Do your Executive Headshots look dated? Should you care?

Styles/tastes change and evolve – and that’s a good thing. Remember that 70’s look – that was cool then, but now? Not so much… This is true with headshot photography as well. How people are lit, the type of background/background lighting used, and the expressions on people’s faces have evolved over the years, particularly as imagery has become an increasingly important element of branding/look. We have a better understanding of what makes people look their best, how the viewer’s brain/eyes reacts to certain things, and how those elements play together to create engaging images that amplify branding and create the best first impression.

When the images have a dated look, it can create a negative impression – is this company still in business? Are they doing well? And if the company has competition, and their images are more current/higher quality, then those factors may influence whether a prospective client decides to contact you.

Same is true for individuals, and in particular for the image on their LinkedIn profile. Your LinkedIn profile is often the first encounter someone may have with you, even if you’re not looking for a job. The image on your LinkedIn profile creates a first impression, which then serves as a soft of filter by which the rest of your profile is viewed. If that photo looks dated (and in particular if you have many years of experience), it actually emphasizes the fact that it is dated and that you are likely older – which is often the opposite of why people sometimes don’t update their profile picture.

Let’s take a look at 2 examples –  looks that were popular not too long ago, and more contemporary shots (yes, these are different people).

In addition to the lighting style which looks dated, the expressions on the left most images look like how people thought they should pose/look years ago. There’s a lack of energy – they look like they’re smiling for the camera. They’re not “bad” – but the impressions created is clearly more powerful/impactful for the images on the right. This is due to the evolution of the use of lighting, our understanding of what draws people into a photograph, and how the eye/people’s emotional system react to various elements of a photograph.