**This is a re-share of a blog post I originally had on my previous website. I shared this in I thought it was too good of a story to not share it here!**

What is the return on investment of a headshot?

It is one of the questions I ask myself the most as a freelance photographer. How can I make sure my clients get a return on what they paid for? This is crucial for head shots as the stakes is your carrer. The story below highlights what can be obtained. Results may vary.

A freelance photographer, dealing with the Corona Virus Era

The news of the Corona Virus took the world by surprise. What started first as a bunch of memes about a distant disease (and a few beer ones) became very real when most of our governments decided to take preventive measures to stop the spread of the virus. I am all for prevention, especially when it is to avoid the unnecessary pain afflicted of our senior citizens and immuno-compromised fellows. 

But on the flip side, I am self-employed. Being a business owner in this day and age is stressful (even before the virus). On top of our families, we wear many hats: marketer, accountant, salesperson, manager and many more. The addition of the Corona virus into that mix basically halts most businesses - and it’s hurtful. I am not 100% certain if any my bookings will be confirmed or cancelled (most likely the latter). 

But I recently received a message that gave me hope. 

A Bit of a Backstory

I shot these images of her back in October when she was just started to take theater lessons. From my conversation with Catherine, acting was fairly new and while she wasn’t sure if it would yield, but she knew that a head shot could get her bookings. So, she booked me and we created the beautiful image below. Catherine received tons of compliments for the photos we took, from friends and family (she is indeed ultra photogenic - I only helped a little :p).  While this is always gratifying, being hired is much more important (sorry mom and dad). 

The Message

While I was traveling for a photo conference in early March 2020 (when Corona became a very real issue), I received the following message.

The best part of this story is now she is getting acting gigs - and the head shot I created for her helped. If this isn’t what the goal of photography is, I do no know what it is. Sell more, get hired, get promoted, have an impact. I am now convinced I have to stay the course, even when the next few months are going to be difficult. I go back to testimonials like these to keep my head out of the water.

So, I hope the next few months aren’t too hard on you and your family - while we will ALL be practicing social distancing, I will be planning to have more and more stories like Catherine’s in my portfolio. (If you’d like to book Catherine for your television or movie casting, you can find her here!)

Remember, to book YvensB for your headshot, contact through my website!  Sessions are back in full swing with all precautions taken.

Hope these challenging times will be easy for you and your loved ones.

Sincerely,

YvensB