Your Headshot session doesn't have to suck.

I hate this, you’re going to have your work cut out for you with me, I’m going to be your worst client ever. As a Bay Area headshot photographer based in Oakland’s Jack London Square, I hear this all the time. Somewhere along the way in life, people learned to dread the headshot photoshoot process. I often wonder why. We can all be our own worst critics, and when we look in the mirror there might be things about ourselves we’d like to change or work on.

I think as humans it’s natural to feel this way, and sometimes we let that internal voice in our heads overthink the headshot process. I’ve found that many of my clients feel like they have to try to be a certain person or project a certain personality in front of the camera.

I beg to differ (I just really wanted to use this phrase), and of course as the observer with a few thousand headshots under my belt, I can say this with confidence: once you get out of your head and stop trying to be who you think you need to be, the real you will come through — and that will be your headshot image. “Just be yourself.” We’ve all heard that before, but how do we actually do that when we’re stuck in our heads trying to “just be ourselves”?

Do you think babies or little kids have to try to be themselves? No — they just are who they are. Their little light shines bright. And you know what? Yours does too. You just don’t realize it, but I bet your spouse, colleagues, friends, and family have seen it. Those moments when you’re most comfortable and relaxed — they get to see that side of you, that light in you.

So again, how do we get there? That’s the job of a good headshot photographer. In addition to understanding lighting and composition, the photographer has to create an environment that is comfortable and relaxed while guiding you into the right headspace — almost to the point where you forget about the camera in front of you and actually start to enjoy the headshot experience. It really comes down to an energy exchange. If I’m weird, awkward, or off-putting, you’ll feel that — but if I’m open, warm, inviting, and dare I say, entertaining — you’ll feel that too, and you’ll allow me to guide you into letting go and just being your real self. That is how your headshot session doesn't have to suck.