* Many of the early painted portraits you see in art galleries were, in fact, the equivalent of today’s business portraits. Those paintings were portraits of royalty, aristocrats and other distinguished people. The purpose of those portraits was to assert status and power. Today’s business portraits try to assert a kind of status – that of being a trustworthy business person.
Congratulations, you finally got a new business headshot done. Good for you and good for your business.
But is the photo ready to be displayed on your web site?
If you used a makeup stylist and a knowledgeable photographer, then your new headshot is most likely ready to go public.
But few companies use a makeup stylist and not all photographers know how to properly produce an effective business headshot. Photo retouching is necessary for these cases.
Photo retouching, at its minimum, can polish a business portrait to look its best. But often retouching is required to repair issues caused by, or overlooked by, the photographer. For example, poor catchlights, dark eyes, eyeglass reflections, dark teeth, odd shadows, shiny patches of skin, flyaway hairs, loose tie, open buttons, etc.
Retouching is also used to minimize or hide temporary issues like acne, nicks from shaving, red eyes, yellowish teeth, red skin blotches, stress wrinkles, dark circles under the eyes, etc. We all have temporary skin issues that appear from time to time and then, hopefully, fade away after a few days.
A business headshot is retouched to ensure your photo makes a positive first impression. Your portrait needs to send the right message. That message should say that you’re confident, competent and friendly. All three combined will suggest that you’re trustworthy.
Remember that your business headshot is not for you. It’s for potential customers. Having a good portrait shows that you respect your customers enough to give them your best.
