Putting your best face forward: How to take the perfect professional headshot

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You’ve come up with the million-dollar idea, you’ve built your product, you’re executing and you’re generating a buzz in the market.

Now, you want to tell the public exactly who you are and what you’re all about; make a good first impression on prospective clients, partners, even investors, before they’ve even met you.

They say a picture paints a thousand words. And (although here at SmartCompany we are very much in the words business) we’re inclined to agree.

A picture can showcase your style, presence and personality. It offers a little insight into who you are; where you are; what you do and what you’re all about.

And while it might not be priority number one, it’s more important than you might think.

At SmartCompany, we’re often the ones telling the story of that first capital raise, asking how you reached 10,000 Instagram followers, or how you achieved hockey-stick growth.

So, when it comes to what makes a good founder photo, we like to think we know what we’re talking about.

Whether it’s for media opportunities, for your ‘About Me’ page, your blog content, your LinkedIn profile, your monthly newsletter or literally anything else, here’s a quick guide to nailing your team photos. And, some examples of how to do it right.

Tability co-founder Sten Pitet (right). Source: supplied.

Who’s involved?

Often, you might only want one particular person in your image — the person giving the interview or writing the blog post, for example.

But, it’s always good to have group shots of all the founders to hand, or shots of the whole team.

A very candid, very jolly shot of the Able Foods team. Source: supplied.

Do you have office pets? Invite them to the photoshoot. Is yours a family business? Get the whole clan involved. Are you proud of your company culture? Get some snaps at your Christmas party.

And, as an aside, if you are providing these images to a third party, it’s always helpful to clearly note who’s who — dogs and all.

Candid or crafted?

It’s entirely up to you how staged you want your image to feel. Some people like to be 100% ready for the camera, and looking into the lens. Others prefer those snaps where they’re laughing at something, or someone, out of shot.

But don’t rule out the action shot. Whether you’re a watchmaker, baker, engineer or scientist, we love to see you doing what you do best.

And, if you’ve done any public speaking, an image of you on stage always adds an air of authority.

Michelle Akhidenor (right), founder and chief of The Peers Project in action, interviewing Alibaba’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Maggie Zhou. Source: supplied.

Galvin Watch Company founder Susan Galvin at work. Source: supplied.

Be honest

This is just good advice for life, but it’s important for your imagery too.

For example, something we came up against time and time again during the COVID-19 pandemic was founding teams who hadn’t been able to get together to take a few snaps. Instead, we often used a screen-grab from their team Zoom meetings.

That offered real insight into how those businesses were operating at the time. And, lets be honest, it resonated with pretty much everyone.

One Love Australia co-founders Jamal Elsheikh and Joel Buncle and Creative Co-Operative founder Priyanka Ashraf (L to R). Source: supplied.

Show us who you are

Some people are in their absolute element in a suit and tie, or in a striking dress, make-up and heels. If that’s you, then own it.

The Cocktail Shop founder Melissa How being her fabulous self. Source: supplied.

But, remember that’s not the only way to look professional. If you don’t feel natural in a blazer, then you won’t look natural either.

If you spend most of your working day in your workshop in overalls, then show us that. If you’re a farmer, take us to the farm.

Or, if your happy place is sipping a cocktail on your office’s roof terrace, that sounds like a great snap. Just invite us along next time, won’t you?

What’s behind you?

We see a lot of images of people standing in front of brick walls or — particularly in Melbourne — in front of graffiti. That’s fine, if not particularly original.

Just make sure that whatever is on the wall behind you isn’t too distracting. Rude or graphic graffiti could alienate people, for example.

Equally, if you’ve opted for the rooftop or the farm, just keep an eye on what any people or animals in the background are up to.

Southern Cross Beef founder Sonya Comiskey in her element. Source: supplied.

Have options at the ready

This is especially true when you’re working with the press. Every publication will have different image specs and styles that work for them.

On SmartCompany, for example, you’ll notice all of our images are landscape. So, it’s difficult to crop portrait shots to size without it looking like you’re peeping through a letter box.

It’s helpful to either ask what works best, have a quick look at the site in question, or simply send a few options you like and let the editors choose.

There’s no such thing as too many photos. If there are a few nice options, we can always use more than one.

Tailor the photo to your business (but don’t go overboard)

This isn’t only about getting to know you. It’s about getting to know your business, too. If someone skims the text but registers the image, will they know what it is you do?

This isn’t always possible (apologies to software startups and insurance brokers).

Even where it is possible, there’s a fine balance to strike. This isn’t an ad; we want the emphasis to be on the person or people, not the product.

But, if your business is wine related, there’s nothing wrong with having a glass of pinot in the shot. If you own a restaurant, pose out front. If you’re a dog groomer, show us a freshly-groomed dog. You get the idea.

Swimply founder Bunim Laskin chilling by a pool. Source: supplied.

At the same time, tailor the photo to the story

If you’re commenting on a serious issue — whether in the media or not — and the only image you have on file is one of you beaming and cuddling a pampered pooch, that doesn’t quite send the right message.

Think about the many options you’re going to have in your arsenal, and make sure you have your serious face ready to go, too.

Neighbourlytics co-founders Jessica Christiansen-Franks and Lucinda Hartley with their game faces on. Source: supplied.

Clothing The Gap co-founder and director Laura Thompson showing where she stands. Source: supplied.

What are you trying to say?

Of course, no person, group or business is one-dimensional. There’s no one right way to put your best photo forward.

So, take some time to think about what message you’re trying to get across in any given situation. Is your goal to seem approachable and fun, or authoritative and expert? Are you using this as a branding opportunity, or to show where you stand on a particular issue?

And remember, there are no hard and fast rules, merely guidelines. If you’re comfortable, you’re being yourself and it feels right to you (and, ahem, if it can be beautifully cropped to the right size), then you’re probably on to a winner.

Good luck, and happy snapping.

GO1 co-founder Vu Tran. Source: supplied.