Is $1000 for a Headshot Over the Top?

A few months ago, a Wall Street Journal article generated quite a bit of buzz in my LinkedIn feed, and I truly enjoyed reading not only the article, but all the different opinions about it in the comments.

The article was titled, “The Perfect Professional Headshot is Worth $1,000, and Maybe Even a Job.” Many professionals in my LinkedIn network shared it and put in their two cents around it. Here’s an excerpt from the article that basically sums up what it was saying:

“Nailing your professional headshot seems harder and more clutch than ever at a time of record job changes and on-screen first impressions. The buttoned-up and made-up looks that once dominated business directories and professional profiles now seem stuffy in the work-from-anywhere era.

Selfies are free, but some people chasing that just-so photo for their LinkedIn profile are paying $1,000 or more for headshots. Their quests are fueling a cottage industry of headshot photographers who offer facial-expression coaching and promise to help even the most insecure subjects look and feel great.”  

If you’ve been reading my blog for the past few years, you know that I talk a lot about what they're sharing in this article. The fact is that headshots have changed and it’s essential to capture who you are and encapsulate your brand in any photo you’re sharing online. As the article says, the standards for what makes a “good” headshot have changed radically in the past few years, as more and more people work from home (or anywhere). Your ideal clients are looking for your authenticity. They want to know who they’re working with before they hire you, and your branded headshot is where that starts.

I’m not sure that’s worth $1000.00 (or more, if you read the article) for one headshot photo, but I do know that it’s worth an investment on your part if you’re serious about your business. I’ve invested a lot of time and money into educating myself about branding and how to translate someone’s brand into their photos. I know that sets me apart from other photographers, and I know that’s worth its weight in gold to my clients.

I’m glad the greater business world is talking about the changes that have happened in business photography in the past few years, and that awareness about the images  today’s business people need to successfully navigate the online marketing world is growing.