I see them all the time and so do you...
profile photos of highly skilled, talented and accomplished professionals that do not in any way reflect those characteristics.
When you look at your photo, if you think "ugh" or "meh" what do you think others think?
Maybe you think nobody is noticing and nobody cares...nobody has said anything...lots of other people have less-than-great photos, and you don't have the bandwidth to prioritize a good headshot right now. But what if you understood that people are noticing, and they are learning something about you the minute they see your photo? Consciously or subconsciously they are getting your message...which is somewhere on a spectrum from "I don't care," to "I am all about excellence and I understand the value of making sure that's clear."
What if your profile photo makes the difference between someone finding you on LinkedIn, wanting to learn more about you and reaching out vs. finding you on LinkedIn and moving on? Or what if it influences someone's perception of your value as a provider of whatever you do? If the deciding factor for the profile pic you are using was that it “doesn’t look that bad” and fills the space, the question isn't just "is it really working for me?", but "is it actually be working against me?".
And of course LinkedIn isn't the only place people need profile portraits. Here's a case in point. A while ago I had an opportunity to photograph the core partners of a marketing firm for their new website. Originally, they thought they'd just get their Manager of Digital Marketing to shoot them, since part of that person's job is photography. But they determined that there is a difference between the often somewhat temporary nature of social marketing photos and the longevity required of 'foundational' photos that will reside on the company's website and other places for some time to come. These images needed to be of high quality, clearly convey the company's brand, and, of course, look really good.
The younger partners did not have a lot of experience with full-fledged photo shoots, and weren't entirely sure what a "real photographer" did. This is so much more common these days, as the barriers to entry into "professional" photography are increasingly low, much can be done with little equipment, budgets are tight, and it can be challenging to communicate the value of hiring a pro. In the case of social marketing posts which have to be executed quickly, economically, repeatedly and ongoingly, it would be logistically and economically impossible to have a pro quote and produce a shoot every time a client had to post a pic, so people make do, including when they "just need headshots".
In this firm's case once we did their profile portraits, they 'got it'. The photos went on to serve them and their company well, and they had a much better understanding of how to position professional photography to their clients, when appropriate.
But back to you, if your profile pic screams "did it myself" or "got my partner to do it", or doesn't look anything like the current you, or looks like it was taken on holiday, or at a wedding, or makes you look timid, mean, uninterested, unfriendly, unapproachable, uncomfortable, unprofessional, uncertain, tense, tired, or cute, or makes you cringe, and it doesn't make you think "I'd want to connect with me!" every time you see it, then what are you doing? This is not the you you want to show to the world. This is not your brand.
Even as I was writing this I happened upon a Linkedin post by Julie Cole, LLB, MA in which she says "... fair or not, first impressions matter." (Apil 16, 2024) You can want your visual presence not to matter but that's just not reality. If you're going to have a profile pic it is going to matter, and no, I do not recommend not having one.
If you don't have an up-to-date, relevant, and appropriate professional looking profile portrait consider what it might be costing you. Make sure you are not undermining yourself with your photo. Bolster your confidence, and support your professional self...look good (in your photo), and feel good knowing you've got a great full time first impression generator working for you!
And one more thing...I've got to say this...no amount of AI is going to help elicit from you your best self. Remember, the point of a profile photo is not to provide a map of your features, it is to show people who you are. A great photographer will capture that in a way no AI ever will.
(Originally published on LinkedIn April 22, 2025.)
#businessportraits, #corporatephotographer, #personalbranding
kathryn@hollinrake.com
hollinrake.com
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