10 Signs You Should Hire a Headshot Photographer

Is your professional headshot more than three years old? Have you just landed a new position, are looking for a new job, or want to start your own business? If any of these scenarios apply to you, you should hire a photographer specializing in headshot photography.

Your online business profile on sites like LinkedIn or a company website is often responsible for creating the initial impression people have of you, so it's essential to ensure it highlights your best attributes.

Headshots are also an excellent marketing tool, whether you’re an online influencer or a corporate employee. It allows you to establish connections with your peers and potential clients.

So, how do you know it's time to hire a headshot photographer?

1. You've never had a professional headshot taken.

2. Your headshot is more than three years old.

3. Your headshot was taken with a cell phone.

4. Your headshot is a photo where you've cropped someone else out.

5. Your physical appearance (hairstyle, hair color, weight, etc.) has changed significantly since the last time you had a headshot taken.

6. Your job title has changed significantly, and your current headshot no longer reflects your new position.

7. You've been told your headshot doesn't look like you.

8. You're job hunting and need a photo as current and polished as possible.

9. Your current or past employer paid for your headshot, and you don't have permission to use it outside of that particular job.

10. You just don't like your current headshot!

The corporate headshot has evolved. Today, it is very contemporary and highly styled, and it needs to set you apart from your competitors immediately. The right headshot can make you feel excited and confident about sharing your image with the world. It can open doors to new and better job opportunities. It can influence how others see you—and it can even change how you see yourself! Let me and my team of experts help you to stand out in the best possible way!

Lisa Damico Portraits offers professional headshot photography for people of all career stages in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and beyond.

10 Signs You Should Hire an Online Dating Photographer

Often, before anyone on an online dating site or app reads a word about you, your main profile photo introduces you, and that’s no matter how good or bad it is. However, good-quality images can convey a lot of information about you quickly; in other words, a great photograph on your dating profile speaks for you in your absence and can leave a lasting impression on a person long after they've exited the app. 

Searching for love online can be intimidating and even more so when you're swiping through a sea of blurry, outdated, poorly-lit photographs, but it doesn't have to be this way! Here are a few signs that it might be time to put your dating profile photos in the hands of an experienced online dating photographer:

1. Your dates tell you that you look better in person than in your photos.

2. You're totally new to online dating and need help figuring out how or where to start. 

3. Your relationship just ended, or you've gone through a divorce. Online dating has changed so much over the last two years. The playing field is more competitive than it was if you were last on the dating scene 10-15 years ago.

4. You want to skip the admin work and jump to the good part of going on fun dates with quality matches. 

5. You're currently online dating but not having much luck. Are you finding that your profile is not attracting quality matches? Or any matches at all, for that matter?

6. The idea of online dating and setting up your profile feels overwhelming. 

7. You don't have many (or any) good photos of yourself to use. Are you the type of person who doesn't take many photos? Or if you do, they end up being less than flattering selfies? Do you only have a few good photos of yourself or only have outdated ones?

8. You don't feel particularly photogenic.

9. You recognize having a cohesive and flattering presence online matters.

10. You want to show potential matches how important your search is and that you're taking it seriously. 

Dating is never easy, and it's even more of a gamble when you have to rely on technology to "speak for you." Since the images you present are critical to people's initial perception of you, make sure they're good ones! Are you ready to take your profile and love life to the next level? Let me help set you up for online dating success! 

Lisa Damico Portraits works with motivated singles in Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland, and beyond.

Online Dating—The World’s Largest Cocktail Party

Online dating is a bit of a misnomer. Most people are not actually looking to go on dates "online." Instead, online dating is more like attending a massive cocktail party, where you introduce yourself to several people, chat briefly, and then transition to an actual date if you sense some potential chemistry with someone.

As an online dating photographer, I encourage my clients to keep this in mind and present themselves in their first few photos as if they were meeting someone for the first time. 

If someone walked up to introduce themselves, it would be weird if they turned and started gazing off into the distance. Yes, you may get some matches from the photo in which you’re looking away from the camera, suggesting an air of mystery, but the stronger, more effective play is to use an image in which you’re looking your potential date in the eyes and giving them a warm, welcoming smile that says “You have my full, undivided attention, and I’m excited to meet you.”

