How much does a LinkedIn profile photo cost?

The first thing a client asks us is how much does a LinkedIn profile photo cost? This depends on several factors. If you want it taken in central London at a professional corporate portrait photographer’s studio, this will be the most expensive option. The photographer will pay a high rent for their studio, which will be passed on to you. They will have professional studio lighting and background rolls along with a professional digital camera and a portrait lens. Again all costs will be passed on to you. The rates you will pay will vary from £150 to £300, and although this seems high in comparison to your friend taking a photo of you on their phone, it is worth it in the long run, and this is the first thing clients will look at when visiting your LinkedIn profile page.

A cheaper option is to ask a corporate photographer to come to your London offices with a portable studio set-up. Select a photographer whose portfolio you like and email them with your requirements. You can even get other people in your office to chip in and get their LinkedIn profile photos taken. This saves you money as once they are in the office and have all their equipment set up, then capturing other people’s photos will be cheaper. For example, we charge £150 plus VAT for an individual LinkedIn profile photo with a session lasting 20 mins, but if we do an hour session, we can capture approximately four people’s LinkedIn profile photos at a cost of £250 plus VAT.

When people ask us how much does a LinkedIn profile photo cost? Our cheapest option is to do a headshot with a London backdrop. This means no studio lighting or need for a background and stand. We use a professional digital camera and a portrait lens and will position clients in our favourite London areas. We like to shoot on the Millenium Bridge with St Pauls in the background or at More London with views of the City in the background. These are great if the client wants his LinkedIn profile photo to show he works in London.

How much does a LinkedIn profile photo cost in London?

How much does a LinkedIn profile photo cost in London?

How much does a LinkedIn profile photo cost in London?

How much does a LinkedIn profile photo cost in London?

Do you wear a tie in your LinkedIn profile photo?

Men often ask us, do you wear a tie in your LinkedIn profile photo?

Our answer is that it depends on which job sector you work in.

You should definitely wear a tie if you are in the legal or financial sectors. Wearing a tie is traditional for professional businessmen, and if you are an accountant, solicitor or barrister, you are dealing with serious issues. Your clients come to you with legal problems and financial worries, so you need to appear like you take your profession seriously. So, do you need to wear a tie in your LinkedIn profile photo?

If you work in management or recruitment, the choice of whether you need to wear a tie in your LinkedIn profile photo is your call. Some people like to appear more relaxed and informal on their LinkedIn profile page, and others prefer to look serious and professional on their LinkedIn profile page. We think at the end of the day, it depends on your character. Your clients will know what kind of a person you are serious or light-hearted, so they will expect to see that in your LinkedIn profile photo.

If you work in social media or marketing, then here it is less likely that you need to wear a tie. This business sector is relatively new and trendy and the direct opposite of traditional. Here, men are expected to look trendy and much less traditional. When we first started offering LinkedIn profile photos at our 45 Beech St EC2Y 8AD studio and at clients’ London offices, 99% of men wore ties in their LinkedIn profile photos. Currently, approximately 50% who wear a tie.

So when men ask us, should I have a tie in my LinkedIn photo? Our first question is, what business sector do you work in?

Do you wear a tie in your LinkedIn profile photo?

Do you wear a tie in your LinkedIn profile photo?

Three different ways to get a LinkedIn profile photo taken.

There are three different ways to get a LinkedIn profile photo taken. This does not mean they are all suitable to use on your LinkedIn profile page.

The first way is to ask your partner or friends to capture a headshot for you. This is problematic as we doubt any of your friends or partners are corporate headshot photographers. Therefore the chances of you ending up with a quality LinkedIn profile photo are very low. I agree the results will be cheaper than going to a professional corporate photographer but as we have mentioned on numerous occasions cutting corners to save money when it comes to your professional business shopfront is a false economy. This is where your potential and current clients and employers will come to look at your LinkedIn profile. You will be taking chances with your business reputation if you have a poorly taken profile photo.

The second way is to take a selfie. We strongly recommend you do not do this. Selfies are fine for Instagram or Twitter but not on Linkedin. Selfies are not a good look if you want to be taken seriously on LinkedIn. Selfies are not professional in their very nature. I have seen a LinkedIn profile photo of a man on holiday standing in front of a boat wearing sunglasses and smiling. Do you think that is a good look if you are looking at his business profile page? Your LinkedIn profile page is where you should look totally professional in all areas. Remember the first thing a potential client will look at on your profile page is your photo. Get it right.

The last option and the only one we would suggest is to commission a professional LinkedIn profile photographer and get it done properly. OK it’s going to cost you approx £150 to £200 to hire a corporate photographer but that is a small outlay in the grand scheme of your business career. You can ask the photographer to capture lots of different stances and expressions. They will be shooting with a portrait lens which will improve the perspective of your face and they will be using proper studio lighting which will soften any shadows and cast a warm glow on your skin. All these factors will make you look like a professional who is taking care of all aspects of his LinkedIn profile page.

Three different ways to get a LinkedIn profile photo taken.

Three different ways to get a LinkedIn profile photo taken.

 

Some things you need to know about getting a professional LinkedIn profile photo.

In this blog post we are going to look at some things you need to know about getting a professional LinkedIn profile photo.

When clients first approach us about getting a professional LinkedIn profile photo these are some of the most common questions we get asked.

How much does a LinkedIn profile photo cost? This varies depending on which corporate headshot photographer you select and where you have it taken. If you want to go to a London studio for your LinkedIn profile photo then you will be paying a premium as the photographer will have to factor in his high rent and rates with his own fees. The more affordable option is to ask the corporate headshot photographer to bring his studio set up to your London offices or home as this will be the same equipment that they would use in a studio and you will get a high-quality LinkedIn profile photo at a much reduced rate.

How long does a LinkedIn profile photo session last? Some people have the idea that the session should last a couple of minutes. This is not possible as when people arrive for their LinkedIn profile photo they are stood in front of studio lighting with a  large pro lens and camera staring at them. This is not a normal situation for most people and therefore they will appear uncomfortable and awkward in their first test shots. We would suggest a typical LinkedIn profile photo session last 20 mins giving the sitter time to relax in front of the camera and lights and we can capture a good varied set of headshots so you have plenty to choose from for your LinkedIn profile page.

Here are some more things you need to know about getting a professional LinkedIn profile photo. Where can I get it taken? At our studio at 45 Beech St EC2Y 8AD or at your London offices or home.

How many headshots do you capture? On average we capture 50 headshots. Plenty of variety which different stances and expressions as you want to get this just right as your LinkedIn profile is your online business shopfront and it needs to look professional.

Is editing included? Yes standard retouching and editing is included. We can change your background, remove any scars or spots and tidy up any fly away hairs.

How long does it take to get the finished LinkedIn profile photo to them? This can vary down to workload but on average once you have selected the headshot you want to use for your LinkedIn profile photo we can turn it around within 24 hours.

Some things you need to know about getting a professional LinkedIn profile photo.

Some things you need to know about getting a professional LinkedIn profile photo.