Showcase Your Brand, Naturally: Not So Corporate Headshots for Creative Professionals.

Why Not So Corporate Headshots Are the Future of Personal Branding

Why Headshots are Essential for Your Branding

Headshots are all about first impressions. That’s a given. Therefore, headshots for artists shouldn’t say, “I feel uncomfortable in this photo.” You want to project a sense of competence and professionalism yet present an intriguing demeanour that helps reveal your personality.

Your headshots for artists should:

• Highlight your creative spirit and the services or expertise you provide
• Put a face to your name so people recognize your trademark look across your website, marketing, and social media
• Build credibility and trust so people can connect with you as a person, not just as a meaningless entity
• Create a competitive edge through more robust engagement
• Include your workspace and tools or hint at your creative approach so people see you in “context.”

Why Not-So-Corporate Headshots are the Future of Personal Branding

Trust is at the heart of all relationships, including those we build in our business lives. You invite people to step into your world when you use unique headshots. They get a peek at the behind-the-scenes you instead of the less trustworthy head-on-a-suit you. These headshots are insightful and thoughtful, answering important questions such as:



• What does your workspace look like?
• Where in Toronto do you operate?
• What tools of the trade do you use?

For example, it’s far easier for prospective clients to see you as an architect if you’re sitting at a drafting table or more likely to believe you’re an interior designer when fabric swashes and mood boards surround you. Your audience wants to see you to trust you.

How to Prepare for Your Creative Headshot Sessions

As a creative professional, you can follow these tips to improve the outcome of your photo shoot:

• Choose an outfit that speaks to your creativity and own it
• Use professional hair and makeup to create the authentic look you flaunt every day, not some perfectionist makeup artist’s version of you.
• Share shots with your photographer that best reflect the image you wish to project.
• Consider potential shoot locations, whether it’s your work-from-home space, your office, or hip areas of Toronto like Graffiti Alley.
• Feel out some poses that project your personality, like sitting crossed-legged on your office chair, reclining on a sofa reading, or sitting in a funky chair with your laptop in front of you.
• Share your ideal target with your photographer so they understand who you serve and how to bring out the best look to appeal to that audience.
• Hold something relevant to your art, such as a paintbrush, musical instrument, or T-square.
  

Examples of Headshots for Artists

Here are some great examples of inspired headshots of creatives that we love:

• Sam Ushiro, CEO and founder of Aww, Sam!
• Alice Thorpe, owner of Soul Fire
• Holly Baker, interior designer
• Timothy Goodman, designer, illustrator, muralist, and author
  

How to Choose the Right Photographer for Creative Headshots

Make sure the photographer’s headshot gallery resonates with you. Find photographers specializing in unique headshots to avoid the stiffness of typical corporate headshots. Also, make sure they offer multiple images to suit your needs, with a full-service studio offering location, hair, makeup, and wardrobe consultation.

Headshots for artists are the future, taking the less conventional route to bring out your uniqueness and avoid textbook corporate poses.

Learn more about Stacey’s personal branding and unique headshots by clicking the button below.

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