KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyler Walker is a self-described people person, which is a good thing because he spends most days working one-on-one taking pictures, specifically headshots, of people.
“For me, headshots are a way to get people confidence, show them their value. I love doing that one-on-one,” he said.
Walker runs KC PRO Headshots out of a studio in the West Bottoms neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri.
Wednesday may be one of the busiest days in his studio’s history. He hopes to take headshots of 50 different people in one day and he’s doing it all for free.
Walker and a photographer in Olathe, Kansas, are part of the 10,000 Headshots Project. Hundreds of photographers across the United States are donating their time Wednesday, July 22 in order to take headshots of 10,000 people who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and are looking for a new one.
“It’s good to know that I’m doing something that made a real difference in a person’s life,” Walker said.
The work-based social media site LinkedIn said profiles with professional headshots get 14 times the number of views compared to profiles without a picture.
Walker said a good headshot is helpful in any job application.
As a people person, he knows people are struggling because of the coronavirus. He’s happy to be a part of a solution and give people a reason to smile.
“Giving someone a leg up to have a little bit more hope in trying to find a good job that will get them back on their feet, hopefully, I do my part to reduce a little bit of the anxiety and fear in the world right now,” he explained.
For information on how to sign up for a headshot through the 10,000 Headshots Project, visit the project website.
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