Headshot Tips: Getting Ready For Your Portrait Session
BEFORE YOU COME IN
Clothing
Disclaimer: We don’t like the word “RULE” for choosing clothing for photos, because sometimes a rule is broken and it looks AMAZING. So think of all the below “rules” as “guidelines” instead.
Color
The focus should be your face and not what you’re wearing. So choose muted colors or jewel tones that look good on you. What the heck is a jewel tone? Imagine the color of a big, shiny cocktail ring like a sapphire, garnet, or emerald.
Stay away from neon colors or anything with a logo on it. These will distract the eye away from your face.
Layering
We love layers! For a headshot, layering your clothes for long vertical lines is typically most flattering. Blazers and cardigans make great layers over a shirt or a shell blouse.
Black and White
All black or all white isn’t ideal. Especially if the photo is going to be small it could end up looking like a floating head on an all black or all white blob of fabric. If you wear black or white, try to choose clothing that has some texture to break it up like pockets, or rolled up sleeves. Better yet, layer something under or on top of the all black or all white shirt or blazer.
Fit
An outfit that’s too tight is better than too loose because it shows some shape and creates lines and angles to lead the eye to your face. Loose clothing makes you look bigger or amorphous, so that the eye just goes round and round in a circle instead of being directed up to your face.
Avoid turtlenecks that completely hide your neck. It will make your neck look shorter or non-existent in the photo, and if you can’t see at least some of it then you can’t find your jawline easily.
Similarly, don’t wear a scarf for your headshot, because it can look like a big bulky piece of fabric. The only way a scarf works is if it’s thin and lands like a long necklace. We want to see your neck!
Casual vs. formal clothes for a photo
Headshots don’t always have to be formal. If you want a more “casual look,” there are plenty of ways to do it. We like to err on the side of “business casual” such as a t-shirt or a nice top. Think something you’d wear to happy hour instead of a tank top and shorts for the park.
Ties
Ties look best when their tone lands between the suit and the shirt: a light shirt, a dark suit, and a tie in a shade somewhere between them. Some ties are too shiny– try to stay away from really reflective, shiny, silk ties, because they can tend to look a different color on camera than they actually are.
Patterns
Patterns are okay as long as they’re not distracting! Nothing too loud that distracts from your face, or something that can be layered under a plain blazer should be just fine.
No logos or writing: if the pattern has words in it or a brand logo, it can draw the eye away from your face and toward your clothing.
Clothing with really tight grids or a small herringbone pattern can have a moiré pattern effect on camera, so stay away from tight grid-like patterns. Thin stripes that are a little further apart are okay
Can I wear jewelry in my headshot?
Of course! But keep in mind, with jewelry, less is more. Just like clothing, you don’t want to distract from your face, so choose something simple and classic. If you want to wear a statement piece instead (like big, funky earrings, or a giant necklace) then it will look better as the only piece of jewelry and nothing else, or everything else super small and matching the statement piece.
Glasses in photos
If you wear your glasses in real life, then wear them in your photo for sure! If you’re about 50/50 and sometimes wear them, then let’s take photos of you with and without your glasses so you can choose later. And glasses read as jewelry or an accessory, so try not to wear too much jewelry with your glasses or it will look like overkill.
Hair
Wear your hair like you normally wear it so you can see the cut, style, and shape of your haircut.
If you wear your hair curly in real life, don’t straighten your hair for your photos.
Wearing your hair down is usually best since when it’s all pulled back behind your head we don’t see it at all, and it can look like you have none, unless your hair style gets high enough on your head that you can see it.
Looks we love
Check out some examples below of great outfits that both follow and break the above rules. This is why we call them “guidelines” instead!
Makeup
Should I get a makeup artist for my headshots?
We actually recommend people who DON’T wear a lot of makeup to hire a makeup artist for their photos. Our makeup artists are experts at making you look naturally your best, and not like you have a lot of makeup on, so that’s perfect for folks who don’t wear much makeup and want a more natural look.
