Welcome to Professional Headshots for Everyone! St. Louis Headshot Photographer is a specialized portrait studio offering group headshots, individual headshots, corporate portraits, and more. Our experienced photographers will capture the best elements of your brand, highlighting and emphasizing exactly what you want potential employers or customers to see. Our detailed processes take into account a range of photography styles, including business casual and executive looks for those seeking professional imagery for their website or portfolio. We pride ourselves in providing quality services that reflect the true spirit of our clients.
If you’re looking to stand out from the crowd in today’s competitive job market and get noticed by potential employers then professional headshots may be the key to success. Whether you need corporate photos, LinkedIn profile images or just updated shots taken after a personal makeover – we can provide it all! Our team takes pride in producing beautiful images that emphasize the positive features of each individual while providing accurate representations to showcase before the world.
We understand that photography sessions can be intimidating – but don’t worry! We provide resources and guidance prior to your shoot so that you can prepare yourself mentally and physically – making sure that once your session begins you are able to relax and enjoy yourself in order to provide us with natural smiles and confident postures. Whether you’re an experienced professional needing more business-focused photos for marketing purposes or an individual looking for a fun shoot with friends – we make sure everyone is put at ease so they look their best!
Types of Professional Headshots
Professional headshots are an important aspect of building your personal brand and can often be used for more than just social media purposes. When selecting the type of headshot that best suits you, it is important to consider several different types of images and the best usage for each of them.
Different types of professional headshots include:
- Corporate Headshots: Corporate headshots are ideal for your company’s website as well as business cards, press releases, and other printed materials. When taking a corporate headshot, it is important to consider clothing choices as well as hairstyling and makeup applications. In addition to looking professional in corporate environments, a corporate headshot should also look like it belongs on any website or print publication.
- Business Portraits: Business portraits differ from corporate headshots in that they are more lifestyle-oriented while still staying within the professional realm. Business portraits may involve creative angles or use off-camera lighting to create a more dynamic image. Business portraits work well on website homepages and personal biographies, providing an additional layer of personality and branding than what could be seen in a standard corporate shot.
- Head-and-Shoulders Portraits: Sometimes referred to as “portrait cards” or “bio photos”, these shots focus primarily on your face but provide some context with chest or shoulder level frames included in the photo composition. These shots work especially well for magazines covers, author bios, conference presentations etc., providing just enough visual impact without coming across too overstated or overpowering the article subject matter itself.
In addition to the these basic types of photographers above there are also more specialized forms such as glamour shots used mainly for modeling portfolios or specialty actors’ shots that often feature very specific character looks being portrayed by actors. It is important when choosing a photographer for these specific roles that you first research their portfolio for examples similar to what you need so that you don’t end up with something entirely different than what was expected!
Benefits of Professional Headshots
Having a professionally taken headshot for yourself or for your staff and employees can be beneficial in many ways. Here are just a few examples of how professional headshots can help to enhance your image:
- Personal Branding – Having a professional headshot allows you to take control of how you present yourself to the world, making it easier to create a unique brand identity and reach more potential customers.
- Building Rapport – A professional headshot helps to build trust and create familiarity in relationships with clients and customers. People respond better when they can recognize the face of someone they have worked with before.
- Visibility – From organizations needing up-to-date pictures for their website, directory or other marketing materials, to professionals wanting creative images for their social media profiles, having a library of updated images on hand is key in helping you achieve visibility across multiple channels.
- Professionalism – In today’s competitive business environment, having an up-to-date, professional looking photo says something about the level of detail and quality you bring to your work – first impressions count!
Having access to high-quality, contemporary photos provides an excellent way for all types of individuals or organisations to present their best selves in print or online.
Preparing for a Professional Headshot
Before you have your professional headshot taken, it’s important to do a bit of preparation to ensure that the end result is one you’re happy with. Here are some simple tips on how best to prepare for a professional headshot session:
- Choose clothing that is appropriate for the type of image you want to project and make sure you are completely comfortable in what you’re wearing. Choose colors and styles that compliment your face and skin tone. Avoid wearing busy patterns or too much makeup.
- Pay attention to your hair and make sure it looks neat and tidy. This doesn’t necessarily mean going for an expensive haircut – simply having it trimmed is usually enough. If needed, tidy up any errant strands or loose strands before beginning.
