All people form opinions. This is an innate quality of human life. Oftentimes, a first opinion of another person is found on his/her physical appearance. How this other person looks is one of the easiest sources of information and because analyzing is an inescapable characteristic of mankind, this incoming information will inevitably be analyzed.
A photograph of a person conveys what he/she looks like, which provides information for someone else to judge that individual. While physical attributes of the photographed person yield facts that enable the viewer to formulate an opinion, the quality of the photo is paramount.
Unprofessional photographs indicate that the person feels casual about the impression he/she is making. To some viewers, this can imply that he/she is easygoing and relaxed. These are generally attractive traits in a person and thus can intrigue the viewer to make contact with the photographed individual. Unprofessional photographs can also make the viewer feel more comfortable with approaching him/her because this informal presentation suggests that that he/she will not be aloof or strict. An amateur photograph can be appealing to some types of people.
However, some will be more serious and expectant when viewing head shots on a social media marketing site. A poor quality photograph can symbolize sloppiness or lack of sophistication. These characteristics are usually unattractive and unwanted. Dingy surroundings can imply unsafe habits or distasteful interests. Blurry features can indicate self-consciousness, a suspicious desire for secrecy, disregard, or lack of beauty-sense. Other unrefined aspects of the photo can also provide support for the analysis that this individual has some unseemly qualities. These could range from carelessness to dangerousness to crudeness, all of which can repel others from approaching.
For those types of people, a professional quality portrait would allay many of these worries. A planned and refined photograph clearly demonstrates that the individual has spent effort on his/her image and suggests attention to detail. Professional photographs are also usually more pleasant to see, which inherently makes the viewer feel more favorable toward the individual. This positive inclination, combined with other qualities of the photograph and viewable characteristics of the person, can prompt others to make contact with the person in the photograph. Thus, a professional photograph can impel others to approach the individual.
Professional photography will probably be more expensive than amateur photography but is worth the price tag. It will probably be more time-consuming because multiple photos will have to be taken and deciding which photograph to use will also be necessary. Additionally, editing the photograph will require more time. The photo's lightning, contrast, borders, and other aspects might have to be adjusted before the finished product is produced. Furthermore, all this effort may be wasted if the viewer is not pleased with the result. Others can still feel unimpressed despite these efforts.
The effects of different quality photographs cannot be decisively predicted because the response of the viewers depends on multiple factors. Who the viewer is and how he/she is feeling are enormously important but so is his/her environment and how he/she encounters this photograph.
Both professional and amateur photographs have their benefits and setbacks, so each person should decide on his/her head-shot's quality independently. Deciding either way cannot guarantee any particular result, but knowing the possibilities makes choosing more justified than if the individual had been ignorant.
To find a reputable professional Photographer in your area, check out the ASMP Find a Photographer website. Photographers on this site have all been published in major magazines and are sponsored to join the site by other professional Photographers.
To find a reputable professional Photographer in your area, check out the ASMP Find a Photographer website. Photographers on this site have all been published in major magazines and are sponsored to join the site by other professional Photographers.