Are you looking for more tips on how to improve your online dating profile and the quality and number of matches it attracts? BOOK YOUR COMPLIMENTARY DISCOVERY CALL TO DISCUSS HOW LISA DAMICO PORTRAITS CAN HELP!

Your Online Dating Photos Have to Pass Two Tests

When someone looks at your photos, they ask themselves two questions. One, do they find you attractive? And two, what would it be like to go on a date with you? You'll most likely have to pass both of these "tests" before things go any further.

Obviously, you want to use the most attractive photos of yourself available to pass the first test. Again, the easiest and most effective way to go about this is by hiring a professional online dating profile photographer whose work you like and who has experience taking online dating photos. It's their job to select the most flattering lighting, locations, and poses to make you shine and stand out from the competition.

You pass the second test by making it easy for your date to imagine precisely what it would be like to go on a date with you by showing them just that—set up the scene of a fun date you'd like to go on and put yourself in the middle of that scene. For example, let's say you love wine tasting and see a photo of an attractive woman holding a glass of wine in a trendy yet intimate wine bar in Old Town Alexandria. She's smiling at you from across the table, looking like she's having the most fantastic time with you. You'd love to be able to teleport yourself right into that date, wouldn't you? Well, that’s why you want to create that same feeling for the people looking at your photos. You'll attract matches with similar interests by showcasing your interests right from the start. This is where hiring an online dating app photographer can set your dating profile apart!

Are you ready to level up your online dating photos?

Book your complimentary discovery call to discuss how Lisa Damico Portraits can help!

The Most Common Mistake I See in Online Dating Photos

If there’s one mistake I see over and over again with online dating photos, it’s that people add images to their profile by going through whatever photos happen to be on their phone that maybe they could make work. This almost always results in mediocre photos with poor image quality, unflattering lighting, and weird crops, and gives people the wrong message about you and your interests. Potential dates are left wondering if the phantom arm around you is a sister or an ex-girlfriend. Are you drinking beer out of a trophy because your rec softball team won the championship, or is it because you still act like you’re in college 15 years later/maybe you have a drinking problem? Mediocre photos will get you mediocre matches every single time—and who wants to waste their time, money, and energy on mediocre dates?

Instead, you should build a portfolio of intentionally created photos that are flattering, show you as you are or as you aspire to be, highlight your personal interests and attract people with similar ones (or at a minimum, give them some easy conversation-starting questions to ask), and have been reviewed and approved by people who don’t know you as being your strongest images.

This is where working with a professional photographer makes a huge difference. It puts you in control of what story your images tell and you can rely on the photographer’s expertise to make you look your best.

If you’ve ever had to write your own “About Me” paragraph, you know how hard it can be to get the tone just right—you don’t want to undersell yourself, but you also don’t want to come across as too full of yourself either. Maybe there are 20 great things about yourself that you could highlight, but if you only have space for five, which five should those be? The same principle applies to selecting photos to use in your online dating profile. You (and your friends and family for that matter) have insider knowledge about you, which means you aren’t the best ones to judge how you’ll be perceived by strangers. For this very reason, I include an image review by a panel of past online dating clients for all of my clients so they’ll know exactly which photos from their session will perform best. If you don’t have something like that at your disposal, the website Photofeeler is a great option (only upload photos to your online dating profile that receive a score of at least 7.0 in one or more of the three categories).

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Need better online dating photos?

Let me help! Get started by booking a complimentary consultation with me to discuss your photo needs. I’ll walk you through my process and packages to find the best fit for you to help next your online dating photos to the next level!

Casual Styling Tips for a Virtual Date for Men

I find that one of the biggest pain points for my clients after they book their photoshoot is figuring out what to wear. That’s why I brought on an expert personal stylist, Kim Steele, to my team to help my online dating clients select the exact outfits to wear at their photoshoot that will flatter them, photograph well, and accurately reflect their own style or a style they’d like to embrace.

Unfortunately, the stress of figuring out what to wear isn’t unique to photoshoots. With so many first dates taking place online these days due to COVID-19, I asked Kim to share some of her best styling tips on how to look your best on a Zoom date.

