It is corporate headshot day at work.  You look sharp.  You closed a deal this morning.  You are feeling like a rock star.  And then you walk into the makeshift photo studio in your company's conference room.  It's photo day.  All confidence leaves your body.

Why did the photographer say "chin up"?  What's wrong with my chin?  Am I doing it wrong?  Why is the assistant looking at me that way?  So much pressure!!!

Listen, Giselle Bundchen or David Beckham cannot take a bad photo, but we mortals can.  Want a little of their secret recipe?  Get comfortable in front of the camera.  It's a tall order, but one factor that can help you:  choose a great photographer.  

What is a great photographer?  Obviously someone who takes excellent photos is a great photographer, but that is just one quality.  You want someone that can make you feel comfortable, that will answer questions and that will make you smile (not in a "say cheese" way, but in a "I am smiling because this is actually fun" way).  You want someone who will look for your best "you" and capture that.  

For a few fun examples of awkward portraits of real estate brokers, visit our friends at Fstoppers.