- Take care of yourself physically before your session as well; get plenty of rest the night before so that your eyes look rested and refreshed in your photos. You should also think about avoiding caffeine or alcohol as these will have a negative impact on the quality of your photos.
- Try some poses in front of a mirror before coming in for your session – this will give you an idea of what works with your individual facial structure, as well as help build confidence! With all those steps covered, it’s time to book that appointment with a professional photographer – good luck!
Choosing a Professional Photographer
Choosing the right professional photographer for your headshots can be overwhelming. Here are some tips to ensure that you get the best quality results possible.
- It’s important to research and find the right photographer that best meets your needs. Do they specialize in headshots? Have they had satisfied clients in the past with similar projects? Are their prices competitive? These are all good questions to ask.
- Often, a portfolio of recent work gives you an indication of what you can expect from the photographer’s services. You should also see if there is any kind of customer feedback available on their website or through reviews from past customers. It’s easy to look up local photographers near you, however, for a more personal touch it is usually better to book an appointment and chat with them in person before making any commitments. In addition, determine how long it will take for your photos to be ready and what other services they offer (retouching, raw files, etc.).
- When deciding on a professional photographer make sure that the communication process runs smoothly, that the quotes and options are all clear, and most importantly: ensure that their style matches yours!
Tips for Taking Professional Headshots
Capturing yourself in a professional headshot can be intimidating; you want it to look effortless and polished without making you feel as though you’re posing for a picture. However, with the right tips, you can take and create great headshots. Before taking the photo or hiring a professional photographer, keep these tips in mind:
- Choose Your Clothing Carefully: Choose solid colors that compliment your skin tone and wear clothing that is free of wrinkles and not too tight or revealing. Avoid large jewelry and patterns because they can be distracting.
- Prepare Your Hair: Style your hair so it looks neat and clean, opting for longer styles that can be tucked behind the ears to avoid obscuring your face.
- Put on Makeup: To look bright-eyed in pictures, apply waterproof mascara and eyeliner on both upper and lower lids before having your portrait taken. Even if natural makeup isn’t your regular style, wearing some cosmetics will help define your eyes more clearly when viewing online. Stick with neutral shades; opt for a natural look over an evening glamour style.
- Pose With Confidence: Posture plays a huge role in successful portraits; stand or sit up straight while tilting the head slightly toward the camera, chin up slightly but not angled too much up or down – find an angle where both sides of the face are evenly lit. Keep facial expressions friendly but relaxed – no forced smiles!
Post-Shoot Editing and Retouching
After you’ve had your professional headshots taken, the next step is post-shoot editing and retouching. A professional photographer will be able to adjust the image to your preference, such as cropping to size or colour control. If you have specific requests, make sure to communicate this to your photographer prior to shooting so that they can take these into account when editing your photos.
Most photographers offer both basic and advanced retouching services that includes blemish removal, teeth whitening, correcting skin tones and more. This type of service will give you a high quality finished product that looks polished and natural at the same time. Additionally, some photographers may be able to add special effects or digital props for a unique look for your headshot. Be sure to get digital files for easy access in the future if needed.
Finally, after all retouching services are completed you should receive the finalized images from your photographer in the format of your choice – high resolution print files or web-ready versions ready for posting online.
Final Thoughts
Before you go out to make your professional headshots, it’s important to keep certain things in mind. The studio you choose should be appropriate for the type of image that you are going for, whether it be corporate or creative headshots. Lighting and poses should also be taken into consideration. Clothing can make or break your look, and subtle styling changes can have a major impact on the final outcome of your photos. Have a backup look ready in case your first option doesn’t quite work out the way that you had envisioned. Your photographer should also be an experienced professional who knows how to capture flattering images that showcase not just your face, but also your personality and intent behind the shots.
Once you have chosen a good photographer and have carefully selected all the details of your headshot session, all you need to do is relax, smile and enjoy! Professional headshots are becoming increasingly popular for businesses as well as individuals looking to build their portfolios or networks – there’s no doubt that with these tips, you’ll come away with a great set of images that perfectly capture who you are!
314-892-1233
Mike Haller
4501 Mattis Road St Louis, MO 63128
St Louis Commercial Photographer
St Louis, Missouri, USA | Photography services
businessportraitsstlouis@gmail.com
St Louis HeadShot Photographer, Inc. 