Can a photo of you on your website hurt you?

What do you guys think?

Is it better to leave potential clients to decide if they want your services based only on your work?

People judge, that's a given. For some you may look too young and unexperienced, or too old and not "fresh" enough, unattractive or simply just don't fit their idea of what their photographer is supposed to look like ...

If you're applying for a job, everything I've ever read says that one should never put their photo on a resume. Well, your website is your resume in a way. Shouldn't the same rule apply for it as well?

I don't know, it just occurred to me. Wandering what everyone else thinks about this.

pixel_junkie wrote in post #16185430
What do you guys think?

Is it better to leave potential clients to decide if they want your services based only on your work?

People judge, that's a given. For some you may look too young and unexperienced, or too old and not "fresh" enough, unattractive or simply just don't fit their idea of what their photographer is supposed to look like ...

If you're applying for a job, everything I've ever read says that one should never put their photo on a resume. Well, your website is your resume in a way. Shouldn't the same rule apply for it as well?

I don't know, it just occurred to me. Wandering what everyone else thinks about this.

never thought about it, it is an interesting question. i guess it depends on how you brand yourself.

In my case, people would run screaming into the night.

But you're right, people judge based on looks. Better to have them judging your work.

My only thought is if they meet up with you for a location shoot for the first time, they may feel comfortable seeing a face they've seen before walking up, and not be nervous about a "stranger" walking up. Remember the TV spot from the auto glass company that advertises that before they send the repair guy to you, they will e-mail his photo to you first? Don't know if this is a really big concern in your situation, but could be a comfort factor . . .

Your question goes into two assumptions - That people will judge your own picture on your website over your actual work portfolio. If you have a good portfolio but bad pictures of yourself there is an easy solution. You can either get better pictures of yourself and / or remove bad pictures. Problem solved.

No, I meant that people may judge my picture in terms of "he looks too young to be able to do this well or too old, or too whatever ..." Not so much the quality of the actual photo.

I am one of those who purposely does NOT include a self portrait on their site because I do not think it would help the process of landing clients--or at least certain clients. I've booked and shot 60 weddings in the past 3 years so it doesn't appear to be hurting me at least.

I should add that I can totally imagine cases for which having a self-portrait would really, really help. If you're conventionally attractive and bear a countenance that elicits trust, for example, it's probably a good idea.

One more thing: including self portraits can really be an effective method of self-selecting. That is, if you want a certain client (young, edgy, e.g.), then manifesting those qualities in your image will attract similar folk and perhaps repel some others.

^ Very well said.

Good question. I got into this discussion on another forum not related to photography. It had to do with an investment banker who had a personal photo of himself on his business website wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Whether you like it or not appearance is everything in business. Take two lawyers, one drives a nice shiny 2013 BMW and the other drives a 2009 Toyota. Which one do you choose? Most people would pick the guy driving the BMW because they feel that fancy things=success=better at their job.

the flying moose wrote in post #16187705
Take two lawyers, one drives a nice shiny 2013 BMW and the other drives a 2009 Toyota. Which one do you choose? Most people would pick the guy driving the BMW because they feel that fancy things=success=better at their job.

I'd choose the Toyota driver. Anyone so materialistic as to "need" a luxury car might be more interested in my money than in my case.

OhLook wrote in post #16188371
I'd choose the Toyota driver. Anyone so materialistic as to "need" a luxury car might be more interested in my money than in my case.

Oh, I completely agree but the majority of people probably wouldn't and that's a sad reflection on how society views things.

Hm. If I hired a lawyer for some personal injury lawsuit I'd want someone who was materialistic, money hungry. The outcome I want from the trial is the most money possible. That IS the criterion for 'good lawyer' in this context, I would submit.

OhLook wrote in post #16188371
I'd choose the Toyota driver. Anyone so materialistic as to "need" a luxury car might be more interested in my money than in my case.

I was thinking that potential clients might want to see the person they're dealing with, and so I decided to put a picture of myself on my website. I had my friends take a look at the picture to hear what they had to say. In the first picture I tried, I looked "mad" or "scary." I went the other direction with the next picture and was told it was "creepy." With the next picture, people just agree it's not a great picture of me, but I look approachable and not creepy. There's a nice balance of people who like it and don't like it. So that's the one I'm using! I get the feeling it really hasn't made any difference in terms of people contacting me for work, but it's hard to say.

Christopher Steven b wrote in post #16188514
Hm. If I hired a lawyer for some personal injury lawsuit I'd want someone who was materialistic, money hungry. The outcome I want from the trial is the most money possible. That IS the criterion for 'good lawyer' in this context, I would submit.

Will a money-hungry lawyer try to get the most money into your pocket, though?

I hired a lawyer for a local issue that affects many citizens, having every reason to believe she'd act conscientiously. She turned out to be a disaster. I won't go so far off topic as to tell why. The relevant point is, it's easy to be misled when choosing a service provider. I'd trust word of mouth from previous clients over words and photos on a provider's website.

a topic i was thinking about for a while.. i am young, yes, and whenever i meet up with clients i do feel they initially have a sense of skepticism and prejudice based on my age.

Personally, I do feel like an image of myself would hurt my ability to land gigs. Once I meet with clients, or talk to them over email, it's no problem. I do feel though, that clients who see an image of the photographer/team on a bio page will more likely book the gig with them -it's all about that first impression, IF they are what the clients are looking for. While the quality of work is judged, so is the photographer him/herself, there is no denying that.