Headshots for Men - How to Prepare for a Successful Photoshoot

Having a professional headshot is very important in today’s world of digital resumes and social media. We have become a very visual society. Whether you are online building your business network, developing important business relationships or looking for a job; your headshot says a lot about you. We might like to think that we can be objective and see through the headshot and only rely on a person’s skills and experience. However, there is always that underlying message that we received upon the headshot’s first glance. If you’re contemplating updating your photos, here are some quick tips on how to prepare for your business headshots.

Be Yourself

The absolutely most important thing to remember when choosing what to wear for you photoshoot, no matter what type, is to wear something that you feel good in. Being in front of the camera is awkward enough for most people; you don't want your clothing to make you more self conscious.

Stay Consistent with Your Branding

Take a few minutes to think about the tone you want to project in your business headshots. Depending on the culture of your company, you may want to come across as hip, friendly or creative. Or, if you work in professional services, you may prefer to project an air of formality, knowledge and trustworthiness. The location of the photo shoot (in a studio or on location) will also have a bearing on your best camera-ready outfit.

Keep it Simple

Wear clothing that is not seasonal. You want to look relevant all year round. Also, try not to be too trendy, unless you want to update your photo every year or two.

Clothing

This might sound like common sense, but it needs to be mentioned. Wear clothes that fit and are free of wrinkles. Clothes that are too big make you look bigger and sloppy. Clothes that are too small bunch up and look awkward. Wrinkled clothes look unprofessional and are very difficult to remove with retouching.

Try to stay away from anything with bold, distracting patterns or colors. 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. Ties look best when their tone lands between the suit and the shirt-- so 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.

If you don't wear a tie, choose a non-white shirt if possible: white shirts without a jacket and tie to break them up can lose detail in the color and folds. And if you wear a button-down shirt, it's best to wear a jacket or sweater of some kind to layer the look. If not, choose a darker color shirt or something with pockets or details to avoid it looking like a head floating on a blank, boxy shirt, and unbutton a button or two. And make sure we can't see your undershirt beneath the button-down shirt: wear a v-neck or no undershirt at all.

Consider a stylist if you need help choosing your outfit. I recommend Beth Divine of Divine Style. She can give you a simple consultation, go shopping with or for you or even go through your closet and give you a complete revamp. Nordstrom also has a great styling department and has virtual options.

Hair

Don’t cut or dye your hair right before the shoot, since stylists tend to cut hair a little shorter so it looks like it's at its proper length about 1-2 weeks later. Some shades of freshly colored hair can look too vibrant and unnatural on camera, especially a hair color with any red tones-- drawing more attention to your hair than your face. Colored hair looks more natural after 1-2 weeks’ worth of shampooing.

If you have a beard, trim it evenly so it’s nicely groomed. If you’re going clean-shaven, get a good shave before your headshot. Darker colored beards tend to be accentuated in photos- trim it well so it's not too thick. Knowing that plucking can leave red marks, and bleaching can irritate skin, be sure to do these things a couple of days before your session.

Your Smile

Your smile is the most important business tool and we will be encouraging you to laugh and smile naturally during your session. Research has also proved that people look longer at a smiling face than one that isn’t. Don't worry, I will get you to smile and look natural in front of the camera.

With this in mind you may like to book an appointment with your dental hygienist to give your teeth that all important polish and brush up to make your pearly’s look even more fantastic.

Glasses

If you normally wear glasses and have a strong prescription, or glasses with no anti reflection coating, we do advise that you visit your opticians and either borrow a pair of blank frames or or get them to remove your lenses for the shoot. As we can have problems with reflection and refraction. I'll shoot some shots with and some without glasses if you prefer. You might like to bring along a couple of pairs of frames.

Know What You Want

If you need more than the basic head and shoulders shot, think ahead about what you want. Don't worry if you are not certain about this, I can help you figure this out when you get here if you don’t have any ideas.

Don't Rush

For a lot of people having their photograph taken is already a stressful event, so set yourself up to minimize your stress. Arrange your day so that you arrive on time. It's important that we go at a comfortable pace and not feel rushed during our shoot.

Communicate

Be in communication with us before your session if you have any questions or need advice.

I hope you found these tips on what to wear for business headshots helpful.  If you have any questions, please contact me before your shoot. I’m always happy to get your feedback so please let us know what your thoughts and by typing in your comments below.

Updated Jan. 2021