After reading a post by Lisa Hill, Does Your "Professional" Photo Look Like A Facebook Picture? I really started thinking about it.
I see all manner of profile pictures in my social media travels...logos, avatars, casual shots, glamour shots...you name it...and as I read the post, I began to wonder whether or not my profile picture (which also happens to be my personal Facebook profile picture) might be considered unprofessional.
I have a business page on Facebook, complete with my "professional" head-shot. The very same shot that I use on my business cards and on our business website. And I hate it. Oh, it's not necessarily a bad picture...actually, it's pretty good. My age has apparently diminished, and the zit that had, predictably, chosen that morning to put in an undeniable appearance...HA! What zit?
The photographer was skilled, and before my eyes rendered the digital images "print worthy". Included in the mix were several poses, including what I refer to as my own personal glamour shot. Love that picture..it's the image I wish I saw first thing in the morning (bet hubby wouldn't put up a fuss, either) but it's just that...an image...and one that I couldn't possibly replicate. Honey, there ain't enough spackle in the world, and handing out filtered lenses to all and sundry hardly seems practical, you know?
When I first joined AR, I actually used my glam shot...why not? Nobody knew me, so what difference would it make, right?
Then I started to get to know people out there in the Rain...and they got to know me. I began to feel as though the picture was a sham:
at worst, a misrepresentation; at best, a serving suggestion.
One afternoon a couple of years ago I decided I needed to find a more honest photo. One that looked like me. One that looked like I might look if I were actually in the same room listening to them...and since I tend toward snarkasm, a bit of skepticism wasn't completely out of line. So, one day, whilst seated at my desk, I whipped out the ol' Motorola Flip-phone.
I centered myself in the tiny fisheye mirror on the back and, with a digital <click>, the deed was done.
But now I'm thinking...should I be even more honest? I'm professional, but I want to be real. I'm a tad weary of hearing "gosh, you don't look like your picture". Um, I thought it looked like me...but since everyone else sees me more than I do, I suppose I should take their opinion to heart.
There are some other pictures of me floating around...like the picture of me when my youngest graduated from high school...that looks like me, right?
But then again, this was taken of me that same night...and, sadly, it looks like me, too.
I can't be the only person in the entire social media realm "faced" with this quandary!
Perhaps I should just go with this caricature a friend did for me:
Would you buy or sell a home with this agent?
It's tough to take a posed shot so I usually try to crop one out of a decent picture. Relax and hopefully someone will capture an image you like. Doing PodCamp in Portsmouth in October? 
Comments (18)Subscribe to CommentsComment