Recently I seen this subject trend on social media. I decided to provide my own input.
"We have chosen to go with a cheaper option."
Have you ever heard or read those words in the course of doing business?
This phrase is relatively common. In fact, we can probably agree that we'll hear many "no's" before getting a "yes."
When have you ever said this, or heard this said, to a doctor? No? Why not?
A doctor is tending to your health and/or saving your life, but they don't get challenged on the cost of their services, do they?
Comparing service providers based on a monetary basis assumes that all of the providers in question offer the exact same thing, thereby commoditizing them.
In the world of professional headshots, one photographer is not the same as another, regardless of thought process.
If I were having a heart attack, I would choose a cardiologist over a podiatrist, despite both of them having attended medical school. Cost would not be a consideration.
Your professional headshot is an asset, and is far too valuable to commoditize.
Headshot Photography truly is a specialty. Anyone can press a button and make a picture. But, not just anyone can elicit a genuine reaction, emotion, or expression.
Whether you know it or not, your expression and presentation have a direct impact on whether your audience chooses to build a connection with you.
Since society has become increasingly visual, it behooves us to give our audience the information they need to make decisions.
And, since they will undoubtedly form opinions about you and make decisions based on how you present yourself, it makes sense to put out the highest quality headshots you can in an effort to resonate with them.
If you're still using images that look like your old high school yearbook photo, anything with subpar quality, or with a stale aesthetic, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.
Aiming for a contemporary look and feel will communicate more about you and your abilities than you can imagine!
Stop using the LinkedIn silhouette as a profile picture in an attempt at being anonymous. It's not beneficial at all!
No one wants to pay more than necessary. But, in the case of your profile photo(s), it may very well be necessary!
