Author headshots - The Good, the Bad and the OH MY GOD IT'S STILL BREATHING

Who the heck thought this torture up? At some point, a professional head shot is recommended so a writer doesn't scare away readers with their HD-quality (think extreme closeup) shots taken by their eleven-year-old with a grudge. I asked my professional photographer/writer friend LaMishia Allen to take the offending shots next month so I'd have them ready to roll. (Yes. I like to be prepared. Did you see the 72 page proposal post?)

Colors:
She recommended clothing options in the range of white and/or black. Since puce was high on my list of color choices, I think I needed a little guidance. However, she gave me the option of a color to bring just to sass it up a bit for one shot. Now I'm stuck. I'm a fan of black/dark colors, what if I need to look [shudder] cheerful? Pink? Plum? Green?

Posing:
Good lord, I hate this part. Since hanging upside down from a tree probably won't be the serious author image I'm going for - though it would be awesome, can you imagine Stephen King swinging from a branch? - I'm reduced to not sweating too much in a studio because it will be July in Virginia and no one has that much face powder to keep me from being "dewy."

My advanced age has forced me back into glasses albeit sexy librarian glasses this time around. Lasik helped my distance but I'm squinting to see label directions. ONE time I overdosed myself on Midol and the whole freakin' world overreacts.

What's your advice for a good snap?

(No fair! This was taken at 11p after a day at the pool and chasing fireflies.)

6 comments:

  1. ROFL I feel your pain!
    ummmm personally I'd go with the hanging upside down in a tree wearing black look but hey that's me the non-conformist who still insists on using the profile pic that my then 12 yr old took in the Japanese gardens w/me wearing my peace shirt...so perhaps I'm not the best one to be giving advice!

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  2. Actually I wasnt done with you yet. I think Jewel Tones would look good. Especially Amethyst. But any of these would work. emerald green, amethyst purple, ruby red, topaz yellow, sapphire blue, tourmaline green, and turquoise blue I think sexy librarian would be a good theme to go for in your head shot :-)

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  3. LOL!

    Wha? Can't we just use the one I posted? ;)

    Hey, why am I the only one to go through this? Writers, I'd love to see your headshots, post the link here!

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  4. You poor poor love. ;-)

    No tips from me, I'm afraid. I'm about as photogenic as a demented ferret.

    Adam

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  5. The running joke in my family is that mom never goes on vacation because she is never in any of the photos. I use the excuse that no one else can take a decent picture. Really I just take bad photos. I recently had my husband take some for my profile pic on my blog. Out of the 200+ photos he snapped, I got maybe two or three that didn't make me want to puke. When is the photo shoot?

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  6. It's on the 11th so I have lots of time to stress over it and get those awesome lines between my eyebrows.

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