Recently I decided to go for it and had professional headshots taken.  What made me finally take the plunge, after so many years?  Maybe to help prepare for my upcoming book.  Maybe I was tired of scrambling around for a decent bio picture when needed.  Another good reason was the blog redesign I am planning, and my About Me page is in dire need of an update.  Everything I have been reading seems to support the need for professional headshots & I’d like to share my top 3 with you.

3 Reasons for a Professional Bio Photo

1.  Blog/Website “About Me” page –

I read something the other week that really surprised me.  A website About Me page is one of the most visited pages on your website/blog.    This really makes sense when we stop to think about our natural desire to put a face to a name.  In order to connect, we want to know who we are dealing with.  We are meeting one another virtually, so a recent picture is a great first step in building an online relationship.

2.  Publications

Many trade publications request a picture for your bio when your work is published.  If you plan to write a book, it goes without saying that there will be a need for your picture as well for future publicity.  Essentially your face is a part of your marketing package!  Rather than scrambling for a recent picture that looks decent, it is a such a relief to have a professional picture readily available.

3.  Branding

You are the heart of your business brand!  Your headshot represents your brand, especially if you are using social media networking as a business activity. The bio picture you share is one of the first things that is seen on FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google, blog comments, and many other locations.  What does it say about your brand?

 

 

I had a really great experience having my photos taken with an amazing photographer, Stephanie Dougher of Stephanie Dee Photography.  Take a peek at Stephanie’s work, and you’ll see why I contacted her as soon as I decided to have headshots taken.   As luck would have it, the day of my session turned out to be a bitter cold day (in between bouts of rain and snow!).  I soon forgot about the weather though, as Stephanie was so fun and engaging.  She put me at ease immediately; I didn’t feel incredibly self-conscious about having my picture taken.  Let me share a few of my favorites from our session (and you can see her sweet post with more photos here).

 

If you are in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, you’ll want to get on Stephanie’s calendar to have your headshots taken too.  You can follow Stephanie on Twitter or on Facebook to see more beautiful photography.  A great big THANK YOU to Stephanie – you rock! 🙂

{Now, what to wear for your headshot?  Luckily I was able to change clothes during my shoot and I changed my jewelry.  It’s all about the jewelry for us jewelry designers!  I chose pieces that have a special meaning to me and picked a few of my favorites.  In some of the shots, I wore a necklace that was featured in Diane Cook’s “With One Finding” challenge that was featured in Belle Armoire Jewelry (the write up here).}

 

The second necklace I chose featured a pastel mix of enameled beads by Barbara Lewis that I  mixed with vintage jewelry components. This necklace was featured in the Bead Soup book (write up here).

 

Additional reading for you, if you’re like me and plan to update your About Me page in the near future:

How To Create an Effective and Engaging Bio Page

25 Reasons Why I’ll Leave Your Website in 10 Seconds

Remember, you are what makes your site one-of-a-kind!

 – Cindy, xoxo