Three Things to Look For In A Customer-Focused Headshot Photographer

A customer-focused headshot is a headshot where your photographer takes care of your headshot needs.

Yes, you have needs.  ....It's OK to admit it....  and it's important to have them taken care of.

Let's talk about two very differently focused headshot sessions. - the Customer-Focused vs the Photographer-Focused Headshot Session

It is important to find a photographer who understands that the session is about you and about them.  There will be telltale signs that will let you know if they are CF (Customer-Focused) or PC (Photographer-Focused) Photographer.  Let’s go into detail about a few things that will let you know where their focus is.

What are your Headshot needs?

GOOD IMAGES should be obvious.  After all, you are wanting images of yourself that you are proud of sharing with the world. 

Two BIG WORDS I just mentioned there. 

First big word was "Images", plural.

If your photographer is only giving you an option of a single image, they are not focused on you.  They are hoping that they capture more than one great image and that you will want more than just the single image.  The second image has a price tag to it.  They are trying to upsell you.  When they say "single image", they are really saying that they are focused on themselves, not you.  They do not understand the value of getting multiple images for you.

If they are worth their weight as a photographer, then they SHOULD be capturing multiple images you like. You should be walking away with multiple images you not only like, but are proud of sharing. Part of the session cost should include multiple images.

Second big word is "Proud" as in "proud to share".

The resulting "proof images" should have a variety of looks so you can choose images that say the right message about you on your website, business card or where ever you plan to use these.  Headshots introduce you to those whom you have yet to meet.  Your headshots can portray you as a professional, easy to talk to, relaxed, knowledgeable or a number of other positive ways to portray you.

 Headshots introduce you to those whom you have yet to meet.

If you are getting images that make you proud to share, then the photographer did their job and focused on you helping show you in a positive way!

How to Choose the Right Photographer

When you are looking for a headshot photographer, look for someone who knows what they are doing.  Check that they have a portfolio of consistent headshot images.  If they have only one or two or even just ten headshots in the midst of a bunch of "other" photos, you may want to keep looking.  Contrary to what a lot of people think, just because a photographer is good at one style or type of photography, it does not mean they can do any style or type of photography.

A good example of this is boudoir photography.  An amazing genre of photography with some very talented individuals, but the looks you are going for in a boudoir session are VERY different than the looks you are going after in a professional headshot session.  Not saying that boudoir photographers can't take great headshots, but just check their portfolio to see that they have experience of capturing the type of headshot that you are wanting.

If they are the type of photographer that says they can shoot anything, you may need take a step back and ask "Are they truly talented at all those different genres or are they wanting to shoot whatever it takes to get money in their pockets?".

An Easy Afterward

Two important post-headshot items to look at.

One is the When and the other is the How will they provide your images to you.

The When

If they are saying that they can get you your images within 7 days, check past client reviews to see if that is the case.  A typical turnaround for most professional photogs is about 5-7 working days.  If you need it sooner, a well-organized photographer will have a Rush Plan available.  We have a 24 hr Rush Service available as sometimes it's needed!!

The How

We have all seen this. When you are told that you have to choose now or right away or you will lose out on a "deal" (doing big air quotes here)

Think about this for a second.  If they can't keep your images for a few days or a week, while you make up your mind, then maybe they are not as professional as you need them to be.  Choosing your images should not be a pressure cooker.  As a customer-focused headshot client, you should be able to take a look at the images both during the session and after, identify your favourites, get other people's opinions, review the images again, sleep on it, show them to a few more people, etc., until, well, until you are 100% happy with all the images you are getting.

There you go - now you know about customer-focused headshot photographers.

A customer-focused headshot photographer understands that the focus should be on their customer not on them.  A customer-focused headshot photographer understands their client may not understand what they want and may need a guide to help them through the process allowing them choices. A customer-focused headshot photographer makes their clients feel comfortable and taken care of.

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Jason O'Donnell is a professional portrait photographer based out of Sherwood Park, AB servicing the greater Edmonton area. He believes in creating a positive customer experience by creating smiles every step of the way; from the online search, to booking, to the session and everything after, the client should enjoy their experience.