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So, you’re a guy getting ready for a casual virtual date—now, what should you wear? It’s important to keep in mind that YOU should be the focal point, not your clothing. In this post, I am going to walk you through how to make styling choices that will make you feel and look confident but also won’t upstage you in the process. 

Let's start with casual clothing staples that every guy should have in their closet:

1. A great fitting pair of mid to dark-wash jeans. I find slim fit or straight leg to be the most flattering.

2. A selection of at least three solid-colored crew-neck t-shirts in black, grey, and white (t-shirts are amazing layering pieces and a cornerstone to many great looks).

3. A casual button-down shirt (a minimum of one, but two or three are even better). This can be a simple plaid, solid-colored, or another subtle pattern. Long sleeves in a cotton fabric work best and give you a lot of bang as you can wear them almost all year round.

4. A solid-colored, long-sleeved Henley shirt (again, at least one, if not two or three). Just like with the casual button-down, you’ll get lots of use out of these as you can wear them alone or layered with a zip-front hoodie or even a flannel shirt.

5. A great casual shoe. Okay, yes, chances are your virtual date will not see them, but with the great first impression you’re going to make, they’ll eventually want to meet and you’ll have your look nailed down from head to toe! 

6. A casual slip-on boot works with all the other clothing items mentioned above and makes for a great finishing touch.

Here is a look inspired from the list above with links to purchase: dark washed jeans with a grey t-shirt underneath a long-sleeved grey and white plaid shirt worn with black Chukka boots.

This is an easygoing look that will represent well on your virtual date as well in-person. With the basics suggested above, you can mix and match to create all kinds of combinations. With the basics suggested above, you can mix and match to create all kinds of combinations. This is only the tip of the iceberg of discovering how to best represent yourself to the world!

Hair and Grooming

So we’ve addressed the clothing basics. Let’s talk about hair and grooming. If you are sitting in front of a computer screen for this date, your face and hair are really front and center. This is the place to put in a little extra time and effort!  

Have you thought about changing up your look? Talk about a great time to road test a new haircut or facial hair! Right now, a popular style for men’s hair is a cut tight on the sides and back with some extra length on top and then styled with product to pull the look together. I know some of you might have chosen to sport longer hair along with a beard and mustache in the pandemic, but maybe for the new year, it's out with the old and in with the new! After all, it’s hair we are talking here and it will grow back if you don’t end up loving your new look. It’s a good idea to see your barber or hairdresser every four to six weeks, depending on the look you aspire to. It's also an opportunity to shape up your brows as well! Yes, really. There are many ways to go about this such as waxing, threading, or tweezing, and some hair professionals are willing to trim brows as well.

Using a bit of product at the start of your day can make all the difference in the world. Do you really need to use hair product? Yes, you do. It gives you a more polished look and also conveys to your date that you put in that extra effort to look your best for your date. Since this is a more casual date you're getting ready for, I’m going to keep it simple with a suggestion for a product that will make your hair look (and smell!) amazing.

Skincare

Now let's discuss skincare, which is not just for the ladies. I am not suggesting you need to fill your medicine cabinet with products for your face, but you do need to have a regimen that cleans your face and protects your skin so that you will continue to look fantastic for years to come. I recommend a facial wash and moisturizer with SPF as an easy fix for your daily needs.

final thoughts

Even if some of these suggestions fall outside of your comfort zone, I encourage you to go ahead and give them a try. I am here to make you look great because if you don’t look great it puts me out of business! I love what I do and take great pride in helping others discover a side of themselves they can’t see.

Here’s to an amazing casual virtual first date! Look out for my next post about how to step up your attire for a formal virtual date. Remember to trust the process and have some fun with this—you’re in for an amazing adventure!

Dating in the Time of COVID

In honor of this month of love and romance, I’m kicking off a series entitled “Love in the Time of COVID.” My team, composed of a personal stylist, hair and makeup artists, and online dating profile writer, and I will share our best tips to help you find love and success in online dating.

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“This was supposed to be the year to meet my special someone…. but then COVID-19 ruined that.”

