When is it time to get a new profile portrait? I answered this
question in the comments under a LinkedIn post just a few weeks ago but thought it may
be helpful to write a more considered response here. If you Google that question you'll see lots of answers from other photographers and branding gurus, so you don’t really need me, but I'm happy to chime in, and I can start with an example from personal experience.
In 2021 I did a personal branding self-portrait
(above) ostensibly of me shooting a portrait. About a year ago I changed my hair style to a much shorter one. I was also reminded every time I saw my profile pic not only how red my hair looks in photos (this is not uncommon with hair that has even a hint of red), but how much my natural red has actually faded.
I still really liked the concept of my photo which was still relevant, but it was jarring to see an old self that no longer looked like me every time I logged onto LinkedIn. Beyond my hair losing some of its colour my face had also continued to age, as they do! If it was jarring for me I imagined how surprised people would be when they saw me IRL, not a great way to start a business (or any other) relationship.
So I needed to redo this shot. For one thing, I felt that it would serve me to be more intentional about the background,
ie. to use one more in keeping with the environments in which I often
shoot (corporate offices). I also tend to photograph younger than I am (not just my hair) so I really had to hold back on the retouching and leave in some of the wrinkles that I've "earned", as a client recently put it when she wanted me to put back her wrinkles (which I'd slightly over-zealously softened).
So tip #1...if you feel jarred every time you see your own photo it’s probably time for an update.
Here's is my possibly slightly repetitive 7 point list of reasons to get a new photo:
- You look different now.
- Your profile pic looks dated (last season's colour palette, or maybe your hair style or wardrobe scream "not current!"). The general recommendation is to update at intervals anywhere from 2 years to 3 to 5, with the caveat that any significant change warrants a new profile pic ASAP.
- Your current shot is not working for you – eg. you’re trying to attract clients and your photo is not helping, maybe because it is not depicting the you you want them to see, or that they want to see. You might look very pretty/cute /handsome but not be exuding a “You can trust me in business” vibe.
- You just don’t like your current pic…I can hear the chorus of “I never like myself in photos!” and I get it, but, realistically, is your photo not showing you in your best light, so to speak? Did you never really love that photo of yourself in the first place, or you did, but you just don't look like that anymore? Either way, time to refresh!
-
Your current pic does not reflect the
professional that you are…maybe you used a shot that was OK because you needed
SOMETHING, but it’s glaringly obviously not a professional quality photo, eg.
you’ve cropped your head out of a shot with other people in it, lighting is bad, wardrobe is inappropriate, expression
is inappropriate, photo is dark, blurry or grainy, etc., none of which suggests you care about how you show up (wherever you've posted that photo).
- You are in a new phase of your professional journey. We are all growing (hopefully) all the time, in business and life. A business portrait broadcasts your brand to the world and should reflect and represent each new and improved iteration of yourself.
- You need a consistent set of branding images for multiple uses and you only have one (which you are so sick of using over and over again!), or ones that have been created in a piecemeal way.
If you don't have an up-to-date, relevant, and appropriate professional looking profile portrait I'd ask you to 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), feel good (knowing you've got a great full time first impression generator working for you)!
Let me know if I can help.
kathryn@hollinrake.com
