Thumbs of Surge Cycling's Zion Anderson Headshots
Update 12/11/16 - I thought of this post after an unnamed contributor responded "no, sorry" to my request for a new picture to include in an article.
There were two things that got me really motivated to get a professional headshot last week.
The first was talking with Darcy Knoblich and learning how she's benefited from the self-promotion she's doing online. Take a quick peek at her website and the first thing you'll notice are all the gorgeous pictures she's displaying of herself. Pictures that were obviously taken by a professional and not with an iPhone.
The second was the request from MINDBODY Online for a high quality picture of me that they could use on their website. They recognise the resources we've provided here and at CyclingStudio.org for new studio owners. MINDBODY has a team of fitness studio business experts and they'll be contributing informative articles and Podcast interviews for our ICI/PRO members.
Hiring a professional photographer is expensive, right? Well no, it doesn't need to be. I started asking around and it turned out that a former roommate of daughter Abby is Kelly Jo Kusilek and she was starting her own photographer business. Perfect and since I only needed her for about an hour the cost was a very reasonable (to me) $150.00 - which included any editing I would need.
NOTE: If you're near Minneapolis please contact Kelly Jo Kusilek - she may be young, but she's a professional and I'm very pleased with her work.
Next I needed somewhere to take the pictures. No - the local park or warehouse district may work for High School Senior picture, but I needed a cool Indoor Cycling Studio. And I had the perfect place in mind - Surge Cycling Studio which is just a few minutes from me.
That's the owner Zion Anderson above. I was so grateful for the use of her studio, I paid Kelly to take headshots of Zion and a few of her Instructors.
Zion has a special class on Wednesdays that I'm planning to attend frequently.
So while I was motivated to get a professional headshot, you may not be. So here are 5 reasons I feel it's something you should consider...
- You're a celebrity - act like it. Every wanna-be actor/actress/dancer/model on the planet has a professional headshot.
Manymost have been digitally "enhanced" using Photoshop for the express purpose of making them look as good as humanly possible. Now a full Madonna transformation maybe over the top, but a little "touch up" certainly could be within reason. - You're a celebrity - act like it, part 2. Self-promotion is like oxygen to celebrities. They understand that a huge part of their success is selling themselves. Google any known celebrity and you'll find hundreds or thousands of professional photographs of them, in all different settings. While I'm not saying you should hire a few paparazzi's to stalk you before/during and after your classes - spending 30 minutes to an hour with a photographer (who's taking dozens or hundreds of images) will give you a bunch to choose from. The end result will be a few really good pictures of you, that you'd be proud to see posted online.
- We live in a digital world. Like it or not, pictures are a big part of how the world perceives you. If you're auditioning for a new Instructor gig - including an attractive, professional photograph of yourself, along with your resume, communicates; I'm a fitness professional and I take my job very seriously.
- Other people feel you're attractive... don't disappoint them with a crappy photo. How many times have you seen a picture of someone you know and thought; "that's not a very good picture of such and such"? Wouldn't you rather hear; "wow [wlm_firstname], that's a great picture of you on the club's Meet our Instructors page.
- You just may feel a little bit better about YOU, knowing that you are represented well, in the images of you, that other folks are finding online 🙂
I'm still deciding which picture I'll submit to MINDBODY.com - This one with Zion, in the entry way of her studio, is fun!
Originally posted 2016-12-12 04:23:26.
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
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You can also barter with your photographer if you’re cash-strapped. I got my pics in exchange for a few kettlebell sessions. It is worth it!
I had forgotten about that Krista – a number of winners from the Ultimate Class Profile Contest had nice pictures of themselves taken to include on page where we published the profile 🙂
Great idea!
John, I couldn’t agree with you more! The headshot isn’t just for actors anymore and the more client facing your career choice, the more important your personal branding . Fitness instructors are no exception. I’m a photographer and I’ve been known to barter from time to time as well.