I’ve sadly heard these words from all too many of my online dating clients, but COVID doesn’t have to mean an end to your dating life. Yes, the number of opportunities to meet someone in person has decreased, but that also means everyone has flocked to online dating sites, so you know exactly where to go to meet everyone else who is single during the pandemic.

While online dating is not new for most people, going on virtual dates via your phone or computer’s camera is a whole new experience. As a professional photographer, my whole job is to make people look good on camera, so I wanted to share my expertise to help you look your best on a virtual date. 

Before you dig into my tips and tricks below, I’d like to acknowledge that this will take a little time and effort. I’m a firm believer that anything worth doing is worth doing right and some of my tips do require some initial work or purchases.  Most of the hard work, however, only needs to be done once and I’m confident that the extra effort will pay dividends in the long run.

If at any point a little voice pops up in your head and tells you it’s not cool to look like you’re trying hard on a date, don’t listen to it. Switch it around—would you be excited to go on a date with someone who seemed unprepared and uninvested in the success of your date? Or who looked less attractive than their photos because of poor lighting, weird camera angles, and a messy, distracting backdrop? No, you wouldn’t. The same applies to you. The care and attention you put into preparing yourself and your environment let your date know you’re a catch and will undoubtedly lead to better dates.

Set the Scene

The first order of business is to choose a location for your virtual date. If your date was actually there with you in person, where would it make sense for you two to sit? In your living room, at the kitchen table, on your patio, etc.? Choose somewhere comfortable and inviting. A word of caution—while your bed might be the most comfortable place for you to sit, setting up there could send an unintended message for a first date.

Once you’ve identified possible date locations, take a look around. Does the background look too busy, cluttered, messy, or perhaps too austere? Don’t be afraid to do a little staging and straightening up. Incorporate some artwork, a bookshelf, or a plant into the background. Be aware of what might be visible in the background—toss those empty water bottles on the counter in the recycling and those dirty socks on the floor in the laundry basket.

Lighting, Lighting, Lighting

Lighting is another important factor to consider as you select your virtual date location. Natural light is always the most flattering, as it evens out skin tone, removes under eye shadows, and decreases the appearance of wrinkles. If your date is taking place during the day, set yourself up facing a window with the camera facing away from the window light. Extra points if you hang a sheer white curtain over the window, which diffuses the light and makes it even more flattering. You want to illuminate your entire face and avoid harsh shadows on either side of your face. You especially want to avoid putting your back to a window as the camera will calibrate for the bright light and turn you into a faceless silhouette. 

Here’s an example of what not to do. My back is to the window…

…which confuses the laptop camera’s automatic brightness adjustment feature and throws my face into shadow.

This pullback shot shows an ideal setup. The laptop camera is eye level and I’m set up facing the window with sheer curtains diffusing the light…

…which creates an evenly lit, flattering light on my face.

If your home doesn’t have great natural light or your date is taking place after the sun has gone down, you’ll have to do a little more to make sure you’re well lit. I recommend investing in a ring light. There are many affordable stand or clip-on cell phone options. As much as you can, avoid mixing light sources as that will create different color temperatures on camera—without getting too technical, it’s not as flattering and will mess with the color of your skin.

Here’s an example of how to set up a ring light stand for evening calls or if you don’t have access to good natural light.

An example of mixed light

While the natural light is preferable, the ring light is still flattering and makes it easy to see what I look like.

An example of harsh light from the side

Ditch the Zoom Background

While a Zoom background can be a good idea for work calls where you don’t want to share as much personal information, the point of a date is to share more about yourself. More importantly, using a Zoom background on a date could be interpreted as an attempt to hide or conceal something.

While you’re in the Zoom settings, go ahead and turn on the “touch up my appearance” filter.

Camera Setup

The most flattering angle is at eye level or just slightly above (especially if you’re worried about a double chin). If you’re using a desktop computer and the webcam is not at eye level, it may be worth investing in a portable webcam that you can set up exactly where you want. If you’re using a laptop, place it on top of a few books or boxes to get the height just right or purchase a laptop stand. If you’re using your phone or iPad, prop it up against something or put it in a cell phone stand.  (Many ring light stands come up with cell phone holders built-in.) 