If you do your makeup yourself, do your makeup how you usually wear it for an average day, or possibly a nice dinner where the steak is $30 but not $75. Do not wear heavy makeup; a close headshot will show clumps of mascara or dark lipstick. Choose light to medium eyeliners, eye shadows, and lipsticks that are only a shade or two darker than your skin tones. This brings your features out in a subtle manner without making it look like you’re wearing lots of makeup. Avoid caking on heavy foundation, or wearing shiny eye shadows or lip gloss: too much shine is distracting on camera and looks wet. Stay away from highlighter! It can cause flashback in a photo and make your skin too shiny.
Skin blemishes, pimples, and even wrinkles can be retouched. It’s not cheating. We promise.
How much makeup is too much for a headshot? Everyone is different, so it depends on how much make-up you usually wear: you want your headshots to be easily recognizable as how you generally look in person. For some people, that means wearing your make-up exactly how you usually wear it, for others it’s wearing a little more, for others a little less. If you don’t wear much makeup every day, don’t do your makeup like Kim Kardashian for your photos.
Should men, non-binary, or other folx who aren’t feminine-presenting or don’t normally wear or even own makeup hire a makeup artist? We’ve never had anyone tell us they wasted their money on a professional makeup artist. They’re not just for needy brides wanting a perfect, Pinterest-worthy smokey eye on their wedding day. They’re also here to make sure we all look natural, that our skin looks fresh and healthy, and that our features stand out the way they are supposed to. Makeup artists are best for anyone who looks at photos taken of them in the past and they think they look too washed out, red or blotchy, or just not like themselves.
Mental Preparation
Anxious about photo day? That’s totally normal and it’s okay to be anxious! We can still get great photos of you if you’re anxious.
When you know you’re going to have your photo taken, all of the worst photos you’ve seen of yourself over the years might be flashing in front of your eyes right now, and you’re worried this upcoming photo will be one of them. So your brain is trying to find things you can do to prevent that, like getting a haircut, shopping for new clothes, etc.
Try this breathing exercise– breathe out for twice as long as you breathe in a few times (in for a count of 4, then out for a count of 8, for example). There’s a science behind this: it activates the parasympathetic response in your nervous system, which slows the production of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.
Take it easy the day of your shoot if you can. Try not to pack in a million things and have your photo be just another errand because that might cause you to forget something or get stressed out about it.
Get a good night’s sleep the night before. If you don’t, we’ll just retouch the dark circles under your eyes. Also we have coffee at the studio.
Don’t forget to eat before your shoot! If you’re hangry it’s hard to smile.
Drink lots of water in the 24-48 hours before your photos. This super hydrates your skin, which gives you a glowing complexion and fills in little lines and wrinkles.
Similarly, try not to drink alcohol or anything else that will dry your skin out in the 24-48 hours before your photos.
Don’t let this list freak you out. It’s okay if you literally can’t do any of these things. We got you.
Everyone who comes to our studio leaves saying “wow, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” because our anticipatory anxiety about picture day is always worse than actual picture day.
Photo session checklist
Got your outfit picked out? Some options to choose from? Get them packed and ready to go. Use a garment bag or have them on hangers to prevent wrinkles. We’ve got a clothing steamer in case wrinkles happen. We have a dressing room for changing into your clothes. Bring matching bottoms and even shoes for your top clothes, even if they won’t show in the photo: it will give you options for the photos and you’ll feel more complete in general, which will show in your facial expression.
Grab any jewelry you’ll want to wear and a case or bag to bring them in.
Come with your hair and makeup done and ready to go, but bring anything you might need for touching yourself up. Our dressing room has a vanity mirror and some styling products in case you forgot something.
We’ve got snacks, drinks, a restroom, and plenty of toiletries and other things you might need to feel comfortable and ready to go!
During your shoot, remember:
This photo is about your personality above all else, so focus on letting us help you get a natural smile across in the photos. The things we tend to focus on when seeing photos of ourselves can always be retouched, so don’t worry about:
Flyaway hairs
One eye looking bigger than the other
Yellowing teeth
A crooked smile or nose or other feature
Breakouts, redness, and shine
You can look at the photos as they are taken, and pictures you don’t like can be deleted on the spot, so if you really hate them, you’ll never have to see them again and they don’t exist anymore.
If you want to book a reshoot with us, you’ll get 15% off, but trust us, most people don’t need to!
And now that you’re ready for your headshot