Headshot photographer in Houston | Motiva

Tara Flannery is a Houston headshot photographer based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX.  See more headshots in the gallery.  Contact me to book an individual headshot session or a corporate session for the entire company.

The Perfect Profile Picture?

An article by Photofeeler on social media profile pictures analyzed certain attributes of a profile image.  Pictures are rated on competence, likability, and influence.  The findings may surprise you!  To see the full article, click here.  By the way, you can upload your profile photo to this website and get feedback on it.

A profile photo is your representative in the digital world.

“We look to it every time we interact with you online, and even imagine it speaking the words you type.  Profile photos are so essential to modern communication that a good one’s become a basic necessity. And that couldn’t be truer than for those of us whose professional lives are tied to social media profiles.  That’s why we at Photofeeler decided to set our first major study on the goal of targeting just a few, over-arching guidelines.  That is, we asked ourselves— if we set aside characteristics like gender, age, and physical traits, to focus only on what we can easily control— what elements reliably produce a better professional headshot photo (for use on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)?”

The results are as follows:

  • eyes: squinching (as in a smile) increases competency, likability, and influence
  • face: smiling with teeth increases competency, likability, and influence
  • body: formal dress increases competency and influence
  • setting: the background has essentially no effect on competency, likability, or influence
  • editing: over-processing an image (high saturation or dark photos) has a negative effect on the image while a black and white image has no effect

This analysis shows the importance of certain elements in your profile image.  Hiring a professional photographer will ensure that you get the best image for your website, social media, and marketing materials.

Motiva

This is my third corporate session for Motiva at its downtown Houston offices.  Different groups within the company have hired me for their professional headshots.  This time the legal group needed headshots.  This was a super efficient group!

Motiva strives to become the safest and most profitable downstream business in the United States.  Reaching our goal depends on 2,300 dedicated US employees working together across our operating territory, bringing the country the energy it needs and giving back to the communities where we operate. Our legacy of delivering quality products dates back over 100 years with our Port Arthur refinery. Now, it’s North America’s largest, with a crude capacity of 600,000 barrels a day. And today, our network of 24 distribution terminals has extended our reach, supplying gasoline and diesel to thousands of retail outlets under the iconic Shell and 76® brands.

 

 

Houston headshot photographerHouston headshot photographerheadshot photographer in Houston

Tara Flannery is a Houston headshot photographer based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX.  See more headshots in the gallery.  Contact me to book an individual headshot session or a corporate session for the entire company.

- INSTAGRAM -

@taraflanneryphotography

Photographers: the secret to family sessions with little kids? Stop expecting them to follow the plan. 😂📸

Young kids are going to move. They’re going to get distracted. They may decide halfway through that they’re completely DONE with your ideas—and that’s okay.

Instead of fighting it, work with it.

Keep them moving and engaged. Give them something to do instead of constantly asking them to smile. And don’t forget to coach Mom and Dad, too! Encourage them to interact with their kids, keep looking at you when you need the classic family shot, and trust you to get the moment.

Because some of the best images happen in between the poses—the laughs, cuddles, movement, and little expressions you couldn’t have planned if you tried.

You don’t need perfectly behaved kids to create beautiful family portraits. You need patience, flexibility, and a few tricks ready when your original plan goes out the window. 😉

📸 If you’re growing your photography business, I have free resources covering everything from gear and lighting to posing and more. Check them out through the link in my bio!
Standing out professionally matters more than ever—especially when you’re competing for someone’s attention before you ever get the chance to meet them.

Your LinkedIn profile, company bio, website, or online portfolio may be someone’s very first introduction to you. And while your experience and qualifications are what really matter, the way you present yourself can help shape that first impression.

That’s where a great professional headshot comes in. 📸

A current, polished photo helps you look confident, approachable, and intentional about how you show up professionally. And in a tough job market, those little details matter.

If your current headshot is several years old, doesn’t really look like you anymore, or is still a cropped photo from your camera roll…it might be time. 😉

Let’s create a headshot that actually represents the professional you are today.

📸 Book your headshot session through the link in my bio.
I think family photos mean something a little different to me now. 🤍

For years, I was the mom hanging new portraits on the walls while my kids were still living at home. Then came senior portraits, graduations, and eventually watching both of them head off to start their own next chapters.

Now that my youngest is off at college, the house is a whole lot quieter.

But everywhere I look, there they are.

On the walls. In frames. In albums. All of these different versions of our family and my kids at ages I can’t go back to.

And maybe that’s why I feel so strongly about family portraits.

When you’re in the middle of raising your kids, it’s easy to think there will always be another year. Another fall. Another chance to schedule the photos.

There probably will be.

But they’ll never be exactly this age again.

Take the photos. Print them. Put them on your walls. Let your home fill up with the people you love.

Someday, you’ll be really glad you did. 🤍

📸 I still have a few weekend dates available for fall family portraits. If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll get around to updating yours, maybe this is your sign.

Head to the link in my bio to reserve your session.
Capture One, if you’re looking for someone to sponsor… I’m your girl. 😉📸

But seriously—if you’re a headshot or portrait photographer and you haven’t tried shooting tethered yet, let me introduce you to one of my favorite workflow upgrades.

Tethering simply means connecting your camera to a computer so your images appear on a larger screen as you shoot. I use a wired connection straight into Capture One, which makes it easy to review images during the session, catch the little details I might miss on the back of my camera, and favorite the strongest shots as I go.

And when I’m finished? My selects are already organized, so I can transfer everything to my main computer at home and jump into editing without sorting through the entire session all over again.

I used to tether wirelessly, but switching to a wired setup has made the process much more reliable and seamless for me.

It’s one of those small workflow changes that makes a BIG difference—especially when you photograph a lot of headshots.

And if you’re just getting started in photography—or looking for ways to improve your setup, lighting, posing, and workflow—I have a whole collection of free resources for photographers waiting for you at the link in my bio. 📸

Photographers, are you shooting tethered yet? 👇🏻
Family photos with a 4-year-old? You just have to roll with it. 😂🤍

Little kids aren’t going to stand perfectly still, follow every direction, and smile on command—and I don’t expect them to!

I’d much rather meet them where they are. We’ll play, move around, be silly, take little breaks when we need them, and work toward those sweet moments in between.

That’s part of why I love family sessions so much. The goal isn’t perfectly behaved kids or a picture-perfect hour. It’s capturing your family as they are right now.

And yes, we’ll still get that beautiful everyone-looking-at-the-camera photo for the frame. 😉 But sometimes the personality-filled moments end up being the favorites.

🍂 I still have a few fall family portrait dates available! Head to the link in my bio to reserve your session.

- STAY IN TOUCH -

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.