Headshots

What’s the difference between Headshots and Personal Branding?

April 29, 2022 by Christina

If you're looking for photos for your business or work, you might be wondering if you need Headshots or Personal Branding photos. Both types of photography are professional in nature, so I'll break down the differences and list some ways to know if you're going for headshots or personal branding.

Traditionally, a headshot is a really tightly cropped photograph of just your head. It shows the top of your head to your shoulders or so. Over time, the word "headshots" has come to mean a professional photo that goes to your waist or mid-thigh. However long or close the the photo is, a headshot is all about showing your face. When you're putting your headshot on Linkedin or your resume, you're showing people how to recognize you when you walk in the door.

Personal Branding is pretty new style of professional photography, and I think it's a product of social media "influencers." Personal Branding photos might show your face, or might not. They're more lifestyle-looking - showing you on a couch or in a kitchen. They also often include props like a coffee cup, microphone, or tool of the trade. The idea is to get people to feel like they know you and relate to you.

Headshots are more for people who need to feature their face. Actors, Authors, Models, CEOs, Company Presidents need a couple solid headshots. These headshots are for LinkedIn, book jackets, the staff page on a website, and press features. You want to look great in your headshot, and show a bit of personality.

Personal Branding is best for those who run their own business or anyone who is marketing themselves as a brand for any reason. It's less corporate, and more personable. You might get a headshot or two in your personal branding package, but the bulk of the photos feature your personality.

Either way, you should have fresh hair color (if you color your hair), and ideally be a week in to your latest haircut. I recommend having your makeup professionally done, because what looks great in person is not the same as what looks great on camera. We have professional stylists who are experienced in camera-ready makeup, so that you look your absolute best!

What to wear is a complicated conversation, so for the sake of simplicity, my general rules are: Solid colors, fitted / figure-hugging shapes and fabrics, and 3/4 or longer sleeves. Those rules aren't written in stone... they can be broken, but you can't go wrong following them!

If you'd like to talk about your business photography needs and figure out what's best for you, contact me HERE

Online Dating Pictures

March 10, 2022 by Christina

As if dating isn’t hard enough, in the world of online dating, you’re first seen in pictures. How do we make internet dating fun then? By presenting yourself in the best possible way, while being honest and authentic. The great thing about being yourself online is that you're more likely to attract someone who you actually like in person! Meeting people is fun, but you don’t want to waste your time with people who aren’t fun for you!

As a portrait photographer, I have over a decade of experience photographing people for their eHarmony, Match.com and OkCupid profiles. You want photographs that will create the best interactions with other members.

Most online dating profiles let you set a main, profile photo and then have a gallery of more pictures. In all your photos, you want to have good lighting that isn’t too harsh. Bathroom selfies are popular because the light in bathrooms tends to be soft and bright, but is that really the message you want to send? Window light is also generally great for portraits. Standing in front of, or next to a window can work really well. Don’t have the window behind you, or it will be bright and your face will be dark.

If you’re taking photos outside, the sun is great. Get into position, and then close your eyes. Open your eyes and take the photo quickly, so you don’t look squinty. Also, I would steer clear of sunglasses in your dating profile photos, because someone hiding their eyes looks subconsciously suspicious.

And if you're into filters and face-tuning... take it easy. Natural and clean looking photos beat trendy filters every day. Nothing makes your photos look dated (sorry for the pun) like yesterday's filter. You can use a little bit of skin softening if you have it, but keep it natural. Don't face-tune yourself into looking like plastic. People are supposed to have texture in their skin.

So, now... first, you need a scroll-stopping profile photo. You're best bet is a headshot rather than a group photo or a full-body shot where you’re tiny in the photo. The profile photo is often first seen small, like a thumbnail. If you're trying to show too much, it doesn't look like anything when viewed small and quick. You on the top of a mountain isn’t going to look like much when someone is scrolling through tiny profile pictures. (Save that one for your gallery) We need to show off your beautiful eyes, and quick! Friendly smiles work great too. Just like how you’d smile at someone you spot in a room, you can smile at them in your profile picture too. A closely cropped headshot is the best way to show off a quick sparkle and catch someone's curiosity about you.

Next, you get to create a gallery of photos where you can really show off your personality. Don’t limit yourself to those photos of you in formal wear, and add photos that show your interests and spirit. The great thing about a gallery is that you can show a good variety. Here’s a picture of you dressed up, and here you are on a normal Saturday. Photos of you dancing or playing with your pet— or doing whatever you like to do— are fun, engaging and show people a genuine glimpse of who you are. If you’re outdoorsy, you should have some great photos of you in your hiking boots on a trail. If you’re into wine, then pictures of you at a wine bar are great. That picture on top of the mountain is great here.

You can tell online people so much about yourself using photography! When I photograph people for their online dating, we do a variety of locations and outfits to show how multi-faceted you are. Don’t be afraid of being “weird” because we’re all weird! Whatever you think is weird, is probably beautiful and interesting. If you’re funny, we can make someone laugh with your picture. If you’re witty, be witty in a photo. If you’re a giant softy, we'll show off your big heart. Nothing is more attractive than confidence and authenticity. So the real key to online dating pictures is to just be yourself.

