Good Image, Good for Esteem, Good for Business
Physiology:
All animal physiology, including human physiology, dictates the peramiters we use for understanding, learning, growth and survival of our species and genetic lines.
These factors drive our behavior in the same way now, as it did thousands of years ago.
We live our lives in search of shelter, food and water, a prospective mate who can provide healthy offspring, and grow them to maturity. We still now, like then are in constant competition to attract that mate, based on intelligence, strength and health.
The main difference now, is that instead of hunting and foraging our food, we work to earn money to provide food and shelter. Our competition is no longer just those around us, we now compete with others worldwide, with an expectation that we need to look like and gain the wealth of those in the media and advertisements.
Sociology:
We live in a fault based society. We are thought from a very young age, to seek out our imperfections, to find where we fall down in order to do better.
This is not only something that effects our behavior, but our image.
How does any of this have relevance to having a good headshot? More than you would think actually.
Image:
We rely on our image to communicate for us. Our image, tells prospective mates, who we are, we are healthy, we are fertile. In business, it tells prospective clients, we are confident, we are healthy enough to be around in 6 months, we take ourselves seriously enough to invest in our image.
Psychologically our image is so important to us, it spurs us to follow trends, to invest in products in order to make ourselves the best candidate for a job, a contract or for a partner.
We follow what advertisers tell us, what we need to invest in to be the most beautiful we can be. To be the thinnest, to have the healthiest hair, to have the nicest clothes and to be our most beautiful.
Self Image:
When we look in the mirror, we see who we recognize as ourselves. In most cases, we localize our vision to the part of the face we are tending to. The eyebrows, eyes, teeth etc. So we never really see the full picture.
When we see photographs of ourselves, our brain searches for a reason why, this photograph does not look like the person we know from the mirror, the person we know as ourselves.
This is where we find our faults and our physical imperfections . Things that may be visible only to us because of our own inner critic, but not visible to others.
In the same way as the Arrow in the FedEx logo, or the bear in the Toblerone Logo.
Once you see them, they are the first thing you see every time you look.
This critique of our minor imperfections, the things we see in a frozen still image of our own faces.
Tiny imperfections magnified by our own physiological need to understand why we look different to the mirror, shroud the fact that in life, we are not frozen still.
We are animated, as we go through our day we as a reflex use facial expression to communicate. Expression that not only hides the minute imperfections we bare, but share, without words how we feel and act.
So then, there is a difference in what we see in the mirror and what others see in real life. The Gap.
For some, this Gap is small, for some, there is no end in sight.
So if the difference in how we think we look, and how we think the world expects us to look. The models, Hollywood actors and celebs. How then does this affect our level of self acceptance? Our level of self esteem? How does that reflect on that Gap, in who we feel we are, and who we feel the world expects us to be?
What effect does that Gap in your sense of Self image and Self Acceptance have on your own sense of social entitlement? Where you feel you belong in the world.
Professionally:
So using physiology to understand, we use shapes as communication. The shapes we determine as words, objects and people.
For years companies have used images, shapes and logos as their brand identity. Now, with the advent and effective globalisation of social media, we, the people are now brands, both individually and as a representative of our companies and employers.
Where before we used shapes, images, logos and colours as a brand identify, now, a mere google search shows us the faces of the people behind the walls. When we see people like Mark Zuckerberg, we don't think Mark Zuckerberg, we think Facebook. When we see images of Steve Jobs, we think Apple.
How is your brand represented in the images of you and your co-workers?
Your Digital Brand:
Now, where before, we were anonymous to a point, we are instantly accessible by a quick search. We actively share our life with others, through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin.
So what does your digital brand say about you? What is your Logo?
Is yours a selfie? Is it a photograph of you drunk at a party? Your Dog or Cat? Your Kids?
Or, does your profile show Credibility?, showing it is a real profile, up to date and not spam.
Has it got Visibility? Profiles with good images are 40 times more likely to be viewed
Has it got Recognition? Will people who recognise you or know you click on it? Old school friends and work colleagues.
Has it got Personal appeal? People like to do business with other people. Does your image have approachability, show confidence and professionalism?
On your companies website, do you use headshots of the staff, directors and partners?
If you do, are they uniform? Uniformity, shows consistency, non uniform panels of images suggest you don't know what it is you will receive as a service. It could be the professional approachable first guy, or the sloppy guy with the selfie down the end.
Having a Good headshot, closes that Gap in what you think you look like, and what others think you look like. That gap between who you feel you are, and who others expect you to be.
Focusing more on expression and substance over surface.