Headshots and my predictions for 2023!
JANUARY 18, 2023
What is a Headshot?
A headshot is traditionally a head and shoulders portrait used professionally to display your appearance. Sounds simple, right? Well, it kind of is, but it can also be a complete minefield if you’re not careful! Now that more and more of our working lives is spent online, your headshot can be the first point of contact for potential customers, via your website, social media or zoom, and so give them a first impression of you and your business. Subconsciously, whether it’s right or wrong, everyone judges others on their appearance, so if you have a job or a business which requires you to interact with other people, a good headshot can be a massive positive, because people are much more likely to buy from other people than from a faceless impersonal company!
A good headshot can help to give a great first impression. In industries such as acting and modelling in particular, you are judged on your appearance (I think that this might be the only place where it’s still acceptable to openly judge a person on their appearance) so a clean up to date and accurate headshot can really help you to get seen and get booked.
Recent headshot trends
Like everything, there are fashions and trends in headshots too! This is important to know, because to a professional looking to hire, if your headshot is displaying a trend from five years ago or so (such as leaning on a brick wall, a peculiar angle which was in vogue when yours was taken, or, ladies, eyebrows that were the in thing when your photo was taken, but now fashion has moved on…), it could potentially tell them some unfavourable things about you – do you not care enough about your image to update it? Are you insecure in your image? Do you even look the same anymore? So, keeping an eye on yours and staying up to date could be important, depending on your industry.
I’ve taken a scroll through Instagram, Pinterest, Google and others to see where headshots have evolved from for the past four years, and here are my observations and predictions for the next year or so. These are the general trends, as far as I can see moving forwards – that isn’t to say that you must follow every single one of them, rules are there to be broken after all, but this is the direction that the majority of images seem to be moving in.
Colour. Black and white images are out, for now. Colours are relatively natural, and not overly enhanced in post-production. The over-saturated “your image must pop” bubble has burst.
Less formal. The pandemic and work from home has relaxed things a lot – the “school portrait” style in a black blazer is long gone, and you can generally show a little more personality – hurray! There are industry specific exceptions to this – if you work in a particularly formal setting, it’s probably best not to rock the boat and break from the general trend! If in doubt, check out your co-workers’ or industry leaders’ headshots, and follow their lead.
Less editing. This is a trend being seen across all photography currently, which I think is great! A headshot should show how you aim look most of the time, and nobody has perfect, photoshopped skin. Looking polished but recognisable in your photo makes you more seem more genuine and approachable to clients.
Outdoor/on location vs studio. There seems to be a pretty even split on this. Natural light can be gorgeous in a headshot, and give it more individuality, but that can mean that you have to wait for the lighting and weather to be right. I think outdoor headshots can look more approachable. Studio lighting and backdrops are good, because the light is controlled, so it can be done any time and in any location. I think that studio shots can look more corporate and branded.
The crop seems to be getting tighter – and image showing from the collarbone to just cropping the top of the head is most common (probably because this fits well into zoom and social media profile pictures!) but there are some longer, more traditional shots which crop anywhere from the mid upper arm to the waist.
Portrait. There was a brief trend for headshots to be taken landscape around 2017 - 2019 but it seems to have faded, again, probably because these images are commonly displayed digitally, and certain platforms (looking at you, Instagram!) can be fussy about aspect ratios
No angle. The tilt crop has disappeared! In layman’s terms – the camera stays straight, no tilting. That doesn’t mean that you can’t move – in fact, I’d suggest turning your body at an angle to the camera, which tends to be more flattering. There are a lot of articles out there on posing ideas – I’ll do a blogpost on them soon.
Lighting is softer and more even compared to 3-4 years ago. Comparing images from 2019 and 2022, the lighting we’re seeing now is softer, and has virtually no shadows on the face at all. This is a good thing – soft even light is brilliant at hiding small imperfections in the skin!
Taken at eye level or slightly above. Ok, this one isn’t really a changing trend from recent years. But it is worth mentioning that unlike a millennial mum selfie, headshots should be taken at eye level or just above!
Eyes and eye contact are the focus. This is something that’s been building for a while, and its logically. Eye contact can make you appear more engaged, honest, and approachable, and along with the fact that, when questioned on what people’s favourite feature is, the most popular answer is “eyes”, drawing attention to them makes a lot of sense.
Even split between smiling and not. I love this move away from serious faces all the time. Until recently, a headshot in which you were laughing would have been considered an “outtake” professionally, but showing your genuine smile can be a great move, especially if you’re in a customer facing role/are a small business, because it can show what a warm, genuine, lovely person you are, which can help to drive sales!
Tips
Feel comfortable. In your outfit, hair style, makeup (if applicable!), and setting. This is not the time to try anything vastly different – if you normally have very curly hair and don’t wear much makeup, don’t straighten it for your photos and wear a full face! If you don’t normally wear a suit jacket and tie, and you find it uncomfortable, don’t dig one out just for your headshot. If you feel uncomfortable, the chances are it will show in your expression, and your ungenuine smile is much more noticeable than the lack of a tie.
Make sure your image “fits” your industry/company – if you are a lawyer, rocking up for your headshot wearing fishing gear/a hoodie/a very low-cut top might not project the image that you want it to. For a practical industry (such as a chef, florist, or engineer) wearing your (clean!) work uniform might be a good option – you want to look smart and professional. The one exception to this- fluorescent and reflective jackets if using any kind of flash photography.
Dress for the image you want to project. If you’re looking to get promoted, dress like you’ve already got the role! If you’re a small business owner who sells gorgeous handmade jewellery, probably best to wear your smartest “selling at a market” outfit – people like predictability on the whole, so looking like they expect an independent silversmith to look is a good thing!
Things to avoid – clothing that doesn’t flatter your figure – just because this is a photo for work doesn’t mean you can’t like your headshot photo! This means that clothes which fit you nicely, in colours that suit you are your best bet. Flowy tops and dresses however are a bit tricky. They feel lovely to wear, and are often flattering in person, but often don’t photograph as well because photos are static, especially a photograph of your head and torso.
Other clothes to avoid are tops with strong patterns (they can take attention away from your face), reflective and shiny (they can cause haze if using flash, and I’ve yet to meet someone who looks best in fluorescent yellow!) and logos which don’t pertain to your own business.
If you need a new headshot, drop me a line – we can brainstorm the best way to project the image you want and go from there. If you are a business and need images for staff identification, or you simply all need new headshots, depending on space, I can bring my studio to your premises and take everyone’s image quickly and discreetly.