Updating your Linkedin profile photo? One of my headshot clients lets you know just how it feels to be photographed by me!

You won't be surprised to hear that the most common thing people say to me when I tell them I'm a Commercial Photographer is "......Oh I hate having my photograph taken....!"

So - I thought it may be useful for you to hear exactly how it feels having a headshot session with me from one of my recent clients. I'd therefore like to say a huge thank you to Lisa Vassallo from One to Three who has written a guest blog for me.
Lisa and her business partner Claire had booked a headshot session on my last headshot day in February and she describes exactly how it felt to be photographed by me and offers some tips on how to get the most out of the session.

A headshot with Pennie Withers from a client’s perspective

I had a number of reasons for not having a new Linkedin profile photo done; I already had an existing professional headshot which was quite flattering, although it was a few years old. I was thinking I would wait until I had lost a few pounds, or my hair was a bit longer or perhaps when I’d come back from holiday. There’s never a perfect time to get your headshot done and after all it is supposed to be a true reflection of you. If your existing headshot is more than a few years old, then I would recommend getting a more recent one. Of course we all like to look a bit younger, but I recently met a new client and didn’t recognise them at all from their LinkedIn profile photo, as it was so many years old!

So I decided to just bite the bullet and booked a headshot session with Pennie Withers.

Here are my thoughts and also some tips to make the most of your headshot day and to get a photo you are happy with:

Tip 1: Allow plenty of time to get there. I would plan to arrive 15 minutes early. The parking is only a short walk away from the venue, but by arriving early, you will allow your heart rate to settle from the walk and can make any touch ups / brush your hair etc before you start shooting. You don’t want to be looking harassed or pink-cheeked before you start.

Tip 2: Before the day spend some time planning what you are going to wear / take with you. You don’t want to be trying on various outfits 10 minutes before you are leaving! I ended up buying a new top for the occasion, but whatever you pick needs to be something you are comfortable in.

Tip 3: I took a change of tops, but also took a cardigan for a less formal look and a jacket for a more formal look. I ended up going with the less formal look, which is much more “me”, so I would recommend wearing whatever you feel most comfortable in. Keep it simple and something that can’t go wrong. Nobody else will notice, but if the way your jumper is sitting or the way your necklace is showing bothers you, your attention will be drawn to it.

Tip 4: Don’t worry about the way you smile! I was thinking, “teeth or no teeth”, but Pennie will put you totally at ease and has a little technique to capture you very naturally (by the way, I learned never smile without showing your teeth)!

Tip 5: Just relax. This bit was easy as Pennie is a master at making you feel relaxed. We had lots of fun and laughter along the way (as seen in this shot below!) Pennie also provides lots of props, so you don’t need to worry what to do with your hands.

And finally.........the 30 minute session flies by and before you know it Pennie will be in touch with a range of photos of you for you to chose from (Pennie is really organised and super efficient). We are our own biggest critics, so I enlisted the help of my family and my business partner to help me pick the photos I wanted to use. Sometimes somebody with a fresh pair of eyes is just what you need to make the final decision.

The photos can then be used to freshen up your website, add to your social media pages and used to encourage interactions (you could even ask your social media followers which photos they like best). I guarantee that when you add a new photo of yourself, you will get a nice reaction. People buy into people and what better way than to showcase yourself every now and then? Pennie provides lots of useful advice and guidance in her own headshot blogs here.

Pennie runs quarterly headshot days or can do bespoke headshot sessions for a more personalised result. More details can be found here.

So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself bookedin and then enjoy having a beautiful, professional Linkedin profile Headshot.