Welcome to the World of Professional Headshots!
Congratulations on taking the first step toward a polished and professional image that truly represents you. If this is the first time you’re having your headshot taken professionally, you may be feeling a mix of excitement and nerves! Fret not - you’re in good hands. Here is a comprehensive guide of things to think about and some expert tips!
Why A Captivating Headshot Matters
Let’s be real, maybe you looked up a few “DIY headshot” tips on Pinterest and enlisted your neighbour or best friend to help you snap something LinkedIn-worthy in exchange for some homemade cookies. No shame, we love resourcefulness!
As much as we may wish it weren’t this way, we all know that in our fast-scrolling world that thrives on first impressions, a good headshot can be the difference between someone taking pause and sensing your confidence, approachability and professionalism before they’ve decided whether to assess your glorious accomplishments (I’m sure there are many!)
Whether you're navigating the corporate landscape, building your business, or establishing your online presence, a compelling headshot is your silent ambassador, making waves in a sea of faces.
Dress to Impress: Let’s Talk Wardrobe
Selecting the right wardrobe can be a huge opportunity to elevate your new headshots and step into the role you want to embody as a professional. Here are some tips to help you think through your wardrobe:
Rule of thumb: when in doubt, neutrals: In most instances, we want to select softer or neutral tone clothing that conveys professionalism and elevates us without detracting from our face. Whites, blacks, warmer neutrals (brown, beige, off white) or cool tone neutrals (softer blues etc) are typically a good go to. It may also be worth considering your brand or company’s brand colours, and working with similar tones.
Who are you as a professional? Who do you want to be? New headshots are an excellent opportunity to reflect on who you want to be as a professional. Who are you? What do you want to embody in the next phase of your career? Someone bold? Approachable? Confident?
Complementary, not distracting: avoid clothing with distracting patterns, elaborate design details or too many colours. Choose solid colours that complement your skin tone!
Accessorize thoughtfully: accessories should compliment your wardrobe and skin. Less is usually more (unless statement jewellery really is your thing!)
Try on different options, take selfies! A few days before our shoot together try on a few different options and take a few selfies to see what vibe your clothes are conveying! Most importantly you’re going to want to ensure you feel confident in whatever you choose to wear.
Facial Hair, Skin, Makeup and Hair: The Essentials
Prepare your skin
Hydrate: you’re going to want to ensure you hydrate a ton leading up to the shoot, particularly the 48 hours before! This will help your skin feel brighter and more supple. If you have a humidifier, dust off that bad boy and put him to work when you’re asleep!
Exfoliate: exfoliate your skin 1-2 times before your shoot (1 week and 48 hours prior are two good options). This will help remove any dead skin and allow your moisturizer to be used most effectively by the skin.
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Moisturize your face daily, morning and evening, leading up to the shoot - especially before you apply your makeup on shoot day.
Don’t skip the lip balm: apply lip balm regularly leading up to your shoot (I love the Blistex Lip Medix balm, available at most pharmacies). We want to avoid dry, chapped lips on shoot day!
Do NOT try a new skincare routine: when introducing a new skincare regime there is an acclimation period that can often result in acne or dryness. This is not the time to try new products!
Makeup best practices:
Strobe lights can flatten your face, bring out shine or exaggerate “flaws”. Though post-production can help with this, it’s always best to come to a shoot with your hair and makeup as thoughtfully prepared as possible.
If you’re not used to wearing makeup, I highly recommend doing a quick search for a “no makeup, makeup look” on TikTok or YouTube! Typically I find a lighter look works better than a heavily applied face of makeup.
This applies to male-identifying folks as well! A very light application of foundation, concealer or powder can help even out any redness, discolouration or shine. This may feel overwhelming, but between the women in your life and a quick search for “natural makeup for men” see if you can find one or two tips that feel manageable for you!
Here is a list of makeup essentials for any photoshoot:
Translucent/anti-shine powder: helps remove shine under lights, particularly for those with oily or combination skin type
Concealer: apply lightly to any discolouration, acne, scarring, under eye circles
Foundation: if you’re opting for foundation, ensure you bring it down to your neck and blend it out! We don’t want your face and neck being different colours!
Blush: concealer (and/or foundation) can create a one-dimensional feeling. Blush can add back in colour and dimension on the high points of your face. For those with dry skin types I recommend a cream blush, such as the MERIT or ILIA ones.
Brows: lightly fill in your brows with powder, liner or gel. Again, TikTok and YouTube will be your best friends here!
Lip Balm/Natural Lip Colours: neutral lip colours with a little oomph that compliment your natural tone and wardrobe are your best friends!
Eyeshadow is optional but mascara is recommended for female-identifying folks.
Hair
Haircut: Schedule a haircut a week before, if possible, to ensure a fresh look.
Style it to perfection: blowdry, curl, flat-iron your hair in a way that feels fabulous to you! It may be worth booking a blow out with a salon the day before or morning of! You’re also welcome to bring your styling tools and brush to the shoot if you’re worried about your hair dropping etc.
Don’t shy away from products: use hairspray, gel, mousse or whatever is needed to keep those flyaways in place and hold your style of choice. If you’re not used to styling your hair do a little research and experimentation beforehand, or consider booking in with a hairdresser to have your hair styled the day of. Remember we want the hair looking natural, not stiff and glossy (this will be picked up under the lights!)
Facial Hair, Beards etc.
Groom your beard: If a beard/moustache is a part of your every day look, ensure you trim and tidy up your facial hair a day or two before the shoot. A well-groomed beard can add character to your headshot!
Clean-shaven look: If you prefer a clean-shaven look, ensure a close shave on the day of the shoot.
Dermaplaning: for my ladies who are used to dermaplaning, doing so two days before a shoot can help your skincare products be absorbed more effectively, and help your makeup sit more smoothly. I don’t recommend doing this the day before the shoot as it can make your skin dry and flaky initially. You can get your own dermaplaning razor from Sephora. If you are NOT used to dermaplaning, now wouldn’t be the time to try it!
Important to note here is that you want to arrive to the shoot as ready as possible - particularly for corporate shoots with limited time and a line up of models!
Posing like a pro…fessional.
Hands down one of the things folks feel most nervous about is being in front of the camera. Know that this is totally normal, and that I’ll be there to guide and support you in accessing that confident, self-assured, natural and authentic version of yourself. The following is a list of things for you to try on in the mirror before our shoot together just to get practice embodying a headshot worthy stance!
Know that you only need ONE good shot: most images won’t be “the ONE”, and that’s actually totally okay! We’ll have the opportunity to take quite a few shots with adjustments to your pose and facial expression. Let yourself try different things, knowing that you only need ONE good shot.
Practice embodying confidence: in front of your mirror practice standing with your spine upright, shoulders down and back. What does it feel like to slightly lift your chin? To stand firmly planted into your feet with a stance slightly wider than your hips? Now maybe try embodying warmth, approachability - let your smile beam and shine through!
The turtle: this one might sound a little funny, but I’m going to give you a heads up on it! I might ask you to do “the turtle” - sounds weird, feels funny, looks fantastic. Essentially what you’re going to do is stand nice and tall, shoulders relaxed, and you’re going to protrude your face forward. This helps extend and define your jawline.