Quick Study: Headshot Rating
How do you know if your headshot is saying the right thing to the right person? You might just need more than one.
I dabble in photography, and even take some headshots from time to time. Alas, there are a million ways to take a picture, so I find it helpful to ask some questions first.
- Where do you plan to post the pictures?
- How do you want to be perceived? What attributes do you want to show?
- What is your professional title?
- Who is your audience?
These few questions can give me a lot of information about how to photograph you. Photography is a visual language that can convey intended and unintended statements. I prefer to use intentional statements.
The above images are of a Health and Wellness Coach. Each one sends a very different message. Image 1 is a selfie screenshot from an IGTV video with a woman wearing a branded sleeveless top. Image 2 is a professional headshot in athleisure wear and a branded baseball cap. Image 3 is another headshot (possibly even a portrait) in a long sleeve, ruffled, dark shirt, without a hat. In all three images the woman is wearing glasses. These are not the only differences among the pictures, but they are probably the most noticeable. So, what can we discern from the scores?
I used the site Photofeeler.com to conduct these tests. When I emailed them, they said most respondents who use the site are from the US and Canada, some are from Europe and very few are from elsewhere. That is really all I know about this population, so take it for what you will. I’ve considered using sites like SurveyMonkey.com and paying for targeted results, but they are somewhat cost prohibitive. Ack, one day!
So, let’s take a look at the results I do have. All images tested under the “Business” profile are ranked on three attributes: Competence, Likability, and Influence. I consider competence, likability, and influence to be valuable in work as a Health and Wellness Coach, so I think they mean something here.
Image 3 is, overall, the most successful. It scored 9.6 in Competence with a confidence interval of 9.2-9.8, 9.5 in Likable with a confidence interval of 9.2-9.7, and 9.6 in Influential with a confidence interval of 9.3-9.8. All three traits were in the top 5% of all scores on the site.
New PImage 2 scored lower in all three categories - 5.9 in Competence with a confidence interval of 5.4-6.5 , 7.8. in Likeable with a confidence interval of 7.1-8.5, and 7.3 in Influential with a confidence interval of 6.6-7.9 A helpful feature of Photofeeler.com is that the tests include a comments section where people leave feedback about what they like and dislike in the picture. Among the comments of Image 2 were :
One theme that sticks out is the focus on tattoos. I’m from Minneapolis, so I think it’s fairly common to see people with tattoos in all lines of business, but maybe this isn’t the case elsewhere? Maybe the tattoos could even lend MORE credibility to a Health and Wellness Coach in certain markets - like Portland, Oregon, Minneapolis, MN or Los Angeles? I would love to know the answer to this question…...cough…..SurveyMonkey. Without knowing for sure, I think it’s best to keep in mind who your audience is where you are posting your images. Image 2 might work well for giving a talk at a Crossfit gym whereas Image 3 would undoubtedly do better for a talk at a corporate healthcare event. It’s easy to infer that image 1 should probably not be used for either of these purposes.
Now let’s look at the comments from Image 3:
Possible areas of improvement could be made in posing (since some people think the posture could be improved) and in wardrobe choice. Maybe this picture could use more color? Again, I’m not certain color would be appropriate in a very corporate setting, but it may be a very good choice for other settings. More testing needed! Overall, the comments are pretty positive.
Now for Image 1:
Aaaaand...
People had a lot to say about this picture. It’s not all that surprising that this image was rated lower. It was not taken professionally- it’s a screenshot of a selfie video. What I think is surprising is the impact it illustrates next to the other images - particularly image 3. The pictures we use of ourselves matter. They matter at least as much as if you were to walk into a business conference in your pajamas. It’s not sending the right message. Please read that last sentence again. The right message - not a bad or good message. There are instances when a selfie might perform better (more on that later) but this isn’t this one of them.
The final thought, which you undoubtedly had cross your mind too, is that people have biases. Some people, apparently, are not tattoo fans. Does that mean you should hide them? I think it means whatever you want it to mean. It’s information that you can use in a variety of ways. Maybe you double down and address this bias in your brand. Maybe you know that your tribe has tons of tattoos so it’s a good thing! It’s up to you! That’s what information is for. It gives us more thoughtful choices in how to communicate who we are.
