Headshot Session Preparation Tips
The week before
Preparing for your headshot: The Week Before
Contemplate and decide on your clothing selections.
A few nights of restful sleep will reap manifold benefits.
Everyday, drink ample water to restore elasticity and plump your skin cells.
Confirm you have DIRECTIONS to our studio and allot ample time to arrive on time.
Plan ahead for the day of your session, keeping plans and schedule light.
If scheduling a haircut or new style, advise stylist you need to look not so spanking brand new! In short, allow several days for a new haircut/style to settle in.
NOTE: We understand that the vast majority of scheduled headshots are arranged within a day or two of one’s headshot appointment. Therefore, our “Week Before” Basic Headshot Session Preparation Tips may be made moot. Regardless, do your best – apply what’s relevant/practical and ignore what’s behind you. Smile – it’s all good.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Preparing for your headshot: The Night Before
Set aside your clothing selections. If a question arises, bring it! We can decide at your session.
Pack grooming essentials, such as comb, brush, hair spray, makeup, blowdryer, curling iron, etc.
Rehearse morning schedule to ensure ample time to prepare, commute and arrive.
If you’re a person who utilizes a checklist, make one.
Confirm DIRECTIONS are at hand. Allow for a few minutes more than you might need.
If you or your company has special headshot specifications, by all means pack them!
Set your alarm and get a good night’s rest.
NOTE: Because your daily concerns and emotions will be revealed in your headshot, it is vital that your day has been prearranged so that such matters will not be a factor. If not, and the timing of your headshot is not imminent, please feel free to reschedule.
THE DAY OF
Preparing for your headshot: The Day Of
Wake with a smile, be grateful, and begin to execute your morning plan.
Drink more water.
If not arriving in your clothing, ensure they’re packed in your vehicle (along with your DIRECTIONS).
Also remember grooming essentials.
If you’ve made a checklist, check it.
NOTE: Should you wake up not feeling well, an office call requires your immediate attention, or if any concerns arise, please feel free to call and talk with us. You just might need to reschedule. No worries,it happens.
HEADSHOT PREPARATION TIPS FOR WOMEN
Shirt/Blouse
STYLE:
The most crucial element for woman is the necessity for sleeves – preferably to the elbow or longer. In general, a professional look equates to simplicity, forgoing froufrou (ruffles, frills and ribbons) is prudent.
PATTERN:
A plain, non-patterned shirt/blouse always works best. If patterned, a very subtle one is acceptable.
MATERIAL:
Shirts that work best do not easily wrinkle and bounce-back when scrunched
COLOR:
Unless a sweet, soft look is intended, it’s best to avoid pastels. Darker tones engender a greater sense of credibility, competence and trust.
FIT:
In general, a looser fit is preferable over tight fitting blouse. Choose a snug fitting blouse only when there are no weight concerns. If not, the tight look can easily add around 20 extra pounds of “visual” weight. Though some degree of cleavage is acceptable, too much can communicate a message one might not intend.
JACKET/DRESS
STYLE:
Think “professional” and you should do just fine. Again, simplicity is the key. Also keep in mind the audience you wish to attract and narrow your focus to speak to your target market.
PATTERN:
A plain, non-patterned jacket always works best. If patterned, a very subtle one is acceptable same as your shirt/blouse choice.
MATERIAL:
As with shirts/blouses, fabric that works best does not easily wrinkle and bounces-back when scrunched.
COLOR:
By far, darker colors tend to be your best choice. Darker tones are not only viewed as being more professional (especially for women), but engender a healthier and slimmer persona:
Black: stirs a sense of both creativity and protection, as well as power, seductive, authority and nimbleness.
Navy: evokes a feeling trustworthiness, integrity, caring, credible, conservative, orderly, calm and loyal.
Dark Brown: practical, solid, reassuring, reliable/dependable, friendly, stable, wholesome and genuine.
Dark Green: masculine, vitality, dependable, tactful, family, nurturing, flexible, conservative, and wealthy.
Deep Purple: feminine, romantic, luxurious, inventive, intuitive, mysterious, wealthy and sophisticated.
