Sean's Headshots

Add "departmental website photographs" to driver's licenses and passport photos on the list of pictures people hate of themselves.  Of course, some are perfectly fine but most are pretty awful - especially the ones of academics who maybe aren't used to posing for the camera.  I remember David getting calls and texts from students and colleagues when a giant banner with his website photo appeared 16th street because of a teaching award he'd received.  No one notified him it was happening or asked him to come in for a photo, and if we're all being honest, it was a really awful picture.  It hung there for a year before they replaced it.  The best part was when his friends from the department picked it up, decorated it with an eyepatch and a gold tooth, and left it in his office.

All that to say I was not at all surprised to hear that Sean was not a big fan of his official headshot.  He described the look as "surprised meerkat" and was pretty embarrassed when both students and friends pointed it out to him.  He said he thought he was being a little narcissistic but I say there's nothing wrong with wanting to look your best - especially when your photograph is attached to your professional work that you have put so much of yourself into.  

This is a fairly new genre for me but I'm pretty pleased with the results and I'm so happy to be the official Rife family photographer. Can't wait to take Tiffany's maternity pictures a little later in the summer and then hopefully photos of their new little bundle of joy!  Thanks for trusting me to do this, Sean, and I think we definitely achieved something that looks less like a meerkat.