{"id":1495,"date":"2017-01-23T17:27:04","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T23:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.velarde.com\/site\/?p=1495"},"modified":"2022-05-30T17:52:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-30T22:52:00","slug":"how-to-take-a-great-picture-for-your-social-media-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.velarde.com\/en\/how-to-take-a-great-picture-for-your-social-media-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"How to take a great picture for your social media profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Hoy many of us are guilty of this?<\/strong> We edit and polish to death every single word of our professional description in LinkedIn (or insert another Social Network name here) but when it\u2019s time to upload our profile picture (an important part of our personal brand) we drop the ball. We reuse a dark & blurry picture somebody took at the New Year Party (Hey, I was wearing a suit and tie!) or worst yet, leave the picture blank and people see the default avatar.<\/p>\n

Ideally we could all afford the services of a professional headshot photographer but in this day and age when everybody has a decent camera in our back pocket we can get good results if we follow these three simple steps.<\/p>\n

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Step 1. Prepare beforehand and choose your wardrobe<\/h3>\n

Plan ahead the day of you photo shoot and make sure you are well groomed (a little makeup for the ladies). Choose simple clothing that represents your particular style in a professional manner.<\/p>\n

Please don\u2019t take the infamous selfie; ask for someone else to take the picture for you. Avoid camera distortion; the farther away you are from the camera the better your face will look. If there\u2019s nobody available use your camera\u2019s self-timer feature. If you are using your smartphone it’s very easy.<\/p>\n

Smile and choose the best camera angle that flatters you, it\u2019s all about the jawline. There\u2019s a video<\/a> by Peter Hurley (A famous NY headshot photographer) where he explains this perfectly. Believe me, with more that 1.5 million views it\u2019s worth watching.<\/p>\n

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Step 2. find a well-lit & uncomplicated spot<\/h3>\n

Good illumination is basic for taking a good shot. Avoid taking the picture at night, using artificial lighting or with your camera\u2019s built-in flash. Natural lighting is your best ally. You just need to find a well-lit place where you won\u2019t receive direct sun rays in your face to avoid\u00a0hard shadows<\/a>. Use some corner with indirect lighting that gives you soft shadows. If you take the photo indoors the ideal place is near a window if you take it outside place yourself under a roof or tree, or besides a shadowed wall.<\/p>\n

Besides thinking of the illumination you also need to find a nice and simple background for your picture. Avoid a distracting or busy backdrop, remember that you are the most important part of this picture. If your camera allows it use\u00a0depth of field<\/a>\u00a0to get a blurry background.<\/p>\n

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Step 3. Crop and color correct your picture<\/h3>\n

Once you choose the picture you like best the next step is to edit it. What does this mean? You can color correct unwanted color tones, lighten dark areas and shadows, convert your picture to black and white or apply a retro Instagram-like filter that are in fashion now.<\/p>\n

For this you will need an image editing software or an online service. You can start by cropping it and eliminating the extra area around it. Don\u2019t be afraid to crop it close. Remember also that most profile pictures use a square format.<\/p>\n

As a Graphic Design professional and amateur photographer my preferred tool is Adobe Photoshop. But there are other cheaper (or free) alternatives out there. If you are also a photography enthusiast, I\u2019d recommend in investing on one of them. If you are only doing this once or twice a year to have a current picture of yourself the free options work great.<\/p>\n

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Here are some Software recommendations:<\/h3>\n