Deep Red/Burgundy: harmonious, balanced, supportive, imaginative, spiritual, kind, non-conformist.
Dark Gray: knowledgeable/wise, classic, mature, sleek, refined, dignified, controlled, and contemporary.
FIT:
The primarily concern for any garment is tightness. While you cannot go wrong with a jacket/dress that is a tad too loose, a garment that is too snug evokes negative attributes of disheveled and careless. Both of which are not only non-conducive to evoking a positive sense of who you are and what your represent, but are decisions made about you at the subconscious level. You’re rejected yet they cannot tell you why.
Therefore, a comfortable, loose fit is vital.
SCARFS:
We recommend keeping patterns simple and colors subdued. Again, the idea is keep the viewer’s gaze fixed upon your eyes/face, not an abundance of colors and patterns.
Scarfs, by their nature, tend to be heavily patterned. Therefore, unless you desire your headshot to be more about your scarf than you, please select a scarf pattern that is not only simple but the color is muted. Colors to avoid are orange, yellow and iridescent hues.
Need help in tying a scarf? Here’s a helpful link that’ll get you up to speed in a hurry: 37 WAYS TO TIE A SCARF, or for a simper version, check out 15 WAYS TO TIE SCARVES.
EXPRESSION
Bring a happy heart and your smile will take care of itself. Remember, your session should only take a few minutes. It’s a short enough time to turn off the outside pressures of the day and simply be present.
• Smile Challenged? If so, practice in front of mirror, remembering the feeling of a natural smile.
• Also, a helpful technique is something we call “Lifting Your Apples.” The roundness of our cheeks are referred to as “apples.” In those instances where a smile is required but it’s challenging to do so on cue, simply “lift your apples” while placing your tongue in the roof of your mouth, and a smile will emerge.
NOTE: my goal is to not only capture a range of expressions, from wide smiles to soft, but also capture both sides of your face. This way you can evaluate not only which expression you prefer, but from which side of the face you feel best expresses it.
MAKEUP:
Whatever application of makeup you generally employ, we suggest a slightly heavier application for portraits. Lips and Eyebrows are especially important in portraits. Both should be defined nicely. However, please know that we are also happy to help with post-production retouching if you feel they need more attention.
MAKEUP ARTIST:
You may be thinking of hiring a professional to do your make up and that is a great idea. Just keep a few things in mind. Have your make up done as close to the photo session as possible. If you have a hair dresser willing to come to the studio just let me know ahead of time so allot the time. If you are looking for recommendations for a make up artist, just ask us and we’ll set you up with professional make up artist.
JEWELRY:
Simplicity is the key. Necklaces that photograph best are simple with no center focal-point design. Even though we can center a necklace feature (such as a diamond or cross), it may not appear to be so in the image. So much depends on how your body is turned. Generally, this is not a detriment for most people, however, the slight off-center feel can cause heartburn for perfectionists like myself…
Earrings that photograph best are simple and small. Dangling earrings can be problematic, as with any sort of a tilt of the head the earrings will hang freely on one side, while falling askew on the other side of the face.
Bracelets & Watches, though do not generally become an issue in a headshot portrait, if there is a possibility that your hands might show, please keep any jewelry simple so that they do not distract and draw attention away from your face.
As always, should you have questions regarding any aspect of our “Headshot Preparation Tips for Women”, no concern is too small.
Headshot Preparation Tips For men
SHIRT
STYLE:
Collared shirts are imperative for a professional look. Non-collared shirts (t-shirts) can work in certain scenarios and usually work best in conjunction with a sport coat.
PATTERN:
A plain, non-patterned shirt always works best. If patterned, a very subtle one is acceptable.
MATERIAL:
Shirts that work best do not easily wrinkle and bounce-back when scrunched.
COLOR:
An off-white or color shirt is much preferred over white, but yellowish. However, white shirts are acceptable, especially when covered by a dark jacket or sweater. Regardless, if a colored shirt is available, it’s your best option.
