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September 15, 2020

Does the friendly headshot win? Houston Headshot Photographer

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. Tara Flannery Photography specializes in corporate headshots. Does the friendly headshot win? See more headshots in the gallery. Contact me to book your professional headshot today!

Does the friendly headshot win?

Yes, absolutely, the friendly headshot wins every time. The professional headshot is potentially the most important tool for introducing yourself to new customers, clients, patients, and business partners. In today’s digital marketplace, your online presence is vitally important. And with the Covid pandemic, it’s even more important to have a great headshot. When you use a headshot on your website, marketing materials, and social media, it’s important to be friendly and welcoming. That’s how people relate to people. It’s the psychology of making a connection with another human being. If you appear friendly and welcoming in your headshot, that connection is made more easily and with more confidence. I’ve always promoted the friendly headshot with only slight variations for a subject’s industry and role. However, even in this article from FindLaw, lawyers should remain friendly.

Stern or friendly? Go with friendly, hands down. Smile, at least a little bit. A forbidding look might communicate authority, but to a non-lawyer, it also says “I will talk down to you.”

Similarly, an article from the University of Washington, confirms that we should be smiling in our headshots.

Your job: Look approachable. Time after time, I notice this as a key common denominator separating good profile shots from bad ones.

So, the bottom line is smile for your headshot. Go ahead and practice in the mirror a few times before your headshot session and you’ll be ready to greet your newest connections!

Headshot Examples

The latest from the smiling headshot galleries…

Does the friendly headshot win? outdoor environmental headshot for magazine professional headshot friendly professional headshot

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. Tara Flannery Photography specializes in corporate headshots. See more headshots in the gallery. Contact me to book your professional headshot today!

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@taraflanneryphotography

If your kids are still living under your roof, take the photos. 🤍

You hear people say you only get 18 summers with your kids, and now that mine are grown, I understand just how quickly those years really go. Once college, work, relationships, and their own schedules enter the picture, getting everyone together at the same time gets a whole lot harder.

So don’t wait for the “perfect” year for family portraits. Document the family you have right now—the missing teeth, growth spurts, changing personalities, and even the little bit of chaos that comes with it.

Because one day, getting everyone in the same place for a family photo might be the hardest part.

🍂 Fall Family Portrait Weekend Availability:

September 20
October 3, 10, & 17
November 7 & 15

If family portraits have been on your list, grab one of my remaining fall dates before they’re gone.

📸 Book your session through the link in my bio.

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If your kids are still living under your roof, take the photos. 🤍

You hear people say you only get 18 summers with your kids, and now that mine are grown, I understand just how quickly those years really go. Once college, work, relationships, and their own schedules enter the picture, getting everyone together at the same time gets a whole lot harder.

So don’t wait for the “perfect” year for family portraits. Document the family you have right now—the missing teeth, growth spurts, changing personalities, and even the little bit of chaos that comes with it.

Because one day, getting everyone in the same place for a family photo might be the hardest part.

🍂 Fall Family Portrait Weekend Availability:

September 20
October 3, 10, & 17
November 7 & 15

If family portraits have been on your list, grab one of my remaining fall dates before they’re gone.

📸 Book your session through the link in my bio.

Fall family portrait season is officially here! 🍂

I keep a limited number of weekend dates open specifically for family sessions each fall—and once they’re booked, they’re booked!

Whether you’re thinking ahead to holiday cards, finally updating the family photos on your walls, or simply wanting to document this season before the kids grow another inch, now is the time to get your session on the calendar.

My current weekend availability is listed above. Save your date before someone else grabs it! 🤍

📸 Ready to book? Head to the link in my bio to get started.

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Fall family portrait season is officially here! 🍂

I keep a limited number of weekend dates open specifically for family sessions each fall—and once they’re booked, they’re booked!

Whether you’re thinking ahead to holiday cards, finally updating the family photos on your walls, or simply wanting to document this season before the kids grow another inch, now is the time to get your session on the calendar.

My current weekend availability is listed above. Save your date before someone else grabs it! 🤍

📸 Ready to book? Head to the link in my bio to get started.

It`s time to start planning Fall Family Photos! LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE 👇🏻

Fall is always one of my busiest seasons for family portraits, and those weekend dates tend to disappear quickly—so if family photos are on your list this year, now is the time to get them on the calendar.

CURRENT WEEKEND AVAILABILITY:
📅 September 20th
📅 October 3rd
📅 October 17th
📅 October 24th
📅 November 7th
📅 November 15th

Whether you’re updating the family photos on your walls, planning ahead for holiday cards, or simply realizing it’s been way too long since everyone was in the same photo… I’d love to document this season for you. 🤍

And remember—the kids aren’t going to look exactly like this next year. Don’t wait for the “perfect” time.

