The Process Behind Getting a Professional Headshot with Boswell Photography

In today's world, there's probably a good chance that you've worked with a photographer in the past. Every client I see has a different experience with past photographers. Some have mentioned that their previous headshot photographer put them in awkward poses, or only took a few photos and rushed the client out the door. Others have mentioned that their past photographer was great, they just needed to update their headshot since the one they've been using is several years old. Whatever the case may be, I want to talk about how you should walk away feeling good about the process, from beginning to end. Let's chat about my process with clients as a professional headshot photographer in Utah. 

What is the purpose of getting your headshot taken? 

I always ask each client what brought them in and what they plan on doing with their headshot afterward. Many clients explain they are updating their LinkedIn profiles, business cards, or website, and a new professional headshot. I've had other clients tell me they are a model or in the theater community and need new headshots to submit to local agencies to help them land their next gig. By asking this simple question upfront, I know exactly how I'm going to pose my client, what type of lighting to use, and what kind of vibe or overall look would be best for their aesthetic. 

What color of background would you like?

A follow-up question I like to ask clients is if they prefer a particular colored backdrop. I offer a variety of background colors, from grey, blue, green, and white, among others. If the client is trying to stay consistent with their brand colors, then we choose a background that would fit best for their business. If they are printing their headshot on a business card (let's say white, for example), then we pick a background that will easily blend or complement that business card. If the client is unsure about what colored backdrop to go with, I step in and suggest a few that would work best with the color of their skin, what they are wearing that day, and where the final headshot will be going (for example, on their website, business card, magazine, etc.). As a professional Utah headshot photographer, each headshot session is tailored to clients so that we can achieve the best result from the session. 

Do you have a preference on which side of your face you like most? 

Asking my clients if they have a side of their face they like the most sounds like a silly question, but it's essential. Yes, that's right, we all have that one side of our face that we prefer to showcase to the world. Think about the last time you took a cellphone selfie: which side of your face did you put towards the camera? That's the same side I want to feature in your headshot. If the client is uncertain about which side of their face they cater to more, not a problem, we test both!

Let's Take a Look at What We Captured

There's nothing more frustrating than going home, opening a link and seeing the photos from a session, and not being satisfied with any of the results. What's worst is if you get your edited photos back without even previewing any of the shots from the session in the first place. That's why I take time during each headshot photo session and show my clients the photos we are getting on the spot. I want my clients to see straight out of the camera what their hair, smile, skin, clothing, etc look like. If there is something to change, then we fix it and take more photos before the end of the session. If the backdrop color wasn't what they were expecting, or doesn't call to them, we switch it out. I don't let any of my clients walk away from a session without telling me they see at least a couple of awesome shots out of the camera they would be happy to have. More often than not, clients love more images than I predict! 

Here is your Online Gallery Link with your Headshots

After each professional headshot session, I upload the photos to an online gallery link and send them to my clients. The client then gets to go and pick which images they want to be edited. Seeing your headshot on a bigger screen, such as a laptop or computer monitor helps clients see all the wonderful options they get to choose from. Once the client has picked their favorites, I edit each headshot individually in Photoshop, making sure to fix blemishes, flyaway hairs, and lighting. The client then receives very clean, crisp, polished images in high resolution that they can then upload to their social media profiles and their website. Every session comes with copyright allowing clients to use images in marketing material, such as print advertisements. 

The process of getting a professional headshot photo for yourself should not be complicated. It should be easy, and comfortable to get your headshot taken by a professional headshot photographer. There is no guessing involved in the process and no weird or awkward poses. When getting your professional headshot taken by Boswell Photography, we ensure you will walk away feeling confident and positive about the whole process. To schedule your next headshot session, take a look at our headshot page with helpful information on pricing and availability.