Change is never-ending and that means our headshots and comp cards are a never-ending series of updates. However, this doesn’t mean you have to take new pictures every week. Instead, follow these simple guidelines to know when it’s actually time to invest in new shots.

How’s Your Hair?

Trims can be ignored but major changes to length, color, or style mean it’s time for new headshots. Your potential employers need to know what they’ll be working with and they want to know that what they’re working with isn’t directly from the 90s.

How Many Years?

If you haven’t changed your hair, how long has it been since your last shot? It is considered extremely unprofessional to lie about your age and if your pictures are from even three years back, it’s time to capture the current you.

Are There Other Physical Changes?

Did you drop weight? Gain weight? Get a tattoo? Bleached your teeth? If you’ve changed your physical appearance in any drastic way, order some new photos. Again, your comp cards and headshots should be the most accurate depiction of you right now.

What’s the Photo Style Trend?

Luckily, this one takes a bit to change, but it’s still an important consideration. Back in the day, black and white shots were all anyone needed. Now they’re expected to be in color. Many are also solely digital and only thumbnails are shown initially, meaning new cropping and compositions are in order.

Are You Constantly Mismatched?

If you find yourself not getting called in much or called in for gigs you don’t match, there’s a high likelihood your photos are sending jobs the wrong image of you. Do they look professional? Is your personality shining through? As your business card, the more you invest, the better the return.