Professional Headshots : How to Prepare
Imagine trying to get in the door with a new customer through a cold call, or trying to soothe a frustrated help desk customer. A strong headshot can establish immediate trust where words sometimes fail. Begin by accepting the importance of a strong headshot in a digital work environment.
Think about your personality for a moment, and how you want to come across in a professional setting. This can help to guide decision-making in the lead up to your session. Consulting a friend is very useful for this part.
Choose an outfit that will allow you to come across how you want to be seen. Check your shirt for stains. Iron your shirt. Clean your glasses, Try your outfit on beforehand, make sure you like how it looks in the mirror.
Your images will primarily appear in a tight crop on a small screen. Your face, hair, glasses, earrings, necklace matter the most. Your shoes will not be in the photo, but we all want to see the leopard print Keds, and wearing them may inspire the charismatic smile we all hoped for!
Consider scheduling a haircut/dye job/styling beforehand, if you like to do such things, and are able.
If you plan to wear makeup, do a practice run before the day of.
If you generally shave your face, consider shaving the morning before the session.
Drink lots of water and get good sleep in the lead up to the session. This will keep you looking and feeling your best.
Try to arrive onsite a bit early so you don’t feel the stress of rushing. Sometimes the camera can pick up that sort of stress.
Plan to stop by the restroom on your way over to take a peek in the mirror.
During the session we will try a few different things as far as posing is concerned, so that when we review your images we have choices.
After your session the headshot will be professionally retouched in a naturalistic fashion.