How To Prepare and What To Wear for Headshots
We are trying to capture the essence of you in your headshots. You need to feel 100% comfortable and relaxed. When you do, that comfort and confidence will come through in the shot. The folks who are going to be potentially hiring you for jobs based off of a headshot will want to know that you bring the right “vibe” to their project. Let’s also not forget that they will probably have to spend many hours in a room with you (for example, rehearsal and tech). We want to do all that we can to let them know, at first look, that you are someone they will enjoy being around.
Clothing prep: Pick colors that work with you skin, hair, and eye color. If you are unsure of what colors work for you, bring some options and I will help you make choices.
Try on you choices before the shoot. Make sure they fit well and you feel good in them.
Iron your clothes. If you don’t have an iron, take them somewhere and have it done. You won’t regret it. Trust me.
Avoid the strappy top: I have no problem with a strappy top in a half body shot (or 3/4 or full shot). However, for your headshots we are probably going to be cropping in fairly close to you head and shoulders. If you are wearing a top that shows a lot of shoulder, it may look like we are just showing too much skin, which may not be what you want to present to potential employers.
Wear sensible shoes: Ok…I know we are not photographing your feet. However, the foundation for the way you pose starts at your feet. Wear something that will be comfortable and you can move easily in. (I would still coordinate your shoes with your outfit. It will just make you feel better)
Bring at least 3 different looks: I highly encourage a couple looks for your shoot. This will simply give you a few more options to work with. I am not saying “let’s play dress-up” but I am saying, you know how you look in your wardrobe and how to rock it. For example, I am a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy. If I was sitting for headshots, I would start there. In the colder months, you will not often catch me without my leather jacket. Bang! look number two. If i wanted another look, i would go to my “dressy look”. You will rarely catch me in a tie, but I do often rock the jeans, button down shirt, and suit coat. So something different that is still me.
The Face: Go easy on the makeup. Think of your makeup for your shoot like you are going on an audition. Don’t worry about putting on heavy makeup to make your features “pop”. If I see something that needs a little tweaking for the camera, we’ll talk about it. Most of the time this is not the case.
Bring your make-up with you. You will probably want to do some touch ups throughout the shoot.
If you are rocking facial hair, that is cool. However, random stubble does not photograph well so have it shaped and trimmed.