If you're interested in booking a portrait session with me for your online dating profile, fill out this form and we'll get the ball rolling!

Personal Branding Experience with Dawn Todd

April 19, 2016 by Christina Leave a Comment

Confession: Photographing Dawn always makes me nervous. And it’s because she was one of my first clients, my first cheerleader, supporter… I’ve been photographing her for the last 8 years, and in the back of my mind, I think “what if she doesn’t like her photos this time?” And that even happened once. And the sky didn’t fall. She didn’t hate me after that. Life (and business) went on. And she even came back to try it again.

Great relationships are like that. Great business people are like that. Honest, straight-forward and persistent.

And I am so grateful for Dawn. Her encouragement. Her energy. Dawn has an amazing courage – to try things in her business, and to get up and try something new if it doesn’t work. Not to mention that she’s smart enough to keep doing the things that do work! Nothing gets in the way of this woman’s success. She is a raving beauty inside and out. Wouldn’t you agree?

How Personal Branding Boosts Your Business

March 23, 2016 by Christina Leave a Comment

Whether you are starting your own business, looking to grow and maintain your own business, be a part of a business, or wanting to stand out in the business you’re currently in, personal branding in a positive and encouraging manner is always important. Successful personal branding ties your business together, so people can see how respectable you are. It helps people believe in you and what you do, so they feel good about handing you their credit cards.

What’s one of the first steps in promoting yourself in the best light possible? Photography of you—beautifully and professionally done photography that communicates what you want the world to know about you and your business.

One entrepreneur who brought on the Christina Gressianu Photographer team be a part of her successful business adventure is a lovely woman named Crystal.

Crystal lives in Southern California with her dog Bruiser and boyfriend Dustin. Her hobbies include wine tasting (yum), and get this, her job! Crystal owns a social media education company where she and her team train independent retailers how to market online. Her business and her customers mean so much to her, and she wanted her potential customers to trust her from the very first glance at her website.

Many of Crystal’s clients get to know her and her business through online platforms. She knew having professional branding photos done would increase her personal connection with her clientele. Crystal uses the professional pictures on her websites, social media sites, speaker posters, speaker programs, banners for conferences, and printed flyers. When her visitors and followers noticed the new and improved photos, Crystal said she was, and still is, constantly getting compliments on her pictures. She believes people love her photos because she felt like herself during her portrait session with Christina Gressianu, and that authenticity shows through the photos. This gives me so much joy because that means people are seeing Crystal for the beautiful, successful, hard-working woman that she is.

Crystal believes her professional photographs were key to the success of branding herself within her business. I am SO glad I was able to be a part of her journey and I can’t wait to see how she grows in herself and in her business. Check Crystal out at www.SocialEdge.co

Want your own Personal Branding Session?? Click here: Personal Branding Session Info

View more photos from Crystal’s shoot below!

Hands in Headshots… Love or Hate?

March 30, 2015 by Christina 2 Comments

Recently, a client of mine posted on Facebook a question about why she’s seeing so many head shots with hands in them. Chins resting on a hand, on hands on a face, etc. She didn’t like them and wanted to see head shots without the hands… and hopes it’s not widespread trend. To which the comments were fairly passionate about how awful posed portraits are especially when a hand is in there to hide a double chin or something. How it’s cliche, how it makes an otherwise confident-looking woman look coy, etc.

Well, I chimed in a bit… because I love using hands in portraits… but I also chose to stay out of the fray. To me, to say “I hate portraits with hands in them” is like saying “I hate chocolate with nuts in it.” And I know this because I used to say that… the chocolate one. But I’ve since learned that it is just too broad a mindset. Is it dark chocolate or milk? What kind of nuts are in there? What else is in there? What is the chocolate-to-nut ratio? Because the Chocolove Sea Salt and Almond bar is to die for. While the Hershey’s with Almond bar is easily passable.

And so, with hands, the question is what is the headshot or portrait supposed to communicate? What other body language is going on? Is the hand posed correctly? Is it showing tension? I think you can have a hand in there and show confidence. I think you can have in there and show anything, just like you can show anything without a hand. It’s not the hand to blame. Hands are so beautiful. Much like faces, they express so much. Tension you might be able to keep out of your face shows up in your hands.You have to have some guts to show your hands near face. Hands are what do the things you’re doing. They make manifest your ideas and feelings. Dream up a garden and try making it real without your hands. Hands draw attention too. Your eye naturally follows a pointing finger. So you see, I love hands.

And I use hands in my portraits often. And maybe it’s not quite accurate to call them head shots, because they show a bit more body language than just a head shot should. But I’d love to hear your thoughts on these photos… head shots… using hands. (And while I’m open to criticism of my work, please remember that these lovely people are actually my clients. Let’s keep it kind, ok?)

Headshots

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