Preparing for your Headshots

Properly preparation for your headshot session is essential to getting the best look for you. It starts with a discussion about the usage of the images, who will be viewing them, and the “look” / branding you want to convey. For individuals, deciding whether you want a more formal, serious look, or something less formal will depend on a variety of factors, including the type of work you’re doing or looking for, and how your audience might react to different looks.

For businesses, while everyone doesn’t necessarily need to wear the same colors or clothing, you do want the images to have some degree of consistency in background color, lighting, and overall look/impression. Individuals could have different formalities of clothing depending on their role - eg, a software developer may be wearing a shirt or top, while someone in business development could wear something a bit more formal. In general, the look should be consistent with the company branding, markets served, etc..

Below is a checklist of items that people can use, whether for an individual headshot or on-location work:

General

·         Get a good night’s sleep the night before our session

·         Stay hydrated

Clothing

·         Wear something you feel comfortable in – something that fits well and that you like

·         Solid colors work best, particularly for shirts - Avoid bold patterns/stripes/bold colors as they will detract the viewer from your face

·         For Headshots, we’re only shooting from the chest upwards so don’t worry about pants/shoes (unless we’re doing a group shot)

·         If you’re wearing a shirt with a collar, insure that it’s well pressed, not frayed – button down shirt collars are preferred

·         If you’re wearing a jacket, solid colors are best or very muted stripes

·         If you’re wearing a tie, be sure the colors or patterns aren’t too bold/loud

·         Darker colors generally make people look slimmer

Hair

·         We want to avoid as much stray hair as possible, so PLEASE bring a brush or comb to the session, along with any spray or hair product you generally use

·         For guys, having a recent haircut is recommended, ideally no sooner than 1 week before the session

·         If you color your hair, be sure it has been recently colored

Women’s Makeup

·         Clean/refreshed skin looks best – the night before your session, use a gentle exfoliator or mask, as well as toner before you apply moisturizer to prepare your face for photo finished makeup

·         Apply primer just before make-up application to smooth out fine lines, large pores, and other imperfections

·         Apply your makeup in good/even light – a large window with soft, natural light (NOT direct sunlight). A Vanity Lit mirror is also good.

·         Use concealer for scars, dark circles, and other uneven areas.

·         Foundation – choose a medium to full, or full coverage foundation with a MATTE finish (NO shimmering foundations)

·         Eyelashes – use a bit of mascara to thicken/elongate lashes, avoiding clumps.

·         Eyes/eye shadow – the eyes are a main focal point of your headshot. Define your eyebrows and eyes to draw the viewer to your eyes - use complementary/neutral tones – NO Shimmery eye shadow. Lining the upper and lower lids with a bit of dark shadow gives shape to the eyes.

·         Lips – natural colors that enhance the tone of your lips looks best. Apply a bit of neutral lip liner around your lips to hold lipstick in place. Crème or matte lipsticks – NO shimmery lipstick. Use tinted lip balm or chapstick for soft, moisturized look.

·         Blush/bronzer – a little bronzer under cheekbones and around outside of face – dust a bit of blush on the apples of your cheeks

·         Note that if you like wearing makeup on a day to day basis, you may want to add just a touch more to be camera-ready – makeup always “comes down” under the strobes/in front of a camera. Don’t over do it, but a bit more goes a long way. Make sure you pay attention to transitions – they should be smooth and gradual as much as possible.

Glasses

·         If you wear glasses, be sure they’re clean and not tinted

Another stellar strategy comes from a great headshot photographer in Duvall, WA, Pete Templin, who advises that to get great clothing options for your headshot session, go shopping. Take a friend or trusted advisor, find something that's super crisp, distinct, yet within the rest of my guidelines here, and here's the fun part: keep the tags on. Wear it for your headshot session, see how it serves you for the camera, then return it if you decide it's not something you'd love to have in your closet