Professional Head-Shots

Tips for your headshot session

 The way you feel behind the camera will impact how you appear in your photos, so consider formal clothing options that make you feel good about yourself. If you need an extra boost of confidence, stick with formal options like suits, ties and formal blouses.
   Consider the different people you interact with during the working day, and what clothing is most appropriate in each of those settings. Do you tend to wear the same types of outfits regardless of who you’re interacting with, or do you tailor your clothing choices to your audience?
  If you regularly interact with different types of people throughout your day which is often the case for entrepreneurs, consultants and salespeople make sure you have a headshot that fits each of your audiences. Instead of trying to match all possible professional scenarios to one outfit for your headshots, make sure to get multiple photos in different outfits. That strategy guarantees that you’re always wearing the right clothes in your professional headshot.
  For better or worse, clothing traditionally perceived as more masculine including trousers, blazers and suit jackets in darker hues can have a significant impact on perceptions of intelligence and ability, especially when it comes to people in management and leadership positions.
 Everyone has one favorite piece of clothing that they’ll wear again and again but over time, even the nicest blouses and shirts will begin to show signs of wear. This is especially true of brightly-colored clothing or knitted fabrics, which could fade or show  signs of pilling of each time it’s washed. To ensure your clothes make you look tailored and put together, opt for newer clothing or “dry clean only” items that won’t show these tell-tale signs of wear. 
The best professional headshots enhance your natural features without distracting from them. For this reason, simple jewelry is a better choice for professional headshots especially if your headshot will be cropped closely to your face. 
  So long as you have the right make up and hair for your headshot session, jewelry should just be a “finishing touch.” For necklaces, make sure the pendant is visible above the crop of the photo. For earrings, stick with simple metallic or gemstone studs, and wear dangling earrings with caution. Hoop earrings and anything that dangles tends to be caught in hair and gets lost in the photo. 
  Color theory refers to the science of how certain colors influence our moods, thoughts and behaviors and how certain wardrobe hues can influence what other believe about us. For instance, red conveys confidence and energy, whereas navy blue and black elicits a sense of dominance and authority. Think about what message you want to convey in your professional headshots and select colors accordingly.
  If your headshot is destined for a corporate website, keep in mind that headshots are typically cropped closely around your head and face. So, even work-appropriate tops, with lower necklines, could end up looking more provocative than you intended. 
For men who plan to wear a button-up shirt, make sure the buttons won’t connect below the crop of the photo. Women in particular are perceived to be less competent if their clothing is considered provocative or revealing, so blouses and tops with higher necklines are best. 
 The same goes for collared shirts and blouses. If you plan to wear a collared shirt buttoned to the top, make sure it fits snugly around your neck. Loosely-fitted collars leave distracting gaps that draw attention away from your features. 
 What you wear for your professional headshot session has a big influence on what those photos will say about you but nothing matters as much as the quality of your photographer.