CAREER PURSUIT 2021

EXPERT ADVICE - SELF-EMPLOYMENT 30 STEP 1: ALL ABOUT YOU The first step is to understand what it is you want your image to say. This may seem rather daft, but it’s a fundamental decision you need to take. The message your image will send is based on what you’re wearing, your facial expression, your posture, and even the colours of your clothing and the background. Clothing For clothing, I recommend wearing whatever it is you’d be wearing for the job you do. Whatever it is, think about the people you want to attract and what their opinions of your chosen outfit might be. When you’re ready, check yourself over in a mirror, or if you are working with a friend, get them to do it for you. Facial expressions Depending on the look you’re going for, you may not need to smile. However, for most of us who want to appear likeable, smiling is usually the best plan. Try to keep it more ‘Saturday night TV smiles’ rather than ‘comedy club belly laughter’ – otherwise, you could be overdoing it. Try a serious face. It may be that for your industry, a confident, dour look may demonstrate authority. But ask yourself, “Is this what my potential employers or clients will be looking for? Does it make me seem approachable?” Posture The example image overleaf is very neutral. No crossed arms, it’s not straight on, and it’s not gender stereotyped. It’s neutral and safe. Try other examples. See what works for you, but ‘read’ the image and see if it’s right for you and your industry. Colour There’s a lot to the science of colours. By that I mean, different colours often stimulate different emotional responses to seeing them. In nature, red is usually a sign of danger, and a pairing of black and yellow is aggressive. Also, be aware that sometimes colours can mean different things in different cultures. For instance, in the UK you’d be safe to assume yellow is a happy, positive, creative colour. In China, yellow is associated with adultmovies. InRussia, yellow is colloquially related to asylums. In business, this is equally so. White is for cleanliness and hygiene; black is authoritative and powerful. A pin-stripe suit is associated with those working in finance; a chequered shirt could be associated with agriculture; a brown jacket with elbow pads could be associated with academia. I’m not saying you should play up to the stereotypes but be aware of them and what picking the wrong colours could do to the messages you’re sending your audience. STEP 2: SETTING UP YOUR SCENE It may be that lockdown restrictions still constrain us, but you now need to find somewhere where you can take the photo with the right lighting and a decent background. What’s a ‘decent background’? As we saw in our first exercise, an image is made up of many parts, but one of the most important is ensuring the background is right. For our desired image, we’re looking for a plain background. This helps to keep the viewer’s attention on the subject rather than diverting their attention towards whatever else is in the scene. Look for a plain surface near to a large window − if possible, one away from direct sunlight. If you’ve not got one, try making a simple background by using a piece of white or coloured card at 90 degrees to the window. If you want to use coloured card, try to use a neutral colour. Avoid bright pinks, yellows, and anything else too prominent, as they will be distracting. Also, consider how they’ll look next to the clothing you intend to wear. Whatever your background choice, it will need to be around a metre square/at least A2-sized, so that it is as tall as your head and shoulders, with some space around the sides. Lastly, you’re going to need to support your camera. Ask a relative or friend to take the photo. If no one is available, you may need to support the camera in some other way. It’ll need to be at least eye level, if not slightly above, to get the best viewpoint. Don’t do a selfie; they were never cool… ever. STEP 3: LIGHTING This is, by far, themost important stage for getting a good image. Our lighting sets the tone for our image and allows us to highlight or hide parts as we want. With that, we’re going to be using window light. I won’t bore you with the science behind it but do take note of the following: