Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Dear professional/founder/executive who needs a professional headshot:
I hear you.
“I need to get a headshot done, but I’m really not comfortable in front of the camera. Can you help me?”
Every person who asks me this has visited my website, seen the incredible people in my portfolio, and felt like they were the only one asking me the question. And it’s not a vanity thing. It’s a genuine concern from them. This professional headshot is going to be how they show up professionally, their first impression of themselves to others, and their digital handshake. Things that lead to genuine connection and true impact.
But only if it’s done well.
And they’re worried they won’t be able to get what they need to make it happen.
I get it. It’s a legitimate concern. Especially if you’ve had a negative headshot experience previously. One where you felt that the finished product really didn’t look like “you.”
But here’s the thing. You’re not alone.
Almost everyone faces this
If you’ve seen my portfolio and thought “I’m not sure if I can look like that,” know this: 90% of those people told me some version of the following:
“I’m pretty nervous.”
“I’m uncomfortable in front of the camera.”
“I’m not very photogenic.”
Seriously, almost all my clients tell me this.
I don’t typically work with actors and models, people who are often very comfortable in front of the camera. My clients are founders, executives, keynote speakers, authors. People who are crushing it in their careers, but not typically people who are paid to be comfortable in front of a camera. But they NEED to have a professional presence. And because they’re working hard to build a brand and put themselves out there, they can’t afford for it to be mediocre.
There’s a lot at stake.
And again….90% of my clients are concerned about these things. But this is how they end up looking:
Do you know what I think when someone tells me how nervous they are?
“Awesome. I can’t wait!”
You know why?
Not because I’m happy you’re uncomfortable (hopefully that’s a given!)
But because you come into my studio desiring more than just a picture. You want and NEED someone who can help you with how you show up. Because of that, you need more than just a photographer.
You need a coach. An Expression Coach, to be specific.
The Literal Game-Changer
I know the term “coach” gets thrown around a lot nowadays. So allow me to explain what I mean by Expression Coach. Instead of relying on YOU to produce a confident, genuine expression, I take responsibility for that myself. I start a session by teaching you a few tips and tricks, and also giving you a heads up about a few things I’ll be asking you to do in front of the camera. But I literally take responsibility for your face.
And then the magic happens.
I literally coach it out of you. You may not know what looks good. Or how to get into poses or expressions that showcase the best you. The REAL you. But I know how to get you there. It’s what I specialize in, and it’s one of the things that gets me out of bed in the morning. I. Completely. Love it.
To pull back the curtain a bit, there’s an element of the coaching that is not only fun, but also produces the most genuine expressions in people. It’s the art of misdirection. It’s the little things I say in the middle of my coaching that throw you off, make you think of something else, and then make you realize how ridiculous that statement was (I can at least pretend to be a comedian, ok?). You know why I do that? Because your brain can’t consciously think about two different things at the same time. If you’re “in your own head” and nervous, it tends to show up on your face (that’s not what I want for you!). But if I can “misdirect” you, in that exact moment, something magical happens.
That’s the moment when the “true you” shows up.
Why This is SO Important
This is vital for business pros because fake smiles and mediocre expressions will NOT have the impact you want them to have in the market. We often have less than a second to make a digital first impression on someone, and the forced smile does nothing to “stop the scroll.” If genuine connection is foundational for good business, isn’t it in our best interest to have an image that fosters such connections instead of hindering them? What if instead of hindering those connections, you had an image that immediately showed people who you are? Genuine expressions bring the true ROI (I talk about this all the time on my LinkedIn page).
But on an even deeper level, this coaching is important because of how it impacts people. If you have struggled with feeling confident in front of the camera, what do you think will happen internally if you see a photo of yourself that’s the most confident you’ve ever looked, staring back at you from the screen?
One of the most impactful sessions I’ve ever experienced was actually just a short 30-minute Express Headshot Session. My client came in with a couple different outfits, stating she only needed one or two images for her LinkedIn profile. No problem. She was really adamant about one thing though: she didn’t say why, but she needed to look like the epitome of confidence. I explained how that’s one of my favorite things to coach out of people (which seemed to ease any doubts) and then we got right to work. We shot in both outfits, seeing all the images on my laptop as we progressed.
As we reviewed the headshots at the end, she was able to narrow them down to two she wanted to purchase, and then she almost immediately broke down into tears. She explained how her boss had fired her that same week and her professional and personal confidence felt shattered. In spite of wanting to cancel the photoshoot, her husband encouraged her to follow through with it, stating that it may be good for her. What she said next rocked me to my core: seeing herself looking so confident on that laptop screen actually made her feel more confident. And what did that help her do? Less than a month later, she landed a fantastic new position with a company. And she credits the headshot and the experience as having a major role in that.
Talk about goosebumps.
And she is just one among many, many people I’ve worked with who started the session feeling “less than,” and finished the session feeling like “I can do this.”
What I’ve come to realize is that when you finally see how confident you look, it tends to impact how confident you are.
And that’s powerful.
You might very well be the person who DREADS getting professional headshots done. Or feels nervous in front of the camera. Or wonders if you’ll be able to show up how you need to for your brand.
I’m here to tell you that you CAN do it.
All you need is the right coach.
Daniel Wakefield is a photographer, entrepreneur, and author. He is the founder of Top-Tier Headshots and the Accelerate Coaching Group, initiatives through which he helps professionals and creatives elevate their brand and business.
