Duncan McLeod, South African tech journalist, founder of TechCentral and Sunday Times columnist.
Headshots used to be the reserve of the professional model who needed an eye-catching and breathtaking instant-attention-grabber of an image to nail a job, or of CEO's and other high-flying executives who need to convey a powerful image, literally, from the About Us section of a website.
Today, thanks to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, headshots are important for just about everyone.
And it's time to update yours.
Naami Gottlieb, a South African actress and flautist.
All the traditional uses of the headshot are still common today - hi there models and business execs! - but they are now just as important for anyone representing themselves on the internet. Applying for a new job? I do hope your LinkedIn profile has a great, clean modern and engaging profile pic, professionally shot and lit, and not just a snap of you hanging out at a friend's house after a few too many with a beer welded to your hand...
Branding is real and it's moved from the concern of big corporates and vibrant start ups to the individual.
Craig Wilson, a good friend and Deputy Editor of Stuff Magazine, writer, speaker and general tech man-about-the-web.
We are all building our brands, everyday, across all the platforms we engage in online as well as little things like what shoes we wear and our choice in haircuts. It's what Seth Godin refers to as the "story" we are telling. Is your story about fun and enthusiasm? Or is it about professionalism and reliability? These are choices we make and a lot of the time we spend saying and doing things online creates a big part of this story.
What a lot of people neglect, ironically, is the very first impression a lot of people get of us - our profile pic. If you think about how much time and energy we spend making our story and curating our brand, it's crazy to slap a quick and so-so image up as our profile pic, the thing that most people will look at and make a powerful, and lasting, first judgement about us.
Graeme Sacks, a good friend and brilliant musician.
Another thing that you need to consider is the photographer that you end up choosing to take your headshots. You need to choose someone who does more than just sit you down and rattle off a few frames. You need someone who will connect with you.
One of the things I spend a lot of time doing with people that I photograph, is engaging with them, chatting and getting to know who they are and how to represent them, before even picking up the camera. I have the creative choices of which lens to use and how to shape my lighting to create a certain look to an image and I need to know who you are before I can try show that to the world. This is one of the things that makes portraiture such a hard discipline. Look at some of the great portraits and you'll see an insight into that person. There is a connection between the photographer and the subject - the magic that happens for a moment during a shoot - that needs to happen and needs to be caught on film or photons.
Sivan Raphaely Patton, a South African actress and singer.
So update your headshot and choose a professional to give you an image that you can show to the world and make that story you're trying to tell unfold naturally.
