I avoided it for as long as I could, but the time is finally here—I need a photo for COcentric.
It is time to finally plaster my face on the website, and while it’s an exciting moment, I also find it to be a stressful experience. I’ve never been much of a photographer or model, which makes the entire experience awkward for everyone involved on both sides of the photo shoot.
However, it’s about more than being camera shy.
A headshot is about branding. A person’s branding is complicated and can take years to master, and capturing it in one photograph is no easy task. Maybe I put too much thought into what goes into a photo, but personal exploration is worth noting when it comes to doing it right.
When working on a new headshot, one idea continuously runs through my head—if my house were on fire, what would I grab when I make my run for the door? The same idea applies here; you are trying to capture an entire identity, which includes one’s hopes, dreams, hobbies, passions and personality in one, flat photo. This is a daunting task.
Considering I’m striving for constant personal growth and development (ignore the trips along the way), I have more thoughts than I know what to do with when it comes to my hobbies, passions and personality—there is still plenty of fine-tuning to do.
And then I had a realization.
Coming back to around to the “house on fire” comparison, the mental game of wondering what is most important to save from an ashy death is really thinking about what matters most to you, at least materialistically. A headshot is the same idea—it’s about finding out what matters most to you about you.
So what is it going to be? A photo of you smiling with a pet? A photo of you leaning on your car? Are you going to look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders and throw the smile to the wind? What outfit do you wear that captures your personality most? What do you want in the background that fits your lifestyle?
All of these questions are important to ask yourself when having a headshot or portrait done. However, that doesn’t mean a photo shoot has to be on the books in order to think about these questions. Take some time to hypothetically wonder what you want in a photo (ignore the 1,000 photos you have on Facebook) that captures you best—the answer may give you some focus on who you are and how you want to be seen.
Note: The feature photo in this post is by Cassie Rosch.
Second Note: This isn’t my newest headshot.
Image may be NSFW.
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About the author | Cameron Naish
I circled the globe (in mileage) seven times before realizing I was home all along. The state’s hiking trails, rich history, fantastic bar scene and amazing people are constant reminders that Colorado doesn’t cut corners when it comes to making life worth living. If you need me, I can be found on top of one of the 14ers enjoying a nice book with some Colorado whiskey. If you don’t want to hunt me down on a mountain, try Twitter and Facebook.