Headshot tips
Having your photograph taken for work doesn’t have to be a horrible experience. Lets be honest, most people don’t like having their photo taken, which is fair enough because we aren’t all supermodels. In saying that, with the right lighting and preparation (see ideas below) you can still put your best face forward.
Tips on how to prepare for your headshot shoot
- Hair – either styled by yourself or a professional. If you choose to go to a professional, make sure you go to your usual hairdresser. They know how you like it.
- Makeup – makeup should be clean and professional, ideally applied by a professional if you lack the skills (we can recommend some great local salons).
- Clothing – if you wear a uniform make sure it is well pressed. If you wear your own clothes, make sure they suit your occupation and suit your shape. We aren’t massive fans of white because it’s hard to photograph – especially against a white background. Often people want their headshots quite close up so consider wearing something that has a nice feature that will be visible – ie collar or neckline. Wear something you feel confident in – confidence looks good on everyone.
- Make sure you’re not rushing to get to your headshot appointment. A lot of people get nervous at the thought of having their photo taken and rushing will only add to the nerves. Please give yourself enough time to keep the stress levels down.
We like to photograph people with a nice even, soft diffused light that we can 100% assure you is flattering. We use either studio light or natural light. In Photoshop (yes we do love and use Photoshop for all our shoots) we do basic colour corrections and a little bit of ‘smoothing’ on the skin to fix up any minor imperfections. We don’t use Photoshop to create or modify anyone to look anything other than their natural best.
Your photo could be used for many years to come. It could be on websites, email signatures and even in print… So make the effort and you will be rewarded for it 🙂 Most importantly, think about the image you’d like to portray to the world – relaxed, approachable, fun, serious… are you showcasing the person your potential clients would want to bring their kids to, invest all their money with, build their dream home, trust their life with…
What a headshot can communicate
