Business Profile Picture

A good profile picture may be more important than your profile itself.  How many times have you heard people say that first impressions count?  If your profile picture comes across looking as though you’re not confident, sure of yourself or approachable, it could determine whether a possible job opportunity, client or employer may pass you by.  The first 30 seconds count!

Here are a few things you should know.  Smile with your teeth showing.  For men, an image with your jaw line shadowed, as well as a dark colored suit portrays confidence and professionalism. Face the camera and display your image from the shoulders up.  Also, using a solid background avoids distraction. Now here’s a real biggie… “squinching ” I know you’ve never heard the term before but, I will explain. Squinching is a technique that helps you look more confident and relaxed. Photographer Peter Hurley devoted 11 pages in his book “The Headshot” to squinching.  You can check it out here.

Researchers at the Department of Psychology at University of York analyzed 1,000 images of faces in order to find the specific facial tics and features that help make a good first impression.

Let me save you a lot time and research.  It’s important to find a photographer that specializes in portrait headshots because they understand the concept of posing, shadows, depth, dimension, and hopefully squinching!  Below is a perfect example of the squinch.

The image on the left is the “squinch” the one on right is the deer in the headlights look.

So take a closer look at your profile picture and you can decide which look you would prefer.  It could make all the difference in how you come across.

Rene Diaz Photogtaphy