How to Prepare for Your Professional Headshot Session

Preparing for a professional headshot session can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. Some folks experience anxiety and nervousness, and others feel excitement. Given that a professional headshot experience isn’t cheap, achieving great results is not only a function of selecting the right headshot photographer. Preparation is key. You want to look your best, but you might not be sure where to start. The good news is that with a little advanced preparation, you can ensure that your headshot session goes smoothly and results in pictures you’ll be proud to use, display, and share.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to prepare for your professional headshot session.

• Choose the Right Outfit

  While your expression, personality, and charisma are the primary elements of a good headshot, there are other considerations. Your outfit, while complimentary to your facial expression, is an important element as well. It should reflect your professional image, reinforce the message you want your audience to receive, and align with the industry you’re in. While taste is very much a component of style, here are a few considerations as you begin your prep:

  • Stick to Solid Colors:

    Avoid busy patterns and prints. They can be distracting and pull attention away from what matters most, your expression. It’s best to stick to solid colors, interesting cuts and textures, and elements that serve to enhance your overall look and vibe. Neutral tones like navy, gray, and black are always a safe bet, but don’t be afraid to add a pop of color if it suits your personality. White is great too, depending on the overall aesthetic we are aiming for.

    Conventional wisdom as well as some other photographers advise against wearing white. The reason for this is that they have yet to master lighting their subject independently of their background. This means that the exposure is thrown off, which washes out your skin tone, color, and complexion. No one wants to look ghostly. But, if you select a professional headshot specialist as your photographer of choice, they should understand this and have the skill to work with your clothing.

  • Dress for Your Industry:

    Wouldn’t you find it odd if a medical doctor was photographed in jeans and a t-shirt? I certainly would! By that same token, I might think it strange if an HVAC technician was photographed wearing a 3-piece suit. Consider what is appropriate for your field, and how best to resonate with your target market.

    This is very much an exercise in marketing, psychology, and branding. A lawyer might choose a classic suit and tie, while a creative professional might go for something more casual. You want to align your personal and professional brand with your messaging, level of expertise, and authority. This helps to build trust and credibility.

  • Pay Attention to Fit:

    Believe it or not, men tend to make the mistake of purchasing clothes that don’t quite fit as well as they should. Most men tend to avoid clothes shopping like the plague. By the same token, many women fall into the same category.

    The last thing anyone wants is to present themselves as sloppy. When your level of expertise and ability is directly tied to your image and how your audience receives and perceives you, paying attention to how your clothing fits is quite important.

    Over my years as a professional headshot photographer, I have had clients attend their headshot sessions with clothing options that fit perfectly and present them as polished. Others have attended their sessions with clothing that is either way too large or too small for their bodies. While this could be for any number of reasons, my primary interest is in helping my clients look and feel their absolute best while presenting them with authority, credibility, finesse, nuance, and refinement. To that end, it should be stated that no one knows or cares what size or brand you are wearing. What matters is that your clothes look and feel good. This plays into the notion of living up to unrealistic standards of beauty forced on us by pop culture.

    I will be as emphatic as I can be: Please, please stop living in the court of public opinion! No one is going to tell you that they cannot work with you because you don’t wear Gucci, Brooks Brothers, or Armani. They won’t avoid working with you because of the size of your clothes. But they might avoid working with you if you present yourself as if you don’t care, or don’t make the effort to put yourself together well.

    Make sure your clothes fit well and are free of wrinkles. A tailored look is always more flattering.

• Grooming and Hygiene

  Good grooming is essential for a polished headshot. Here’s what to keep in mind:

  • Hair:

    Make sure your hair is clean, well-styled, and trimmed. If you’re due for a haircut, get it done at least one week prior to your session so it looks fresh but natural. Conventional wisdom might be that you should get your cut right before your headshot session. However, I have found that allowing a bit of time post-haircut will allow your hair to fill out a bit, making it look and feel more like you.

    Styling your hair is something that you don’t necessarily want someone else to be responsible for. No one will style your hair quite like you will. As a result, your hair may not look or feel like you intend, which might lead to a lack of confidence or constant fear of not being photogenic.

    I’ll take this opportunity to state that being photogenic is NOT your responsibility! Rather, it is the responsibility of your headshot photographer to coach and direct you into incredible headshot images.

  • Skin:

    Please take care of your skin in the days leading up to the session. Stay hydrated, moisturize, and avoid any harsh treatments that could cause irritation.

