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Introduction |
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There are more reasons than ever to have a good photo of your professional side. Take advantage of these helpful hints to look your best—from LinkedIn to a blog or website—without having to shell out for a professional photographer.
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Decide what you want your photo to say |
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| A little bit of fun is fine, but this is probably too much for a professional photo, even for a casual business. |
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If you don’t want to pay for a professional photographer to take a photo that may be sized at less than 1" across, at least choose someone you’re comfortable with to take the photo; it doesn’t hurt if they have a good track record as a photographer.
Budget a lot of time and a lot of space on your memory card so that you can keep shooting until you get what you want.
In the weeks and hours before the shoot, there are tips to help you look your best:
- Drink lots of water
- Get lots of sleep
- Avoid excess alcohol/ caffeine
- Think about gently whitening teeth
- Get a haircut or trim about one week prior so hair can settle
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Dos and don’ts: What to wear |
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| The busy, ill-fitting black and white jacket is the star of the show here—and it shouldn’t be. |
| This shirt doesn’t contrast enough with the subject’s skin tone. (Keep reading to see what’s wrong with the pose and lighting!) |
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Follow these fairly universal tips to dress for your photo session:
Do:
- Choose solid, bright colors
- Wear a suit or jacket (if it’s appropriate for your field)
- Try to dress timelessly
- Make sure everything is clean and well-pressed
- Wear a little make-up if you’re comfortable doing so:
- Even out skin tone with concealer
- Open up the eyes by curling eyelashes
- Bring attention to the eyes with mascara
- Choose a neutral lip color
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Don´t:
- Wear black or white (Black can “disappear” and white is too bright and can look washed-out.)
- Wear a cluttered neckline. Avoid too much jewelry or ornate scarves
- Worry about your body below mid-chest level; the rest will be cropped out
- Wear shiny clothes
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| The background of this picture is too bright, so the subject appears almost silhouetted. |
| This background has too much going on and draws the eye away from the subject. |
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Lighting can be tricky for non-professional photographers. Follow these tips to make it easy on you both:
Do:
- Take advantage of natural light
- Use a flash outside to fill in shadows
- Use a bounce light indoors instead of a direct flash, if possible
- Take advantage of the warmer light of early morning and late afternoon
- Use your camera’s red-eye pre-flash, if available
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Don´t:
- Place the subject against an overly-bright background
- Stand against a cluttered background
- Use a flash too close to your subject
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| This picture conveys the friendly professionalism the subject wants to express with her portrait. |
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Your pose includes not just the way you stand, but also your state of mind:
Do:
- Turn your body slightly
- Lower your front shoulder slightly
- Have photographer shoot up from slightly below your eye level to convey authority
- Be comfortable, confident
- Think of a great moment you’ve had in your business, a real success and discuss while you’re shooting
- Stick out your chin a tiny bit to prevent double chin
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Don´t:
- Wear glasses without anti-reflective glare coating
- Stand squarely facing the camera
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Printers for professional portraits |
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Add wireless color to your printer portfolio
- • Prints borderless photos up to 8.5" by 11"
- • Great for adding color to a mono laser portfolio
- • Fast: 32 ppm black, 31 ppm color1,2
- • High-quality, affordable wireless color
- • Automatic double-sided printing
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Own an all-around office solution
- Prints borderless photos up to 8.5" x 23.4"
- Allows photo printing direct from memory cards
- All-around office solution
- Automatic document feeder
- Automatic two-sided printing
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Get a photo and office specialist in-house
- Allows photo printing without a PC (from memory card, camera, or Flash drive)
- Wireless and Bluetooth-enabled
- Crop, reprint, and remove red-eye without a PC
- Prints fax cover sheets without a PC
- Automatic document feeder
- Automatic two-sided printing
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Printable version