Tips for Great Headshots

Getting a great headshot is very important for your business. It’s how prospective clients will identify you and decide, sometimes without a meeting, that they want to work with you. Having a headshot that’s clearly representative of your best “you” will speak volumes about you and your business – So put your best face forward!

Clothing

Clothing is the most important factor in your headshot, but it is definitely not the focus. With proper clothing, your face commands attention and clothing itself becomes
secondary. Wearing the wrong clothing takes attention away from where you want it – on you and on your face.

Dress in the fashion that you feel best represents both you and your company. For a formal business portrait: dress as you would if you were making a presentation to your most important clients or associates. For a more casual portrait: you still want to wear something that looks upscale and smart; Perhaps a blazer, a sweater over a button-down shirt, or a blouse.

Men should wear a solid dark suit, a pressed and well-fitting white or light colored shirt, and a dark tie.

Women should wear a solid suit and a light blouse. Wear something that looks good from the waist up. Try to pick something that falls well on your shoulders and flatters your

neckline.

Darker shades are more flattering and slimming, but remember – black is not always the best color. Try navy, dark-gray, chocolate, forest green, deep teal, eggplant or a rich caramel.

Don’ts:

• Avoid wearing bold stripes, plaids, checks, dots and prints, they are confusing and do not photograph well. Patterns are fine, as long as they’re not too distracting.

• Avoid light colors that approximate flesh tones such as beige, tan, peach, pink, white, and yellow.

• Avoid solid black, which will photograph flat, and lack detail and dimension.

• Avoid wearing a light-gray suit.

• Avoid turtlenecks (unless you’re Steve Jobs.)

• You might consider avoiding red.

• Do not wear short sleeves for a head-and-shoulders

  portrait.

• Loud ties and flashy jewelry divert attention from your face. Stick with simple and elegant.

  Hair and makeup for women

  - If you are doing your own makeup, apply as you might for a formal evening out. - If you “never wear makeup” you might want to at least use some for your photo session. - If you are doing your own hair, remember to bring some hair product (if you use it,) a hair brush or comb and a blow dryer to the session. - Important: Don’t wash your hair the night or the morning before the shoot.

  Grooming for men

• Grooming usually means just a little powder to cut down the shine and tidying up your hair.

• Shave early in the day to let any razor-burn dissipate and allow nicks to heal before the shoot.

• For a late-day portrait session, if you have a heavy beard,

a touch-up shave at mid-day is recommended, especially

to mitigate five-o’clock shadow.
• Don’t cut your hair the day before your shoot! It will look

like you just got a haircut.

Glasses

- If you wear glasses most of the time, I recommend wearing them for your portrait. - Because of reflections, please be prepared to take out the lenses or to bring an extra frame without lenses.

... And finally,

- Smile from within! Think of how you would look if you just ran into a dear friend on a nice sunny day at the beach.

Have fun with it: remember you’re having a photo session, not a board meeting.