What does your profile pic say about you?: 5 Common Dilemmas

Your "Online Presence" is more important than ever before! The first thing people do when meeting someone new is try to find them online; whether through website, social media, or background checks :-/ If you don't have a profile picture that's acceptable, you could be positioning yourself for missed opportunities. Is your profile picture aligned with who you are, and how you'd like to be perceived? Is your profile picture aligned with where you are in life or, better yet, where you want to be?

As a photographer, EVERYDAY I hear stories from so many who absolutely HATE having their photo taken. That's perfectly normal! 90% of of other people hate it too!! The reality is that you'll be far more prepared for success with an updated headshot.

These are common profile pic dilemmas:

1. "The Avatar" Profile Pic - The fastest way to inform others that you're "out of touch" or... hiding something. People want to see a real face when they search for you.

2. "The Crop-Out" - Yes, you may have looked your best in that photo with

an ex- or friend(s) but the "crop out" says, "I'm not really serious about my online appearance." The crop-out photo should ONLY be used as a placeholder for no longer than a day or 2 when you first begin an online profile if you have NO other photos of your self. Similar to a "Donut" tire on a car.

3. "The Selfie" - Selfies are NOT the WORST option for a profile picture if

done correctly (See Post: "3 Rules to Take Better Selfies"). HOWEVER, in order to pull off a successful selfie, you'll need beautiful lighting specifically on your face. Beautiful lighting means even light, not too bright or too dark. The background should be "clean" whether a solid color wall or full landscape. There should be no people, trash cans, or parking lots in your selfie's background. The less distractions from the background, the more the viewer can pay attention to YOU in the picture.

4. "The Back-In-the-Day" Photo - If your headshot is over 5 years old,

chances are that you look much different than you did then. If your headshot is over 10 years old, chances are that people don't even recognize you from your profile picture. Executive level positions seek experience. Update your headshot! If you think you're not aging as gracefully as you'd wish, ask your photographer for a little help from Photoshop!

5. "I am my PET" Profile Pic - What I believe people forget is that the

purpose of the profile photo is so that people that might know you by name can verify you are indeed the person they know. Names are not always unique. If there's a photo of your pet as your profile pic, there could be contacts that you're missing out on.