Your profile picture says a lot about your personality

Events-Portraiture-Beata-Cosgrove-Photography-BathBath Portrait Photographer. Beata Cosgrove Photography Research carried out by LinkedIn shows that just having a profile picture on your LinkedIn page makes you 14 times more likely to have your profile viewed. Your photo is one of the most important parts of your LinkedIn profile, and your photo says a lot about your personality and – how presentable you are, how approachable and professional you appear, and so on.

Given all this, it’s imperative that you do include a photo in your LinkedIn profile, and that you use one that does you justice. It goes without saying that by using a low-quality photo, perhaps a selfie or one taken with your computer’s built-in camera, you may well be selling yourself short.

Here are some tips from the local photographer near you for getting top quality pictures for your profile:

1 Dress professionally

When having your profile photo taken, wear the kind of clothes that you’d wear when at work. This helps you to look the part and enables the person viewing your profile to image they’re meeting you in your professional role.

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2 Use an uncluttered background

If getting a photo taken in your home or workplace, do be mindful of background clutter which might be visible behind you. You might not have noticed that pile of washing up behind you or your colleague’s jacket strewn across a chair, but anyone looking at your picture almost certainly will. As a professional photographer, I often use rolls of white or grey background paper for this. Alternatively, a clear wall (without pictures on) works well, as does a background with a simple regular pattern such as stone or brickwork, perhaps out of focus, concentrating attention on the subject.

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3 Spend time getting the job done properly

It’s common for people to use the same profile picture across all their social media accounts. So they paste their Facebook profile picture into their LinkedIn profile. But consider for a moment your social traits that define what you’re like as a friend or how you interact with people at a party. And then think what it is you can offer people in your professional life. The odds are that you identified two very different sets of characteristics. This reflects why it’s probably worth having a different profile picture for your ‘professional’ social media page from the one you use when you’re liking dancing cat videos. It takes a bit more time and effort, but should be well worth your while.

Studio portrait. Beata Cosgrove Photography

LinkedIn themselves recommend getting a photograph taken professionally. Beata Cosgrove Photography in Bath can do this for you, delivering great pictures at very reasonable prices. You can see more of Beata's portrait photography here or contact Beata directly. 

Everyone knows that Bath is a lovely city to visit and a real privilege to live in. For its size, it really punches above its weight - it only has about 85,000 inhabitants, and so is only just big enough to be considered a city at all. But it's still the 12th most visited city in England - as well as one of the most photographed and most recognisable, with its iconic crescents, Abbey, and one-off structures such as Pulteney Bridge. Hundreds of people can be seen snapping away all day long throughout Bath, yet once the sun goes down, almost all of the cameras tend to get put away. But I wonder if many of these keen photographers are actually missing a trick, as Bath is no less photogenic by night, provided you've got a sturdy tripod - and know where to head for. 

Here are my 5 favourite spots for night-time photography in Bath. 

1. Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey Beata Cosgrove PhotographyBath Abbey at night

This sturdy, late Gothic structure is lit up in the evening, which is an ideal photo opportunity for dusk photographers. With a tripod and an obliging motorist, you can get a light trail leading into the photograph, as I've done here. I always think that vehicles' rear (red) lights make for a more interesting photo than the front (clear) lights. In Bath's labyrinth of one-way streets, it's worth bearing in mind which way(s) the traffic will be heading if you want to capture a light trail in your picture. This photo is taken by the A3039 outside the imposing structure of the Empire Hotel on Grand Parade. 

In fact, this spot really is a BOGOF, because if you swing round 180 degrees, you come to spot number 2.

2. Pulteney Bridge, Bath

Pulteney Bridge Bath Beata Cosgrove Photography.Pulteney Bridge and the River Avon, Bath

You need to be careful and sensible of course becaue it's quite a drop, but you can get a great view of the weir and Pulteney Bridge, which is remarkable for being one of only four bridges in the world flanked by shops on both sides all the way across. It was designed by Robert Adam and completed in 1774 to connect central Bath with the flourishing new suburb of Bathwick. 

Ironically for such a spectacular city, Bath has a limited number of truly impressive riverside structures to tempt the photographer. Pulteney Bridge is the best known, but there is another just round the corner that is often overlooked. 

3. Riverside buildings on Lower Bristol Road, Bath, photographed from across the river, close to Avon Street car park

Bath architecture photography Beata CosgroveOld industrial buildings (now offices) between Lower Bristol Road and the River Avon in Bath

With the River Avon on one side and the Lower Bristol Road and railway on the other, these structures are very reminiscent of another Bath, which was once a thriving industrial town as well as a genteel spa. With a tripod and ND filter, the water is smooth and mirror-like, creating harmonious reflections.

But don't get too comfortable - as there's a steep hill to climb for the next location!

4. Alexandra Park viewpoint, Bath

Bath photographer Alexandra Park Beata Cosgrove.View from Alexandra Park, Bath

There are likely to be other photographers up here during the day, but when the sun goes down you'll probably have the whole place to yourself. I think this has to be the best panoramic view of Bath and its surrounding hills, and well worth the climb. If you spot a light glowing different colours on the other side of the city, there's a good chance that'll be our next and final spot.

St Stephen's Church, Lansdown, Bath

Bath photographer Lansdown Beata CosgroveSt Stephen's Church, Lansdown, Bath, photographed at dawn

Occupying a commanding spot on the north side of the city, St Stephen's Church is one of Bath's finest Gothic buildings, and its abundance of pointy towers make it a good subject to photograph. 

Anyway, happy photographing - and remember to take a tripod!

This weekend's wedding was a joy to participate in, and a privilege to attend as photographer. Here's a sneak preview of some of the photos of some of the wedding, starting at All Saints' Church in Weston, before heading to Bath Spa University, which has only recently joined the ranks of Bath's stunning wedding locations. 

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The confetti shower was really spectacular - I'm pretty sure confetti must have been invented by wedding photographers, as it's such an eye-catching event!

best wedding photographer Beata Cosgrove BathWedding photography in Bath

And there was a classic automobile to whisk the happy couple off to Bath Spa University. 

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It was a joy to be part of this great day and to photograph this lovely couple and their guests at a really joyful wedding. Congratulations to you!