Eliminate Distractions

We’ve all seen the funny videos of the parent in their towel walking past their child’s virtual school. Don’t let yourself or your date be the butt of that joke—pun intended. If you live with anyone else, let them know you have a video call or put up a do not disturb sign. Feed or take your dog out before the call starts. Turn off or silence desktop or phone notifications, just as you would put your phone on silent for an in-person date. Not only do distractions or unwanted notifications risk interrupting the flow of your date, but they also send the message that your date is not that important.

Testing... Testing... 1, 2, 3

Nothing kills the mood like technical difficulties. Give yourself ample time to make sure your software is up to date, your WiFi connection is working, and your phone or computer is fully charged. While you’re at it, grab a charging cable just in case the date runs long and your battery is low. I like to get fully set up at least 15 minutes before “showtime” to make sure I can easily connect and check how I and my background look on camera. 

Go Get ‘Em Tiger!

I hope these tips and tricks help you take your online dating game to the next level! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing tips for men and women from my personal stylist on how to dress for casual and dressy virtual dates!

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If all of this sounds good and you’re ready to start filling your calendar with virtual dates, but you aren’t receiving enough interest in your profile, let me and my team help! The quality of your photos is the biggest determining factor as to whether potential dates swipe right or left. Do your photos show the best, most attractive version of yourself, or could they use some work? We are a full-service photography studio that specializes in taking the best photos you’ve ever seen of yourself to help get you more and better quality matches.

2020 Year in Review

Before I begin planning for 2021, I wanted to take a look back at 2020 and all of the faces I had the privilege of photographing. I'm so grateful to each of you for sharing your stories with me, trusting me to take your photos, and letting me play a part in helping you create the lives of your dreams. I am so fortunate to wake up every morning feeling like I'm living the life of my dreams as a photographer and can only hope that 2021 holds many more of these stories, faces, and photos!

Lisa Damico Portraits Turns One!

Lisa Damico Portraits is one year old!

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has been a part of this anniversary. It's been my pleasure to photograph old and new friends alike this past year. I don't take lightly the trust you, my clients, put in me to create beautiful portraits of you and your families—to preserve your important milestones, help you in your job search, or simply give you an afternoon of pampering.

Thank you for helping me to make my first year in business a success and I look forward to many more years of laughs, memories, and portraits together!

A Headshot for Love...

Brian found me on Yelp a few weeks ago and when he called to schedule a headshot session, he explained that he was moving to the other side of world because he'd asked a very important question to a girl. He didn't know what she was thinking, but she had responded with a yes. What that really meant was Brian had fallen in love with a girl from Germany, he had asked her to marry him last Valentine's Day, and was now planning a big move "across the pond" at the beginning of the summer.

German job applications require an accompanying photo and having done headshots a few months ago for Britta, a German intern for Volkswagen, I knew exactly what he needed. I told Brian to bring a couple well-fitting suits and three to five of his favorite shirts and we would have him well-prepared to enter the German job market.

Over the course of the hour, I ran Brian through a variety of poses to find the ones that suited him and his job experience as a military contractor best. I even convinced him to let me take some more GQ-esque photos (because fiancées never mind having a stylish photo of their man on their desk!).

Although he'll probably want to go with one of the more reserved photos, I loved his smiling, black and white photo the best—which one is your favorite?

Model Call!

Lisa Damico Portraits is looking for TWO female models 21 or older (all shapes & sizes welcome) for a beauty portraiture photo shoot. No modeling experience necessary!

Your shoot would take place on a weekend at 10 AM or 1 PM at the Lisa Damico Portraits studio in Arlington, VA. If you’re interested, please LIKE or COMMENT on this post AND then email me at lisa@lisadamicoportraits.com stating WHY you want to model (milestone birthday year, recent weight loss, relationship change, etc.) with a photo of yourself attached.

I look forward to hearing from you!

~ Lisa

2014!

As 2014 quickly comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to look back on the year and remember of all of the old friends, new friends, and family I got to photograph.  Getting to play a part in making them feel beautiful, helping them to get new jobs and promotions with great headshots, and capturing their special memories made 2014 a fabulous year for Lisa Damico Portraits.  Can't wait for more great times in 2015!