📸 Ready to claim your fall date? Book your family portrait session through the link in my bio. Once these weekends are gone, fall availability will be very limited!

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It's time to start planning Fall Family Photos! LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE 👇🏻

Fall is always one of my busiest seasons for family portraits, and those weekend dates tend to disappear quickly—so if family photos are on your list this year, now is the time to get them on the calendar.

CURRENT WEEKEND AVAILABILITY:
📅 September 20th
📅 October 3rd
📅 October 17th
📅 October 24th
📅 November 7th
📅 November 15th

Whether you’re updating the family photos on your walls, planning ahead for holiday cards, or simply realizing it’s been way too long since everyone was in the same photo… I’d love to document this season for you. 🤍

And remember—the kids aren’t going to look exactly like this next year. Don’t wait for the “perfect” time.

📸 Ready to claim your fall date? Book your family portrait session through the link in my bio. Once these weekends are gone, fall availability will be very limited!

Hi, I’m Tara! 👋🏼 And if you’re new here, consider this my official re-introduction.

I’m a North Houston photographer specializing in professional headshots, branding photography, senior portraits, and family photography.

But no matter what brings you in front of my camera, my goal is pretty much the same: make the whole experience feel easier than you expected.

You don’t need to know how to pose. You don’t need to know which location will photograph best. And you definitely don’t need to walk in feeling completely comfortable in front of a camera.

That’s what I’m here for.

I’ll help you plan, guide you through the session, pay attention to all those tiny details you probably wouldn’t notice, and create photos that still feel like you.

Swipe through to see a few of the ways we can work together. →

Whether you’re building a brand, updating your team’s headshots, celebrating senior year, or documenting your family exactly as they are right now, I’d love to have you in front of my camera.

📩 Ready to work together? Visit the link in my bio to inquire and start planning your session.

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🎓 Planning senior photos? Start with my Senior Session Guide!

I put it together to help you plan your session—from what to wear and what to bring to all the little details that make your photos feel like you. Grab it through the link in my bio!

And one thing I always encourage seniors to think about? Don’t document just one moment of senior year.

So much changes between the beginning of the school year and graduation.

Fall is about who you are right now—your personality, interests, style, sports, hobbies, and everything that made these last four years yours.

By spring, the focus starts shifting toward what’s next—college decisions, future plans, and all the excitement that comes with finishing senior year.

And then comes the cap and gown. 🎓 The final milestone before one chapter officially closes and another begins.

Senior year goes FAST. Take the photos. 🤍

📸 Class of 2027: Grab my Senior Session Guide through the link in my bio and start planning your senior photos!

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🎓 Planning senior photos? Start with my Senior Session Guide!

I put it together to help you plan your session—from what to wear and what to bring to all the little details that make your photos feel like you. Grab it through the link in my bio!

And one thing I always encourage seniors to think about? Don’t document just one moment of senior year.

So much changes between the beginning of the school year and graduation.

Fall is about who you are right now—your personality, interests, style, sports, hobbies, and everything that made these last four years yours.

By spring, the focus starts shifting toward what’s next—college decisions, future plans, and all the excitement that comes with finishing senior year.

And then comes the cap and gown. 🎓 The final milestone before one chapter officially closes and another begins.

Senior year goes FAST. Take the photos. 🤍

📸 Class of 2027: Grab my Senior Session Guide through the link in my bio and start planning your senior photos!

Great headshot lighting doesn’t need to be complicated—it needs to be intentional. 📸

Where you place your light, how you position your reflector, and understanding what each one is actually doing can be the difference between a headshot that feels fine and one that looks clean, crisp, and polished.

And once you find setups that work? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel at every session.

That consistency is especially important when you’re photographing corporate teams and need every headshot to look cohesive—even when people are photographed at different times.

If you’re a photographer working on your headshot lighting, I put together a FREE guide with 3 Lighting Setups for Flawless Headshots that you can reference when planning your next session.

💡 Grab the guide through the link in my bio and save this reel for the next time you’re setting up your lights!

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Serving the Greater Houston, Texas Area

tara@taraflannery.com

713-412-5437

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Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers of America PPA.

Tara is a Certified Professional Photographer.

Tara is a member of TPPA Texas Professional Photographer's Association.

Tara has earned her Master of Photography degree.

Tara has earned her Photographic Craftsman certification.

Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston PPGH.