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5 Tips for Edgy Modern Professional Headshots

When it comes to meeting new people in business – first impressions, whether it be meeting in person or seeing the person’s headshot –  can make or break the situation. Even if that business lunch with new clients goes well, or you answered all the questions right in that interview, that initial, first impression could make the difference between getting that job or making that deal with the new clients.

In today’s world especially, as many continue to work remotely and apply for jobs en masse, how you present yourself professionally online is just as important as how you would present yourself professionally in the real world.

But the question you may find yourself asking is this: How can you differentiate yourself from everyone else before that first interview; how can you stand out from the hundreds of other equally competitive individuals before you go into that first in-person interaction with your presumptive employer? Enter: The Edgy Modern Professional headshot.

What is an Edgy, Modern Professional Headshot?

When many of us hear “Edgy”, we may have some immediate presumptions as to what comes to mind: A goth rock band? Your friend making a slightly off-handed joke? What does this have to do with professional headshots, let alone business?

Well, when we say “Edgy”, we don’t mean it in the socially-minded way; instead, what we mean is this: What aspect of yourself – be it your personality, your demeanor, your “vibe”, so to speak – gives you that “Edge” over others? What is it about yourself that you can present and market to others – especially prospective employers – to get them to choose your resume or your LinkedIn profile from the dozens of other applicants?

This is the “Edgy” aspect of yourself – the part that makes you stand out from the crowd; the part that makes a statement, while still conforming to the norms of business.

With this now in mind, you may be asking yourself: “But why an ‘Edgy’ headshot? Wouldn’t I want to look and present myself as the most professional possible for work, especially for a headshot?”

While it’s true that you do want to present yourself for business in the best way possible, it’s equally true that how everyone presents themselves professionally can be kind of the same, resulting in a potentially bland or middling first impression for the employer.

You want to be able to stand out from the crowd of your peers and competitors trying to get that same position. As an example, you wouldn’t give the most generic answers in an interview, right? That’s a sure-fire way to get crossed off the list of potential picks for the position.

Likewise, you’ll want to stand out from the crowd before you even take a step into that office or log in for that first Zoom call. This is why you want to strive for an edgy, modern professional headshot, and we’ve got some great tips for you on how to achieve this below.

1. Choosing The Right “Edgy” Attire

What you wear is arguably the most defining visual feature of yourself. Even before you reach out to offer a handshake or give a verbal greeting, what you wear is the first thing another person will see about you, and may make initial thoughts and inferences about you from it. In the world of business, how you present yourself is of the utmost importance, and it’s no secret why: If you don’t dress the part, you won’t get the part. After all, the old adages are “Dress for success.” and “Clothes maketh the man.” for a reason.

With Edgy headshots, the key is to strike the perfect balance between your prospective profession and your personality; that is, you want to present to the employer your interest and ambition for the job, while also showing them a bit of yourself in the process.

One popular example for many modern tech professions is the combination of a casual t-shirt with a sharp, sleek blazer. This pairing offers both professionalism with a flair of relaxed, which signals that you’re someone who gets the work done and has what it takes to succeed, but also knows when to take it slow and enjoy the moment.

For more creative professions (e.g. musician, creative direction, graphic design, etc.), you may want to opt for something more “cozy”. Such examples include business casual with a bold overcoat or jacket, or perhaps a scarf or hat. 

In either case, you want to accentuate the creative aspect of your personality. Regardless, you should choose what best represents yourself, and make sure not to choose anything too “casual” or “cozy”. Remember: You want to strike a balance between professional and casual, while also showing your personality.

2. Strike an Edgy Pose

The traditional headshot often has a pose similar to what you may find in your parents’ (or even grandparents’) yearbook: usually a typical straight-facing pose, where the individual is looking directly at the camera, with a nice big smile. They may occasionally have themselves positioned slightly off-center, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

With an Edgy headshot, you want to essentially take the traditional notion of a professional headshot, and make a slight, personal change to it. Again, you want to highlight your personality.

Before taking the headshots, you’ll want to practice with a series of different poses and angles. You don’t want any extreme angles or eccentric or bizarre poses: what we’re looking for is experimentation to find out things like whether or not you have a good side, or whether or not your smile or gaze looks better from one angle versus another.

This also includes experimenting with your posture. One good example is to try leaning slightly forward during your pose. Not only will this make your stance and footing more natural, but leaning in slightly can also give the impression of being friendly or inviting to the viewer.

With angles, you’ll primarily want to experiment with the angling of your face. This includes not only tilting your head, but also slightly changing the positioning or your neck and/or shoulders.

One important factor to stress with your posing is to keep it natural and confident. If you strike a pose that you find uncomfortable or you don’t feel so sure about it, this will reflect in the image, and the viewer will sense that same uncomfortableness or lack of confidence. Remember: Comfort and confidence is key.

