Neckties Have Impact

This professor at Yale University wore a necktie during a portrait session with me.

    While hiking the Appalachian Trail, I came upon a campsite. Several men were huddled around a campfire. I joined them. Most of them were strangers to me.

    One of the men stated that he didn’t like people who wore neckties. I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t inform him that whenever I handle a photo shoot, a tie surrounds my neck.
    At some white collar institutions, people don’t wear ties on ‘casual Fridays.’ In the high tech sector, does anyone wear a tie? Neckties aren’t prevalent as they once were.
    But I continue wearing them. Neckties convey professionalism. During photo shoots, my sense is that people are more cooperative because I wear a tie.
    Before I became a photographer, I studied to be a high school teacher. My student-teaching experience occurred at a school near Boston. Afterwards, I handed my students an evaluation form. I wanted their opinion of my performance. Several students made a similar observation: They respected the fact that I wore a tie. Those students revealed to me the impact of a tie.
    Wearing a necktie offers a competitive advantage.