Preparing for Your Headshot Session

Clothing and accessories:

It's always best to have a few choices that range in style and color. You may wish to have a professional look, a semi-professional look (featuring a richly textured sweater or simple blouse that could be worn in a business casual environment), or a laid-back look (casual long sleeved or short sleeved shirt---if you don't want attention on your arms, keep it long sleeve). Try to bring a few options for each- if you want a look with more edge (leather jacket, etc), bring those items so we can discuss implementing them. Keep jewelry and accessories to a classic, elegant minimum.

Makeup:

It may not always be possible, but it’s a good idea to enlist the help of a professional makeup artist in order to look your very best for your headshots. If you want to do it yourself, keep it simple - a coat of mascara, a subtle nude or rose-toned lip, a natural blush and a foundation that offers a natural, healthy-looking finish is ideal. The goal is for the makeup to highlight your best features without looking cakey or unnatural.

For Men/Shave:

Definitely shave prior to your session arrival unless you have a fully developed beard.  "In-Between" or stubble will give a careless impression that you don't want future employers or clients to have.

Colors:

Choose colors that compliment your skin tone and eye color. Rich jewel tones like burgundy, emerald/forest green and earthy, muted blues, dark blues, and grays usually work across the board. Contrary to belief, pure white and pure black actually don't work well with most skin tones. We recommend steering clear of stripes and tweeds, or any heavy patterns/visual branding (images, logos, wording of any kind). We want to sell YOU, not someone's brand, and we want the attention to be on your face!

Pre-shoot skincare:

If you do not have a skincare regime, right before a photo shoot is not a good time to start, because introducing new products can cause your skin to freak out- not a good look! If all you do for skincare is wash your face, then that's all we suggest doing prior to your session. If you have products you use on a nightly basis, definitely feel free to indulge in them the night before your session.

Get comfortable:

Your comfort is our priority. If you don't feel at ease, that's going to come through in the images, so engage in anything that helps you calm your mind and relax your body. Many clients have found that simply engaging in some deep breathing prior to the session has really helped them to focus, shed all the outside world thoughts that might interfere, and be completely present in front of the camera--whether you believe in the 'woo', this actually does make a difference.