Have you every tried something and stopped at the point when you felt you already did something good? But then, were there also times when you had to push yourself further and the result went from something good to something great?
We pose these questions because at times, we do settle with what's good. Perhaps because we have not met someone who can help make it better. This thought became apparent to us when we did our headshot with Monica, a real estate agent for an upscale suburb in Auckland.
With the advent of online profile images nowadays, the goal was to stand out from the clutter. Good profile images just didn't cut it anymore. As New Zealand celebrity chef, Simon Gault always reminded his contestants in MasterChef NZ, he was always looking for that extra 5% that will give a dish the edge above the rest.
Going to the headshot shoot of Monica. The inset image below is already good and most would happily walk away with it. But the goal was to stand out in a great way. To help her in her choices, we looked at images of current real estate agents and the sort of properties they were selling. We imagined the potential customers and their possible reactions to the images we have shortlisted. Obviously, they would gravitate towards an image that conveyed professionalism and confidence. Notice that the larger image communicates the qualities we mentioned.
Understanding the goals of the client and his or her target audience may no longer be part of the photography discipline per se. However, asking those extra questions and spending time in understanding the goals of our headshot client helps in bringing out the extra 5% that moves the image from something good to something great.
Note: Identity Headshots was formerly called Fotojorno.
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