Early on in my career as a photographer I had professional headshots done by one of my favorite photographers Brent Morales. I loved Brents edgy editorial style. He was not afraid to push the envelope with his work. I learned a lot from him about how to prepare for my headshot session. Below is a brief list of how to prep for you session from my past experiences.
What to Wear for Headshots – Women
• Avoid big prints and busy patterns
• Different necklines will change the apparent shape of your face. Bring a variety of different shirts/blouses to see what works best.
• Be stylish and fashionable, but remember the picture is about your face and not your clothes, so whatever you bring be comfortable and confident
• Choose simple jewelry
What to Wear for Headshots – Men
• The standard business look is a sports jacket, dress shirt and tie
• A casual business look is often a jacket and open dress shirt, shirt and tie (no jacket), or dress shirt on it’s own
• Polo shirts are a good look for some businesses. Be sure the shirt is in good condition and fits well.
• For a no-jacket casual look, bring colored shirts – ideally darker than your skin tone
• A white dress shirt by itself is a bad idea – unless you plan to wear it underneath something (jacket or sweater)
• Bring a few different jackets, shirt colors and ties so we have choices for the photo
What to Bring:
• A good attitude.
• Lip balm
• Makeup and hair products to freshen up right before your photo
• Hair styled and makeup already applied
For Everyone:
• Stay away from fashion trends although they look great, they tend to date your photo and the last thing you want is someone looking at your picture and saying ‘oh Spring 2019!’
• Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you look and feel great
• Make sure your jacket and shirt fit you well. A poor fitting jacket or shirt will be obvious in the photos (especially around the neck)
• When in doubt, keep things simple
• Clothes should be neatly pressed and should look new or like new
• Avoid busy patterns and lines/stripes MANY don’t show up well on camera
• Getting a new hair cut is great is great but do it at least 2 weeks before your shoot, this allows for your style to fall into place. You don’t want to look at your picture and have that ‘fresh cut’ look to your hair.
iPhone selfies are fine for some occasions, but it’s good business practice to have headshots taken professionally to market yourself, for use in media kits, and to submit for speaking and press opportunities. You should update your headshots on a regular basis, especially if you change your look.
Now that you know how to prepare for your headshot session, read 10 Tips to Rock Your Headshot Session!
