Realtor Sunnie Robertson in Virginia Beach

Having the chance to photograph realtor, Sunnie Robertson, in Virginia Beach was such a blast. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a person who perfectly embodies their name more. She even looks amazing in yellow (scroll down for proof)!  You would never know that this was her first round of headshots, because she was effortless in front of the camera.

Good thing headshots need to be updated, because I’m already dreaming of our next session.

One of the things that I love about headshots is they don’t look like the ones your parents took.  Long gone are the posed images in front of a standard backdrop.  The idea that professionalism is standardized – that all professionals should look identical – is antiquated.  Customers want to know the actual person that they are going to be working with.  They want to feel a connection, a sense of trust.  Standing rigid with a forced smile in your pictures just won’t cut it anymore.  The people that are interested in doing business with you expect more.

And who are we kidding?  You want to offer them more!

Sunnie Robertson is such an incredible example of this.  When you scroll through this gallery, you feel like you know a little bit about her.  You can practically hear the laughter in some of the images.  She is more than just some realtor in Virginia.  These images make her seem genuine, fun, and energetic.   They make her feel real.

At the risk of being obnoxious, you might even say that these headshots put the “real” in realtor.

You get my point.  The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.  You have to be willing to get a little vulnerable in front of your clients.  Be silly.  Twirl in the middle of the street.  Highlight how your nose crinkles when you laugh.  Wear the bright colors.  Embrace those awkward nerves when you get in front of the camera.  When you show your clients who you truly are, you create space for them to do the same with you.  And that is pretty damn cool.

If reading this has you cringing about your own headshots, check out my blog to see other sessions I have done.  We can be as creative and unique as you want to be.  In fact, I highly encourage it.