With love,

Lisa

Online Dating? 11 Photo Tips for Men

As a photographer and former online dater myself, the hundreds of online dating photos I came across made quite an impression on me.  There were so many people I wanted to message, not to express romantic intentions, but instead to say, "I'm sure you're a very nice guy, but by posting that bad mirror selfie, you make me think you have no friends or family who care enough to hold a camera for you. Please let me take a better photo of you!" In defense of the mirror selfie guy, it's easy to flip through photos of people you don't know and say yay or nay fairly quickly (on average women spend all of 84 seconds evaluating an entire profile1). But, actually coming up with photos that accurately represent who you are and at the same time are likely to give you your best chance of finding love is easier said than done.

With that in mind, here's a list of concrete tips to help men who are new to the online dating scene as well as seasoned veterans (don't worry ladies, your tips are coming next week!).

First, there are the obvious ones which serve as a list of "don'ts":

1. Don't show yourself surrounded by other women (it doesn't matter if it's your sister, don't do it).

2. No computer photos or bathroom mirrors. Let's make that no mirrors at all (case in point below).

3. No shirtless photos unless you're in really good shape, and want to be "that guy" who posts a shirtless photo.

4. Don't use a photo in which you're so far away that your potential love interest can't tell what you look like - same thing applies to close-up photos with sunglasses and a hat.

Now for the less evident, more interesting tips:

5. Man's best friend really is man's best friend. An OKCupid study found that men shown with animals receive more messages that any other type of photo. (If you have any doubt of this, Men and Their Dogs will cure you of it.) Close runners up are photos of men showing off muscles or doing something interesting.

6. Don't give priority to travel, drinking, or outdoors photos. The same study found those to be less likely to generate messages.

7. Ditch the cell phone camera.  According to another OKCupid study, photos taken with camera phones are found to be the least attractive (DSLR photos are the most attractive - cue shameless plug for hiring a professional photographer).

8. Natural light is best if you don't want to look older than you are. The same study determined that using a photo taken with a flash made the subject look seven years older than they actually were.

9. Look away from the camera and don't smile.A 2011 study in emotion showed that women prefer photos of men who were not smiling and looked proud. Researchers believe that this might have to do with the fact that pride is associated with masculinity.

10. Think twice before putting on that suit. Photos of men dressed up fared worse than normal clothes photos according to this OKCupid analysis.

11. To the left, to the left...A Wake Forest University study determined that photos that showed the left side of the face were viewed as more pleasant than those that showed the right.

12. Make sure you have at least four photos on your profile.  According to 2013 stats compiled by eHarmony, people who had four or more photos on their profile received the most communication from their matches.

13. While you're at it, make sure one of those shows your full body.  A Zoosk's study of almost 4,000 subscribers reported that those who included a full body shot received 203% more messages than those that showed less.

15 Reasons to Update Your Headshot Photo

You've seen the announcement for the headshot mini-marathon session, but perhaps you're still on the fence about whether to sign up.  The group photo from that conference you attended a couple years back where you cropped out your coworkers has served you pretty well. You're rocking a power suit in it - what more could a future employer ask for?? In the event that the more you think about your current headshot photo, the more doubts you have, I encourage you to read through the list of 15 reasons why you should get a new headshot.

1. You're ready to show your best self to the world.

2. Perhaps you got some fabulous new glasses.

3. Or, finally grew out that beard.

4. You got a new hairdo.

5. You've been working out hard this summer and want to show off the fit new you.

6. It's the end of summer, which means you've been soaking up the rays all summer and are glowing.

7. You've changed jobs.

8. You're job searching.

9. You want to look like a million bucks and have a salary to match.

10. You might be asked for a headshot tomorrow and you don't have one.

11. You started writing a blog and you wouldn't be a real blogger without a headshot.

12. Perhaps 10 years or so have passed between now and when the headshot you're currently using was taken.

13. Your current headshot is a selfie.

14. You want to look and feel like a model... and you will, once the Best Face Forward hair and makeup artists are done with you.

15. You want one of those 5 limited spots.

If you answered yes to any of the above 15, book your session with Lisa Damico Portraits by calling 540-798-9547 or emailing lisadamicoportraits@gmail.com.