The Photo You Keep Meaning To Get

There's a version of you that has a great headshot.

Updated LinkedIn profile, proper photo on the website, something you’d actually be happy to send across when someone asks for a bio picture. You’ve thought about it more than once, and you will sort it… just not yet. Ring any bells?

You’re not alone. It’s one of the most common things I hear, usually so

mewhere between “I’ve been meaning to do it for ages” and a slightly embarrassed laugh. And what’s interesting is after ten years of working with business owners and professionals is that the reasons people give for waiting are almost never the real reason.

The most common ones go something like this.

I’ll wait until I’ve lost weight

Or get a haircut.

Or wait until the new office is ready.

Or until the rebrand is finished.

Or until things have settled down a bit at work.

These feel like practical, reasonable reasons to pause. It can feel like timing is everything as if you only get one shot at photos. Ideally, treating your photos as a brand campaign that you will use and update every 1-2 years takes all the pressure off waiting for the stars to align.

I’ll wait until I’m more confident.

Working with business professionals, rarely do I meet people in the studio who are excited to get in front of the camera. Even the creatives! I share this to reassure anyone reading that if you’re nervous about having your photo taken then you are with the majority! The positive is that confidence actually comes with taking action, getting booked in and discussing how you want to be represented and how you can utilise your new photos.

I’ll wait until I’m ready.

Ready for what, exactly? Ready to be seen. Ready to put yourself out there. Ready to be the kind of person who has professional photos? I totally get it, it can feel like a declaration, but this can actually be a really powerful and motivating change for your personal brand. Simply updating your photos on LinkedIn can boost engagement from your community and who knows what conversations could spark from noticing you.

If you’ve built your reputation through word of mouth and doing good work, the idea of putting a professional photo on LinkedIn and actively saying “here I am” can feel uncomfortably self-promotional. I’d love to remind you that you’ve worked incredibly hard to build your brand, and now you get to own and enjoy it!

Because for a lot of people, the hesitation isn’t really about the photoshoot itself. It’s about what comes after. Getting the photos means using them. Using them means people will see them. And being properly seen is quietly terrifying for a lot of otherwise very confident, very capable people.

The photo isn’t the problem. Visibility is.

But what I’ve noticed after ten years of watching people walk into a studio feeling one way and leave feeling another, is that most of the time, the fear of the thing is much worse than the thing itself.

The opportunities and empowerment to promote themselves with their new photos and marketing materials far outweighs the nervous initial moments of booking a photoshoot. So don’t rush into it, but also stop getting in your own way sharing old selfies with the justification that you’ll update them professionally soon.

Honestly, who would do such a thing?

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Author: Toby Lee

Business: Headshot Toby