I’m of the belief that if someone wants my opinion, they’ll ask. And, the corollary, of course, is that if they don’t want my opinion, they won’t ask. When I suspected my neighbor was cheating on his wife, I didn’t volunteer the information. And, when my colleague wasn’t charging enough for her services, I just sat quietly by, thinking she deserved more, and bit my tongue. But there’s this one particular subject that is . . . well . . . it’s getting really difficult to stifle . . . so I’m going to talk about it here with you just to get it off my chest.
Beautiful? Yes! A Professional Photo? NO!
It’s photos – professional photos! Or at least that’s what they are supposed to be. Take a look at random websites, online directories, and Meetup groups for psychotherapists. What do you notice? Yes, I found a lot of attractive, professional head shots of folks eager to help you turn your life around. However, I also found – too much cleavage, dated photos appearing to come from the 1970’s, wedding and prom dresses, family photos with the kids, bad haircuts, and alcohol in hand.
What’s the big deal? Well, there’s a lot that’s a big deal when you are spending your hard earned money to have a website developed, optimized for search engines, and hosted all for the purpose of engendering the interest and trust of potential clients . . . and then, blowing it with a photo that’s in poor taste.
If you are not sure that your headshot (and yes, that includes the photos on your blog, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or Pinterest) is appropriate, take another look. Ask your friends and colleagues for honest and critical feedback. Stand on a street corner and ask strangers if you have to! But for your own sake, don’t post ratty old photos as representatives of your professional services!
If you don’t believe me, check out writer Amber Mac’s short post on Fast Company titled “5 Ways to Put the ‘Pro’ in Profile Pics.” And, if you run across really bad photos of mental health or allied health professionals, send them to me! I’ll post them as evidence that bad photos are not your friends!
This is a topic that definitely needs to be addressed. I’ve had therapists submit photos to me (that I use to promote trainings they’re facilitating for me) wearing a strapless dress that gives the illusion they’re topless or showing tattoos. I was able to crop the photos but wonder now if I should have or still need to address this with them.
YIKES, Pam, I think you are right. Since you are helping to promote their trainings, they are a direct reflection on your competence and professionalism. I know that I’ve had folks guest post for me who have not always had . . . professional head shots. As long as they look semi-professional, I’m OK with using them. However, wedding, bar, and beach attire are definitely out. Not all of our colleagues will draw the same line as to what’s in and what’s out for professional photos. However, I think it is important for each of us to consider what that individual line is when our own names / reputations are impacted by those images.
If you are out there wondering “Is she talking about me?” then you should probably spend the money to sit for a professional photo. (I think my fabulous photographer charged less than $100 for me sitting.) If you work with a decent photographer, she will let you change into several outfits, pose you several different ways, and give you both color and black and white images for both print and digital formats. The cost is tax deductible as a business expense and the photos should last for 5-10 years. Do yourself a favor and just get it done!
Hi Tamara, this topic is relevant to me as I’m in the process of setting up my practice site. I generally agree with you that a bad photo can be disastrous. I’ve been looking at a lot of private practice sites for inspiration or whatever the opposite of inspiration is; it is impossible not to make a judgement about the photo: before I have a chance to think or read, part of me has already made up my mind based on the look.
That said, it is more complex, I think, than professional or not. I think there are a lot of potential clients who would want a more natural photo, say, in front of trees, or just sitting and smiling – not with the standard portrait background. Then there are those who like something very formal. As a man, I have a lot of dress options that subtly communicate my level of “seriousness”: button down shirt is a definite (and no chest hair, of course); but should I toss on the suit jacket? what about the tie? Or does that make me look TOO professional? And so on. Each level might appeal to different people.
You asked for examples of bad photos, but I wonder if it might be more helpful to see examples of GOOD ones in different styles. Meanwhile, I have to get my portrait taken…
Hi, Justin! Thanks for dropping in to chat. I completely agree. I don’t know too many clients that would want a therapist that’s too formal. And, those more natural settings like trees or mountains or even snow can be very professional and, as you note, and can also be more appealing to clients than stuffy, formal photos.
I think the trick to getting the right shots for your professional image just requires giving some forethought to the display of . . . cleavage, chest hair, skin, accessories, props, etc. After all, if your clientele is predominantly bikers, then tatoos and leather are probably smart things to be showing in your photos. Conversely, is you clientele is primarily made up of fundamentalist Christian pastors, a more conservative presentation might be more appropriate. I’m not suggesting that you present yourself as something other than you are. However, we all have multiple identities and as mental health professionals we make judgement calls about which of those identities we choose to surface; and, as business professionals, we would be wise to be cognizant of the likely implications related to making those judgement calls, too.
The clearer you get, Justin, about your niche, the clearer you will get about that tie and jacket. I would suggest – to both men and women – that you wear solid colors rather than stripes or other patterns and make sure that you are neatly groomed.
And, as for those “good” professional photos and those “not-so-good” professional photos, I’m game! Just make sure you include your own opinions and I’ll be glad to post them here!
Great topic, Tamara!
I’m currently mentoring a former colleague who in is the process of leaving public mental health and going into private practice. I’m going to show her your blog post about this very important topic because not enough is written about how to portray a professional image in our profession. As for me, I found a professional photographer on Craig’s List who was doing some moonlighting and did my photo shoot for around sixty dollars, it was money well spent!
Hi, Aaron! Thanks for dropping in! Kudos to you for taking the time to mentor another professional in mental health and to take the time to address such relevant topics! Here’s a couple of other posts I wrote that relate to a professional image
Marketing Checklist” Is You Head Shot Appropriate and Authentic
How a Tiny Picture of You Can Drive Traffic to Your Website or Blog
Like you, Aaron, I got my head shots for $75 and am very pleased with the photographer’s work.
I recently had a networking breakfast with a therapist. It was my first time meeting them in person. When I arrived at the cafe I didn’t recognize them because I was looking for someone who resembled the photo from their web site. Their web site photo must be at least 10 years old possibly older. That made me realize the importance of replacing your web site photo on occasion.