your face look chubby).

Look your best

The most important advice I can offer is to wear something that makes you look good and something you feel comfortable wearing. Feeling good about your clothing will help you look confident and professional in your pictures.

If you can’t decide what looks best, bring a couple of outfits to the shoot. Your photographer will usually be able to tell you which outfit will work best for the shoot.

The art of the headshot

Kimberly Brooks on thehuffingtonpost.com comments that different jobs often require different kinds of headshots:

  • Real estate agents and Bloggers: smiling, smart, confident
  • Activists and serious writers: not smiling
  • Artists: intense
  • Scientists: occasionally wacky

Read more of Kimberly’s article…

I think Kimberly gets it right. A great headshot should portray the subject appropriately for a given audience.

Here are a couple examples from a shoot last week. This is Ed, and we shot two different looks – one for business and another more causal look for social media.

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