Six Things You Can Do to Improve the Doctor and Team Photos

One thing we hear in practices on a consistent basis is that the team and/or the doctor do not like the pictures taken of them. Here are some tips to help ensure that your photo shoot goes well and renders you the results you desire.

1. Time. Make sure you have enough time scheduled so you don’t feel rushed. Too many people schedule their photo shoot during lunch or at the end of a long day. The result is not taking the time that is necessary to capture your personality and instead capturing an image that comes across tired and tense. You want to look and feel fresh for the camera because that is what will show in your picture.
2. Refresh. Be relaxed and feel confident. Do what you normally do to feel refreshed, whether it be a massage, a glass of wine, a manicure or a trip to the hairstylist. Make sure you have a good night’s sleep prior to the event to avoid dark circles and bags under your eyes.
3. Posture. Confidence can be seen through posture, so keep your shoulders pulled back. Photos where you are standing or sitting on a stool help to promote good posture. Also, give your photographer or someone who is with you permission to tell you if your shoulders are drooping.
4. Attire. Choose professional attire in which you feel comfortable. If you don’t typically wear a tie or a jacket, then don’t. But be sure that what you do wear is professional and more than a T-shirt. In addition, scrubs are clinical and ordinary. They do not lend themselves to an attractive photo. Scrubs, because of their clinical purpose, also make the doctor and team appear less approachable and personable and in many cases it contributes to the anxiousness that many people feel with regard to dentistry.
5. Hands. Display your hands in the photograph to personalize the photo and better build rapport with the person viewing the picture.
6. Digital. With digital photography and Photoshop, anyone can look as good as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie! So make sure your photographer is skilled in Photoshop and willing to touch up your pictures for the agreed-upon fee.

Follow these tips and you are sure to have a great photo shoot! You can use these same tips for team members or patients as well. They apply to all photo sessions. The key is to give yourself permission to feel confident in whom you are. That is the most important element as that is what will be noticed. Patients want to know YOU. The rest will fall into place!