Traditionally, headshots were simply a way to show potential customers and clients who the person they will be doing business with is; however, in today’s marketplace, your headshot will play a key part of your branding and marketing. For this reason, an image mask of your headshot files will make future branding and marketing campaigns just that much easier.

WHAT IS AN IMAGE MASK?

An image mask is created through the process of separating the subject in the image from the background resulting in creating a layer that is just subject.

You may have seen files that end with “.png” before. These are often image mask files created for logos and other images that will be used on website or publications where you want to insert the image in a way that the websites background will be visible in the negative spaces. When you create a masked file of your headshot, you now have the ability to place your image on top of any background you like. You can also use it to overlap with text and graphics in print and web advertising.

While image masked headshots are incredible helpful for real estate agents who will want to be able to include the property they are promoting in the background, masked headshots are also incredibly beneficial to pretty much any professional who are part of the service, expertise or product that they are marketing.

WHO CAN IMAGE MASK MY HEADSHOT?

For the most part, any graphic designer can handle this for you. But, it is best to have this done by the professional photographer your hire to take your headshots. The main reason being that they have the large RAW files which due to extra detail in the files. It allows for a much better final result in the image mask layer. Especially when it comes to longer and wavier hair. Also, if this is something that you are interested in, check with your photographer prior to your shoot to insure this is something they can offer you.

ADDITIONAL BONUS OF IMAGE MASKED HEADSHOTS

Another major benefit of hiring a photographer to create image masks of your headshots is for team photos. Why? Because between social distancing and the non-stop nature of business today, you may not always be able to have your whole team in the office at the same time for a single team shot. With masked headshots, you can always create the team shot after the fact. Also, you can change up the team shot as team members change.

Below is a perfect example. We were brought in with the goal of capturing individual headshots, marketing portraits, and a group shot of the Telemundo Deportes Team. Because of COVID and scheduling conflicts, we were unable to have them all in the studio at the same time. So, with each member, we would capture a posed shot that played off previous team member’s images. In the end, we could mask each of them and create any promotion composite needed.

For more information about Ivan Apfel Headshot Services including image masking, please click HERE.