Publicity photo Tips

It doesn’t matter if you are running for election, selling some product or breaking into the movie business, we all need a good publicity photo if you deal with the public these days. The new social media term is “headshot” but I still like the more civilized “publicity photo” or just simply stated as a portrait for these terms are more relaxed even if they take more space to type or air to say. A good publicity photo can present you to new clients in a very personal way without even having met and can be the single most important modern marketing tool for anyone working with the public.

Some tips for getting a good headshot are:

Go pro. It’s worth it to entrust a professional for your photo as they have the training and lighting equipment to create a photo that will compliment you. Everyone knows how bad a passport photo can look but you may not realize that the lighting is the main culprit in making you look that way.

Keep your clothing classy and professional unless you are the lead in a rock band. Simple colours, solids are best or something with little texture, for example, everyone can remember the lumberjack shirt but who was wearing it?

Pay attention to framing, lighting. In general, a good headshot is chest up with good lighting on your face, and no strong dramatic shadows, unless you are going in for “The Phantom of the Opera.” Three-quarter shots are good for print, and extreme closeups are good for, well, nothing. Look directly into camera, and the focus should be on the center of your eyes, not your left ear.

Lastly about the background We don’t want to see that you are at the bar, or on a tour boat in front of the Statue of Liberty. It’s about you, not the environment. The background is best clean and without clutter. Your company may have a specific background to use or your media design might require something special but it is usually best to go simple so that you are the star and not what is behind you. Call us today to talk about your new publicity photo and see how Polar can help you to stand out from the crowd.

Brian