Most professionals don't replace their headshots because something is obviously wrong with them. They replace them because the images quietly stop working.
If your current headshots are more than 12 months old, there's a strong chance they're no longer serving you as effectively as they once did—even if you can't quite pinpoint why.
Why Headshots Age Faster Than You Think
The challenge with professional headshots isn't that they become technically "bad." It's that they fall behind in ways that are difficult to notice from the inside.
What Changes in 12-18 Months
Your appearance shifts more than you realize. Hair grows, cuts change, weight fluctuates and the way you carry yourself evolves—especially if you've taken on new responsibilities or grown in confidence.
Your positioning changes. If you've moved into a new role, shifted industries or expanded your professional identity, your images need to reflect that transition. What worked when you were emerging may not work now that you're established.
The Portland Market Reality
Portland's professional community is smaller and more interconnected than major metro markets, which means your headshot works harder here. When the same image circulates across LinkedIn, agency submissions, company websites and conference materials, it gets seen—and evaluated—more frequently.
That visibility is an advantage when your images are current and aligned. It becomes a liability when they're not.
What Portland Casting Directors and Hiring Managers Notice
They're looking for accuracy and confidence, not perfection. An outdated headshot signals either a lack of self-awareness or a reluctance to invest in your own positioning—neither of which reads well in a competitive market.
The standard in Portland has quietly risen. What sufficed three years ago is no longer enough. The bar hasn't shifted dramatically, but it has shifted consistently, and falling behind happens faster than most people expect.
When to Update
There's no universal rule but here are the signals most professionals miss:
Time Based
12 months is the realistic window for most professionals
Less if your appearance, role or industry has changed significantly.
More if your work is stable and your visual presentation hasn't shifted.
Context Based
You've moved into a leadership role.
You're entering a new market or industry.
Your current images don't match how you're currently being perceived.
You hesitate before using them in important contexts.
Market Based
You're competing for opportunities where image matters.
Your field has visual standards that have shifted.
You're being evaluated by people who haven't met you in person.
What Updating Actually Looks Like
A headshot update typically involves:
2-3 looks
60-75 minutes
At my studio in Vancouver or a select Portland location, like The Pearl or Sellwood.
Images that reflect where you are now not where you were a year ago.
Why Portland Professionals Wait (And Shouldn't)
The most common reason professionals delay updating headshots: "They're still fine."
And they might be. But "still fine" isn't the standard that wins opportunities in a competitive market. The standard is "still working as hard as I am."
If your images were effective 12 months ago, they served their purpose then. The question is whether they're serving their purpose now.
Final Thought
Professional headshots are maintenance, not transformation. Treating them as an occasional update rather than a one-time investment keeps you positioned correctly and removes a source of quiet friction most people don't realize they're experiencing.
If you're unsure whether it's time, the answer is probably yes.
Remember: headshots are not about how you look, they’re about who you are. At Michael Verity Photography, show you as the engaged, authentic and connected person you are.
Ready to update your headshots?