I’ve always been curious about our subconscious minds when it comes to processing something that we’re witnessing there and then, and the speed at which our brain makes a decision about that scene. In particular imagery and viewing a photograph of someone such as a headshot or portrait.
This was of interest as I always approach my headshot photography from the eyes of a casting agent flicking through an angency’s client list, or a recruiter on Linkedin. The first thing both of these see is a photograph. No one reads the text or bio first and then takes in the image.
A casting agent will have a ‘look’ they are after for a certain role, but that could still mean being shortlisted into a group of 20 or more other actors or dancers.
So I guess you’d like to know how long it takes for the subconcious mind to make a decision on if we like a photograph or not?
Well the answer is 100 milliseconds, or 0.1 seconds. Around the same time as a blink of an eye, and then it’s either to linger longer or to move on.
So to have a great headshot of yourself is so important. It’s the front cover of a book equivalent, and in this modern day age of more and more people competing for parts or sought after jobs, strong imagery plays an even more important role as it ever has done.
