Responsibilities of Your Headshot Photographer during your Photo Shoot

For many people, taking photos is far from their most favorite thing to do. If this is the case for you, then you should know that it’s not really your responsibility to make sure your headshots come out looking great. While you might take some personal accountability in the process, it is the responsibility of your photographer to make sure that your session results in great-looking photos and that you feel comfortable throughout the process. There are a number of techniques they might use to do this — coaching, building rapport, conversation, understanding your needs — but the goal of it all is that you participate in your photoshoot — See My Work

Building a positive, relaxed environment

If a photographer wants to get a great headshot of you in your element, then one thing that must be done is to put you at ease while getting your photo taken. Tension and discomfort can be spotted easily in a photo, so it’s important that your photographer take the extra time and effort to make you feel comfortable during your headshot session. When you feel comfortable and relaxed, you’ll capture photos and moments that are actually representative of who you are and how you feel.

Helps you feel confident

If you want to capture the perfect photo, then your photographer should help make you feel confident in yourself. Photographers can feature great angles of yourself, accentuate your features, and make you feel much more positive about the images that are being taken. When you are feeling more self-assured, you are much more likely to take great images.

Capture your best “you”

A great photographer is not just someone that snaps a button to take a picture. A good photographer will know exactly how to capture you and your personality capture features that best represent you. When you work with a professional photographer, you won’t have to be stressed out about how to best capture yourself — an expert photographer will have a plan.

Create the perfect environment

Part of capturing a great photo is placing the subject in a positive and comfortable environment. Any professional photographer knows this. When you are in the right environment, chances are you will be pleased with the outcome.

Bring out your personality

A key role of the photographer is to accurately bring to out your personality. If you truly want to get the most out of your professional photo shoot, then you’ll want to depict who you are — and who you want to be seen as — in your photos. We aren’t always willing to let that part of our personality shine at will, but a good photographer knows how to have conversations with their clients and coach through perfect images.

Your photographer needs to know what you want your images to convey. What business are you in? Are you an actor or an attorney? What will the images be used for and where? In general, accessibility and approachability are important features, but that varies on your needs and who you are.

The Technical Side

Last but not least: Needless to say, the right professional headshot photographer will possess expert skills in several areas including lighting, posing, and camera technique and will have experience applying those skills in a wide range of situations. As you compare photographer’s portfolios, you’ll develop a sense of which photographer best matches your taste and aligns with your preferences.

Perhaps the most important skill is non-technical. The energy and personality in a headshot image are a result of people skills. The photographer needs to quickly assess your needs, build a rapport, and know how to “see” that the end result will meet your requirements. A headshot session is a dance of conversation, coaching, and cheerleading.

Also see • Nail Your Headshots • More Articles