FIT:
In general, a slightly looser fit is preferable over a tight-fitting shirt. Choose a snug-fitting shirt only when there are no weight concerns. If not, the tight look can easily add around 20 extra pounds of “visual” weight. The main concern is for collared shirts that is that have buttons to the neck. The top should button easily, allowing for a loose-fitting collar (i.e. skin must not be pressed tightly), making head turns a breeze. If a new shirt is not in the offing, it’s possible to remedy the problem in post-production.
JACKET
STYLE:
Think “professional” and you should do just fine. Again, simplicity is the key. Also, keep in mind the audience you wish to attract and narrow your focus to speak to your target market.
PATTERN:
A plain, non-patterned jacket always works best. If patterned, a very subtle one is acceptable.
MATERIAL:
As with shirts, fabric that works best does not easily wrinkle and bounces-back when scrunched.
COLOR:
By far, darker colors tend to be your best choice. Darker tones are not only viewed as being more professional but engender a healthier and slimmer persona:
Black: stirs a sense of both creativity and protection, as well as power, seductive, authority, and nimbleness.
Navy: evokes a feeling of trustworthiness, integrity, caring, credible, conservative, orderly, calm and loyal.
Dark Brown: practical, solid, reassuring, reliable/dependable, friendly, stable, wholesome and genuine.
Dark Green: masculine, vitality, dependable, tactful, family, nurturing, flexible, conservative, and wealthy.
Deep Purple: feminine, romantic, luxurious, inventive, intuitive, mysterious, wealthy and sophisticated.
Deep Red/Burgundy: harmonious, balanced, supportive, imaginative, spiritual, kind, non-conformist.
Dark Gray: knowledgable/wise, classic, mature, sleek, refined, dignified, controlled, and contemporary.
FIT:
The primary concern for any garment is tightness. While you cannot go wrong with a jacket that is a tad too loose, a garment that is too snug evokes negative attributes of disheveled and careless – both of which are not only non-conducive to evoking a positive sense of who you are and what you represent, but are decisions made about you at the subconscious level. You’re rejected yet they cannot tell you why.
Therefore, a comfortable, loose fit is vital. Where our clients are unsuccessful in this fundamental requisite, we are equipped to remedy the oversight in post-production retouching.
TIE
STYLE:
Think “professional” and you should do just fine. Again, simplicity is the key. Also, keep in mind the audience you wish to attract and narrow your focus to speak to your target market
PATTERN:
We recommend keeping patterns simple and colors subdued. Again, the idea is to keep the viewer’s gaze fixed upon your eyes/face, not an abundance of colors and patterns.
COLORS:
Colors to avoid are orange, pink, and iridescent hues.
Need help in tying your tie? Here are a few helpful YouTube links that’ll get you up to speed in a hurry:
• How to Tie A Half-Windsor Knot
• How to Tie a Four-In-Hand Knot
Should you prefer printed instructions, Tie-A-Tie.net has everything you’ll ever need: Learn How To Tie A Tie
EXPRESSION
Bring a happy heart and your smile will take care of itself. Remember, your session should only take a few minutes. It’s a short enough time to turn off the outside pressures of the day and simply be present.
• Smile Challenged? If so, practice in front of a mirror, remembering the feeling of a natural smile.
• NOTE: my goal is to not only capture a range of expressions, from wide smiles to soft but also capture both sides of your face. This way you can evaluate not only which expression you prefer, but from which side of the face you feel best expresses it.
SHAVE
If a 5:00 shadow is a concern, please shave beforehand or you may opt to arrive early and take care of it here. We offer disposable razors with our complements – just be very careful to avoid razor burn…
JEWELRY
Simplicity is the key. Necklaces that photograph best are simple with no center focal-point design. Even though we can center a necklace feature (such as a diamond or cross), it may not appear to be so in the image – so much depends on how your body is turned. Generally, this is not a detriment for most people, however, the slight off-center feel can cause heartburn for perfectionists like myself…
Bracelets & Watches, though do not generally become an issue in a headshot portrait, if there is a possibility that your hands might show, please keep any wrist-wear simple so that it does not distract and draw attention away from your face.
MAKEUP
Finally, the last consideration in our Headshot Preparation Tips for Men is Makeup. Generally speaking, men require no makeup. Any issue that does exist can easily be remedied with Retouching.