But I’m Just Not Photogenic

The most common phrase heard by photographers world-wide is, “But, I’m really not very photogenic”.  Not surprisingly, most people believe this of themselves.  In fact, very few people actually like having their own photo taken except for the occasional fun selfie.

Shaquille is one of the rare humans who thinks he’s photogenic.  You know what?  He is photogenic!  So are most of the people who sit or stand in front of my camera.  They may not start out feeling that way, but the job of a good photographer is to find a way to bring it out. This is my job. I say, “game on”. Let’s see if I can change your mindset.

Does it feel unnatural and awkward at first?  Yeah, sure, it usually does until you’re coached, and made to feel at ease.

My greatest joy in photographing business portraits is watching the shift in confidence and attitude from “I’m not very photogenic” to “Yeah, I like that one”.  You see, a little change in posture, stance and expression can go a long way in helping take you to that land of photogenic people.

Let’s back up for a moment and talk about roles.  Your job as a portrait client is to get yourself ready and get to the studio (or location for photos).  That’s it.  Those are your only duties.  Of course, some people take longer than others to get ready, but those are your only two tasks.

My role, as your photographer, is much more than snapping a shutter button and doing a little retouching.  Let’s go over all of my roles and see how it benefits you.

The role of the professional headshot photographer:

First we discuss the purpose of the portrait – You see, the purpose of the portrait drives all of the other decisions.  The purpose includes how you will use the images, who your audience is, the message you want to convey, and much more. This discussion is really more of a marketing and branding discussion, but it is so important. Once the goal of the photo has been established, I, as a photographer know where to drive the rest of the conversation.

Next, we talk about clothing options, where we will photograph, and what your background will look like. I will design the perfect environment for your new portrait. For some of you, it will be one of our traditional background options in the studio, while for others, it may be more of a casual set or somewhere on location. If you need help knowing what looks best for your body type, I have resources for that as well.

Now we get into jobs traditionally considered part of photography. The lighting and camera gear are set up and are ready for work. Various lighting setups work differently on each person which makes it very important that I know and understand how to light you to make you look your best.