    Sometimes clients will come to their sessions with dry skin, some degree of redness or rosacea, or after a long week of tanning on a beach while on vacation. While none of these are ideal, we do find a way to make great images. However, I would strongly advise caring for your skin, especially if you have a headshot appointment in the near future.

    For some reason, many folks like the idea of appearing tan, even though their complexion is substantially different in the fall and winter. First and foremost, tanning causes skin damage and could potentially lead to forms of skin cancer. Secondly, tanning dries out the skin and causes strange and unnatural color shifting. Even spray tanning could cause unnecessary problems. My best advice is to care for your skin and have your headshot taken without artificially manipulating your skin color, tone, texture, or otherwise.

    Again, no one is saying that they will not work with you unless you have a tan. They honestly don’t care. Any sort of tanning you engage in would be for yourself. If you insist on having a tan, please wait until after your headshot session to do that. Tans don’t last that long, and they aren’t going to make you look better or flatter your facial features. They’ll just make you look darker and more red than you ordinarily would be. Also, tans don’t make you look healthier either. The truth is, they just aren’t worth it, especially not for your headshots.

  • Makeup:

    If you wear makeup, keep it natural and professional. The goal is to enhance your features without looking overly done.

    It is quite normal for my female clients to come to their headshot sessions with a full face of makeup. While they always have the option of working with my makeup artist, they choose to do their own makeup. In this case, I strongly advise to use a light hand and blend exceptionally well.

    Less is more! I know that pop culture has jaded our opinions of what good makeup should look like, just as it is with clothing or ideas of what beauty is. In reality, over-applying makeup like foundation, blush, eyeliner, eye shadow, and eyebrow products only serves to cheapen the final images and make you look less polished.

    This is not to say that makeup shouldn’t be worn. Rather, I am advising that a light hand is more beneficial.

  • Men’s Grooming:

    If you have facial hair, make sure it’s well-groomed. Shave or trim as needed to ensure a clean, sharp look.

    I usually advise gentlemen to shave the night before their headshot session to avoid being photographed with razor burn. If you happen to be the sort of gentleman who grows a 5 o’clock shadow before midnight, you’ll want to shave the morning of your headshot session. However, please be exceptionally careful when shaving. We don’t want your skin to appear overly red or irritated.

    For those with sensitive skin, shaving gels can be a lot more friendly than the normal shaving foam.

    If you happen to be the adventurous sort, please feel free to bring a razor and some shaving gel or foam to your headshot session. We can always make images with and without facial hair for some variety.

    Please also be mindful of hair both inside your nostrils and on the top of your nose. We can remove a few strays in post-processing, but you’ll feel a lot better about those images if you take care of those small details ahead of time.

• Rest and Hydrate

  A good night’s sleep and plenty of water are your best friends before a headshot session. Being well-rested and hydrated will help you look fresh and alert, with bright eyes and healthy skin.

  We all want to stay up late and watch the thrilling ending of a baseball game, football game, or reality TV show. I might suggest being a little more prudent. If you are exhausted, your pictures will look like you are.

  I know what you’re thinking: “But Rich, can’t you just Photoshop it and remove the black circles under my eyes?” Yes, we can do that, and while the techniques for doing so are relatively simple, it’s not always so easy. A little preparation on your part could save everyone time and effort, and your pictures will be substantially better.

• Communicate with Your Photographer

  Don’t be afraid to collaborate with your photographer. They can offer direction and guidance to achieve the best results.

  They can coach you on what looks good, what flatters you, and what presents you well. They can coach you on how certain expressions might resonate with viewers of your headshot photos. However, they simply cannot coach you on taste since taste is very subjective. The better your communication with your photographer, the easier it will be to achieve expressions that not only send the desired message but also represents you credibly.

• Just Be Yourself

  Finally, just be yourself. A great headshot captures your personality and authenticity, so don’t be afraid to let it shine through. Your audience has an incredibly sensitive BS meter. They know when you are trying too hard, trying to be someone you’re not, or attempting to pull the wool over their eyes. Trust your photographer, enjoy the experience, and allow yourself to have fun with it.

Preparing for your professional headshot session doesn’t have to be stressful. Undoubtedly, you’ll put a lot of thought into what you wear, but there is so much more to consider. Use this brief guide to ensure that you look and feel your best on the day of your business portrait session. The result will be headshots that you’re proud to share with the world—a true reflection of your authenticity, your truth, and your professional self.