Headshots: a Journey

My original working title for this post was "Shots to the Head". This is because Headshots are like a physical blow to me.This is why.

For years, as a mother of three young boys with a husband who worked overseas, I was the photographer of the family...for two reasons. Reason 1: I love to take photos, especially of my uber adorable monsters...I mean... children. Reason 2: I shouldn't have to explain this, but if you'd ever met my sons you would know they can't be trusted with a camera and instructions to take "candid" shots.

Later, after the divorce, the kids were old enough you could almost trust them to take a good photo but their interpretation of my instructions was never quite what I pictured. As grown ups now in their 30s, they seem bent on taking the most embarassing photos they can of me as revenge. (Fortunately, they still will do corny poses for me and send me really funny selfies via WhatsApp. MY monsters.)

My very patient Dave loves to take photos of me when I'm not looking, and some of these are funny like the one with the glasses on top of my head and another pair of glasses in the usual place....
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Or the ones we took when out for dinner where I look like I should be writing romance novels like Barbara Cartland. (The pearls...what was I thinking?)

There are the inevitable ones where a friend steps in and takes a photo like the photo on the swing chair. It's a good photo...except it looks nothing like me. I mean, really, I am wearing taupe. NOT my colour at all!

Also, one would think that as a writer I might be great with communications? Not so much. I even try to draw "story boards" on napkins but it never comes out quite the way I pictured (all puns intended!).

I always think the photos look faked, and posed, and very stiff. I also just hate having my photo taken. It makes me feel self-conscious. Even when doing a selfie I have a tendency to make sure no one is looking.

So, (thank you so much to the folks at Apple for the wonderful camera and settings on the iPhone), enter the selfie. Most of my author photos are selfies. This means I can keep them fun, playful, and in tune with the theme of my books.

Could I hire a professional photographer? Yep. Should I hire a professional photographer? Yep. Will I hire a professional photographer? Well...we shall see.

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