Does Your Headshot Say Cheese or Cheesy?
It is probably the least of your worries. You run a successful practice, are respected in your field, and have a website. Your headshot is the last thing on your mind. You have become completely comfortable with stock photos and whatever else might be on your website. But, as a professional in the business of making people look good, your headshot is more important than you know. And if you haven’t had a new one taken in the last five years, it is time to schedule a photo shoot and invest in yourself and your practice.
Why Does A Headshot Matter?
First and foremost, you have worked hard to grow your practice. Countless hours of labor and thought have gone into what you have built. Everything about your practice should speak to the level of care you give your patients, and we know that standard is high.
Your first impression is your website. And the headshot tells you whether you want to bring your business to you. Why? Your personality, practice, and vibe are wrapped up in that headshot. And headshot photography has changed.
The New Professional
Perhaps it started with business casual becoming a thing. Maybe COVID made it more critical to project warmth, compassion, and a deep need to connect. But the new professionalism in the workplace is a spirit of openness and kindness. Clients have come to expect more, and your headshot is one way to give them more.
The new professionalism is about connection. Consumers are looking for someone who shares their views and is open and friendly. Take a step back and take a look at your practice. What stands out to you? Are your office workers upbeat and cheerful? Are your nurses wearing bright-colored scrubs, or do they wear pastels? Maybe you are about the sleek elegance of black and white. Your headshot should reflect all of those things.
You Are the Face of Your Practice
It doesn’t matter who you have answering the phone or who takes the information of a client when they come in for the first time. The client is waiting to see you. And because they have checked out your website and seen your picture, they are anticipating you. They already have preconceived notions about who you are and how you will act because they saw your headshot.
As an expert on the cutting edge of what is trending in beauty, your headshot should reflect what that client will find when they enter the consultation room. They are coming to see you because you are trustworthy, competent, and prepared to help them. Your headshot did that. Or did it?
What You Need to Know About Trends in Headshots
It is all about approachability now. Headshots are the greeting before the meeting, and the salutation needs to be more lifestyle and less medical board meeting. The “lifestyle” look is all about the casual portrayal of formality. What does that mean? A lifestyle picture will likely give the appearance of being unposed, or quickly posed and shot. It is deceptive yet honest. Yes, you are a medical practice, but you are also a human being who smiles, laughs, has concerns, and is compassionate.
Scrubs are now appropriate for a headshot. Torso up is now suitable for a headshot. Not looking at the camera, being in your office, or being outside of your practice is now appropriate for a headshot. The trends are moving you into a more relatable place, a preview of things to come. If smiling is easy for your, smile. If you are more serious, be so in your headshot. But don’t sit in front of a colored ,; having and having a “corporate” portrait is no longer on trend.
You created your practice around an image. One way to ensure that your headshot speaks to who you are is to take a moment to contemplate that image. If your practice is sleek and elegant, that can be reflected in your headshot with wardrobe, environment, facial expression, and pose. If your practice is more warm and eclectic, let that shine through you. You built the practice; you know better than anyone who you are trying to reach and who your client is. Picture that client and what might appeal to them. It is genuinely all about approachability, personality and projecting an image that matches the image of the practice you have built.
How Caledon Virtual Can Help
Caledon Virtual can facilitate a lifestyle photoshoot of your practice and you. With a network of professional photographers nationwide, we can set up the shoot, coach you on wardrobe and meet with you before the shoot to prep you. While the photographer is there, we recommend having some professional shots of your practice in action. Moving away from stock photography is one of the significant trends that will hit the elective surgery and procedure industry in 2023, and we like to help our clients get ahead of the game.
If you are a DIY person, we can also work with that. We offer Zoom coaching before the shoot offering tips on lighting, wardrobe, and specific shots that will showcase your practice. And once the photos are done, you can send them to us for retouching if necessary. Caledon Virtual strives to put our clients in the best light possible. So invest in something priceless; invest in yourself and the image of your practice.
Contact Caledon Virtual’s photography specialists for information on how to get started.