3. Find the Right Location

The old saying amongst realtors is “Location, location, location”. You may have the right clothes, pose, and personal touch, but that all means little or nothing if you don’t have the right background to match. In any kind of photography, the background is the foundation of any good photo. The background gives your image depth; it draws the focus of the image to the subject (in the case of the headshots, yourself), and it creates the framing and staging that further complements the subject.

For the most convenience, an indoor background is the way to go. With an indoor background, you’ll likely have two options to go with: a simple background, or a textured background.

A simple background, in its most basic sense, would be a one-color backdrop (ideally a color that is easy on the eyes, but also draws focus to the subject), with the subject (yourself) posing in front.

A textured background, on the other hand, would add additional depth and substance to your shot. Such examples would include posing in front of a bookcase in a library or study, or posing in front of a textured wall. You could even pose in front of a wall with an assortment of colors, as long as it is not too eccentric, and doesn’t draw attention away from the subject.

In the case of those in more creative professions looking to complement their Edgy headshot, one example could be a musician posing in front of a wall of guitars. In any case, the important thing is to choose a background that enhances and complements your personality, thus making your headshot more “Edgy”.

It’s also a good idea to experiment with the lighting of the scene, both with yourself and with the background, to see what works best. While dramatic lighting with defined shadows may work for one backdrop, softer or more natural lighting may work best for a different setting.

For outdoor backgrounds, you’d likewise want to choose a backdrop that best matches your personality. With regard to lighting, there’s not nearly as much to control or experiment with outdoors, since you’ll be lit entirely by natural lighting.

Whether it’s an indoor or outdoor background, experimentation in combination with the other aspects previously discussed is paramount.

4. Make It Personal

As mentioned previously, the point of an Edgy modern headshot is to project your unique personality and sense of self to the viewer. You’ve found the right attire, you’ve experimented with poses and angles, and you’ve found the right location, but something else is missing. And that’s you.

Now you may say at this point: “What do you mean, I’m already in the photo. I’m the subject of the shot!”. That is certainly true, but are you really there, are you phoning it in, just treating it as another mundane task?

Like the other aspects of taking a headshot, when it comes to presenting yourself, your undivided attention and active participation in the process is just as important as the background, your clothing and the pose. If you’re not into it and giving it your all, that is going to reflect in the images taken. So when we say be yourself, we don’t just mean how you look and how you dress; we also mean presenting your true self.

It’s difficult to explain, as this is more of a “gut” feeling. So when striking that pose, make sure that it feels right.

5. Simplify the Process with Portrait Pal

Even with these helpful tips, finding, scheduling and prepping for an in-person, traditional professional headshot session may seem too overwhelming, especially when trying to balance your work and personal life. Who wants to take hours out of their day to travel half-way across town to get your headshots? Wouldn’t it be much nicer and more convenient to get a whole set of professional, standard or edgy headshots from the comfort of your own home?

Fortunately, there is such a solution: Portrait Pal. No need to spend hours searching for a professional in-person headshot service or photographer, or the need to sort through dozens of reviews to figure out if a particular headshot outlet is even worth it.

With portrait pal’s affordable offerings, you simply create your account, upload a simple mix of selfies, candids and other clear photos of yourself, and in just a couple hours, you’ll be presented with a whole set of professional headshots, ranging from the traditional professional poses to the more modern, edgy ones.

When to Not Use Edgy Professional Headshots

Now that we’ve explained the function and purpose of Edge Professional Headshots, we should also mention that there are still some professions where the standard, typical corporate headshot is still preferred, if not expected.

Businesses or lines of work where an Edgy Headshot are likely not ideal are, ironically, any traditionally “corporate” jobs, such as finance or banking, legal practices *e.g. Lawyer, paralegal), or government jobs at the local, state and federal levels. In all of these cases, these employers are likely looking out less for someone who stands out with a headshot, but rather stands out with the content of their resume, along with their responses during the interview phase.

So while using an Edgy headshot does have many advantages when it comes to many modern professions and businesses (most notably tech or art), it’s important to remember that for some situations, playing it safe is still your best strategy.

Get Your Professional and Edgy Modern Headshots with Portrait Pal

Whether you’re looking to apply to a prestigious law firm or the hottest Web 3.0 startup, Portrait Pal can help you create the perfect professional headshots.

While traditional, in-person professional headshots can take up an entire day or two and cost hundreds of dollars for a single session (not to mention the added costs of purchasing professional/business attire, finding the best location (if shooting outdoors), and wasted time commuting to the location), Portrait Pal can provide you with the perfect headshots for a fraction of the cost of traditional headshot services.

With three affordable packages to choose from, you simply choose the photo package that fits your needs, upload your photos, and sit back as Portrait Pal generates your AI headshots in as little as 2-3 hours.
So don’t let the prospect of a bland or outdated headshot stop you from getting your dream job. Visit Portrait Pal today to see how quick and easy it is to get your personalized professional or Edgy headshots.