So you have decided to take the all important step to up your game with some great professional headshots. That’s really the most important decision. There are a few things, though, that you can do (or not do) that can seriously affect the results of your headshot session and leave you less than thrilled with your images. Check out the list below and find out some critical missteps that, although easy to avoid, are hazardous to your headshot happiness.
YOUR CLOTHES
Wardrobe is a HUGE part of the success of a headshot session. The style of clothing can define your brand and make or break the overall look. Here are a few mistakes we see people making.
- Not bringing enough options: If you roll into even a simple headshot session with only the clothes on your back, you are rolling the dice. A spilled coffee or a busted seam can derail the whole proceedings. Make sure to bring a backup outfit, even to a one-look session. If you have a larger session, bring more than you think you need.
- Not bringing clean, pressed clothes. Photoshop can do some marvelous things, but removing wrinkles form your shirt, jacket, and slacks is extremely time consuming and very often ends up looks pretty weird in the final image. Clothes are made of fibers that all have a texture to them. Once you start monkeying around with small, tightly knit patterns in the editing process, the results can be questionable. Always a safe bet to steam, iron, or dry-clean your items ahead of time.
- Forgetting To Pack Your Clothes in the Car. This might sound silly, but the number of times a client has shown up to the studio and realized they forgot to put their garment bag or suitcase in the car before coming would shock you. Always double check you are packed and ready to go before you hit the road. Just to be on the safe side, we always send a reminder email to you the morning of your shoot.
YOUR HAIR
Without a doubt, hair is the number one thing that people complain about in their headshots. We always take special care to make sure your hair is as good as it can be on the day, but if you don’t take steps ahead of time to make sure your hair is on point, you may end up being less than thrilled with your photos. Here are a couple of tips for you.
- Never make an extreme change to your hair right before a headshot session. Radically changing the style or color of your hair can throw a monkey wrench into the photos. You are committing to a new style by getting photos with it before you have even gotten used to how you look. The shock of seeing your new bright red hair in ultra HD can be damaging to how you feel about them.
- Don’t get a haircut within 72 hours of the shoot. That doesn’t mean don’t get a haircut, it just means that most people need a few days for a haircut to settle. We recommend if you are gonna get a haircut, to have it done 5-7 days before. The exception might be for a cropped, military-style cut or if you have a clean shaven head.
- Bring your hair tools with you. Florida weather is the best, when it’s good. The rest of the year it’s muggy and rainy. The humidity can wreck your messed laid plans so throw your straightener, hair dryer, and products in a bag and bring them along just in case.
YOUR LIFESTYLE
Listen, no one is going to judge your life choices at our studio; but that doesn’t mean that they can’t screw up your photos. If you stay up till 3am playing online poker and slamming vodka Redbulls, it’s safe to say you won’t look your best in your headshots. And although you may love your time on the lake, that lovely shade of lobster red is not going to play well on your law firms website. Here are a couple of things you can do to look your best leading up to your session.
- Avoid alcohol, fried foods, excessive amounts of carbs and sugar in the 4 or 5 days leading up to your session. All of these things can cause you to have blotchy, oily, skin and a puffy complexion.
- Drink a lot of water. Nothing is better at making your body run right and flush out toxins than drinking good, old-fashioned H20. It can also help your skin look clearer and healthier.
- Get some sleep. Clear your schedule of late-night shenanigans and stress as much as you can in the week leading up to your headshot session. There is enough anxiety associated with having your pictures taken already without adding exhaustion to the mix.
BONUS TIPS
- Consider a professional hair and makeup artist. They can make a HUGE difference for all genders. Does your skin tend to be red and splotchy, a good makeup artist can take care of that. Do you have naturally dark eye circles, even when rested? Not a problem for a makeup pro. It takes so much stress off the shoot and vastly improves the results.
- Make sure that the makeup you use for your session doesn’t have an SPF factor. SPF is designed to reflect harmful light away from your face. When it comes to photography, it can actually make you look more shiny than if you weren’t wearing any makeup at all.
- Give yourself plenty of time on the day of your session. If you schedule your life back to back, take the opportunity to clear a couple of hours before and after so that you aren’t rushed. Photo shoots can have a flow to them and being in a hurry can change the mood and the results.
- If you have contact lenses or naturally dry eyes, make sure to bring your eye drops.
- Don’t wear the clothes you want to be photographed in to the session. Spills, sweat, wrinkles, and more can be avoided by dressing comfortably and casually for the drive. We have a luxuriously appointed changing room for you with the AC cranking.
