How to get a great headshot

The first thing clients ask when they are booking their headshot or executive portrait appointment is “what should I wear?”.   Of course this is going to be different for everyone, but there are certain guidelines that can help everyone.

1 – If your headshot is primarily for your website, business cards and marketing materials, start with clothing that matches the colors from your brand….IF they look good on you!

2 – If the colors from you website and brand are not your best colors, select clothing in shades of colors that compliment the colors of your brand.

3 – Wear something you are comfortable in, look good in and get compliments on when you wear it.  The more comfortable you are, the more comfortable you will be during your session and the better you will look in your portraits.

4 – Select clothing that represents your brand and who you want to portray in your portrait.  If you are a realtor and never wear a suit, don’t wear a suit for your portraits.

5 – Avoid white shirts without a jacket or sweater.  Of course there are exceptions, but I find that white makes most people either really pale or reddish.  Also, if you want to remove the background from your portrait and it is a white background, you won’t be able to if you are wearing white.

6 – We provide two images for each session so we recommend that you bring two different shirts.  Men, if you would like to be photographed in a suit, feel free to bring a couple of different ties.  Ladies, bring a couple different tops and don’t forget the accessories.

A few other tips for getting a great Headshot or Executive Portrait…

1 – Make-up.  Apply your make-up as you normally would.  Contrary to belief, there is no need to use extra make-up.  Feel free to bring some along for touchups.

2 – Hair.  Trying out a new hairstyle right before your session could be disastrous.  We suggest you wear your hair as you normally would.

3 – Clean-Shaven.  Men, please remember to shave shortly before your session.  We cannot remove 5 o’clock shadow.

4 – Glasses.  If you normally wear glasses, you should wear them for your portrait.  If you have glasses that darken, please borrow a set of frames (without lenses) from your optometrist for your session.  Most places do this free of charge.

5 – Tan.  It is okay to tan, but don’t overdo it!  We can make your skin look warmer than you are, however we cannot remove tan lines or sunburn!

6 – Sleep.  Get a good night sleep the night before your portrait session so you are rested and at your best.

The most important advice I can give is to breathe, relax and enjoy your session.  If you are camera shy, I’ll help you with that so just come ready to have some fun!