Everything you need to know before your session:

I hear some version of this all the time.

“I need a new headshot, but I hate having my picture taken.”

Usually the next sentence is something like, “I’m just not photogenic.”

If that sounds familiar, you’re definitely not the only one.

Most people are not used to standing in front of a professional camera. You probably don’t spend your day thinking about where to put your hands, what angle your shoulders should be at, or whether your chin is in the right position.

And you shouldn’t have to.

That’s my job.

At Nicolas Baptista Photography in Lambertville, New Jersey, I photograph professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, and teams who need images that represent who they are and what they do.

Some people come in needing one great professional headshot. Others need several different looks for their website, LinkedIn, social media, marketing, or personal brand.

Whatever the reason, the process should be easy.

Here’s what you can expect when you come in for a professional headshot session with me.

We Start With What You Actually Need

Before we worry about lighting, posing, backgrounds, or any of that, I want to know what you need the photographs for.

Where are these images going?

Are you updating your LinkedIn profile?

Do you need a new photo for your company website?

Are you starting a new business?

Maybe you’re a realtor, attorney, executive, doctor, entrepreneur, or small business owner and your current headshot just doesn’t represent you anymore.

That information matters because not everyone needs the same type of photograph.

Someone in a more traditional corporate position may want something clean and polished.

A business owner might want something professional but a little more relaxed and approachable.

Someone building a personal brand may need several different images that show more personality.

There isn’t one magic headshot that works for everybody.

We figure out what makes sense for you.

What Should You Wear?

This is usually one of the first questions I get.

My advice is to keep it relatively simple and bring options.

You don’t need to go shopping for an entirely new wardrobe just because you’re getting a professional headshot.

Bring clothing that fits well and looks like something you would actually wear.

If you normally meet clients in a suit, bring the suit.

If your business is more casual, we don’t necessarily need to make you look like you’re applying to run a bank.

The photograph should make sense for who you are.

Solid colors usually photograph well, and bringing a jacket, button down shirt, blouse, sweater, or a couple of different tops gives us some room to work.

If you’re unsure, bring more than you think you need.

We can go through everything together before we start.

You Do Not Need to Know How to Pose

This is probably the most important part.

You do not need to practice posing before your session.

Please don’t spend the night before standing in front of your bathroom mirror trying to figure out your good side.

When you get here, I’m going to guide you through it.

I’ll tell you where to stand.

I’ll adjust your shoulders.

I’ll show you what to do with your hands.

I’ll guide your chin and posture.

We’ll make small changes as we go.

Sometimes moving your head an inch or changing the angle of your shoulders makes a huge difference.

That’s something I’m paying attention to so you don’t have to.

Your job is basically to show up.

I’ll take care of the rest.

The Expression Is Just as Important as the Pose

One thing I don’t want is for you to look like you’re standing at the DMV waiting for your license photo.

A good professional headshot needs some personality.

That doesn’t mean you have to have a giant smile in every photograph either.

Depending on what you do, we may want something confident, approachable, serious, relaxed, or somewhere in between.

We’ll try different expressions.

And I’ll talk to you while we’re shooting.

That part is important.

When someone tells you to stand still and smile at a camera, most people immediately make some strange version of their normal smile.

So instead of constantly telling you to smile, I’d rather get you talking and get you comfortable.

There will probably be some jokes.

There may be some sarcasm.

Whatever gets you to stop thinking about the camera is usually what gets us the best expression.

We Can Create More Than One Look

Your headshot doesn’t have to be one outfit, one background, one expression, and we’re done.

Depending on the type of session you choose, we can create some variety.

Maybe you want one image that is more traditional for LinkedIn and your company website.

Then we create another that feels a little more relaxed for social media or the About page on your website.

We can change clothing.

We can change backgrounds.

We can change lighting.

Sometimes we’ll photograph tighter headshots and then step back and create something closer to a traditional portrait.

That gives you options instead of trying to force one photograph to work everywhere.

What About Hair and Makeup?

Professional hair and makeup is available if you want it.

It’s completely optional.

The purpose isn’t to make you look like a different person.

You should still look like yourself.

Professional makeup for photography is really about making sure everything photographs well under studio lighting.

For men, we’re still paying attention to grooming.

Hair, facial hair, skin shine, collars, ties, stray hairs and all those little things can make a difference.

And if I notice something during the session, I’m going to tell you.

I would much rather stop for ten seconds and fix your collar than let you find it later in your favorite photograph.

What Does Retouching Look Like?

I want you to look polished.

I don’t want you to look fake.

Those are two very different things.

Professional retouching can clean up temporary blemishes, distracting hairs, skin issues and little things that pull attention away from your face.

What I’m not trying to do is erase everything that makes you look like you.

You should not leave with a photograph that makes you look twenty years younger or like some heavily filtered version of yourself.

If somebody sees your headshot online and then meets you in person, they should know immediately that it’s you.

That’s the goal.

Headshot or Branding Session?

Sometimes people come in asking for a headshot when what they really need is a personal branding session.

There is a difference.

If you need one or two professional images for LinkedIn, your company website, or a business profile, a headshot session may be perfect.

If you own a business and constantly need content for your website, social media, advertising, newsletters, speaking engagements, and marketing, then we may want to go further.

A personal branding session gives us more time to create a collection of images.

That could include traditional headshots, more relaxed portraits, wider images for your website, working photographs and other images that help tell the story of your business.

If you aren’t sure which one you need, that’s something we can figure out before the session.

What If You Really Hate Having Your Picture Taken?

Come anyway.

Seriously.

Some of my favorite people to photograph are the ones who walk through the door telling me how much they hate pictures of themselves.

Because once we get started, they usually realize the experience is very different from what they expected.

You aren’t going to be left alone in front of the camera trying to figure it out.

The session is guided the entire time.

And we’re not rushing.

If something doesn’t work, we change it.

If an expression looks forced, we try something else.

If you hate an angle, we move.

There’s no prize for getting everything perfect on the first photograph.

We keep working until we get what we need.

Professional Headshots in Lambertville, New Jersey

My studio is located in Lambertville, NJ, and I photograph professionals and businesses from throughout Hunterdon County, Central New Jersey, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding NJ and PA area.

Whether you need a new LinkedIn headshot, updated company photos, images for your website, or a full personal branding session, the idea is pretty simple.

You should look professional.

You should look confident.

And you should still look like yourself.

You don’t need to be good in front of a camera.

You don’t need to know how to pose.

You don’t even have to like having your picture taken.

That part is on me.

If your current headshot is five or ten years old, was cropped out of a group photograph, or just doesn’t look like the person you are anymore, it might be time to update it.

Nicolas Baptista Photography
Lambertville, New Jersey

Professional Headshots | Personal Branding | Portrait Photography

Visit BaptistaPhoto.com to learn more about professional headshots and branding sessions.