Pointers for your Headshots
Making sure you look and feel your best for your portrait session is important and should be fun, not stressful. This advanced planning is key to a successful professional image and will help you really shine.
Haircuts
If your hair is short, book a trim for about a week before your session so you don’t look newly shorn. Those with longer hair can get a blowout or color touch-up a week in advance or even the day of the shoot for extra pampering.
Please note that this is not the time for anyone to try out a new hairstyle or color.
Makeup
If you usually wear makeup, keep it the same for your portraits. If you don’t usually wear makeup consider lipstick or a tinted lip balm and mascara. Enlisting the help of a professional makeup artist is worth it. Please get in touch if you need a recommendation.
If you’ve booked a session with makeup already, please arrive wearing your “everyday makeup” and the artist will enhance from there.
Hands and fingernails are also important to pay attention to, whether that means a clean-up at home or a professional manicure with a neutral color. Just know that some poses may feature your hands.
What to Wear
Start with what you would wear to meet a client. Make sure it fits you well and that you feel confident in that outfit and ready to kick some _____. It helps to wear the whole outfit you planned, including shoes, and not your “Zoom top” with shorts and flip-flops. This includes a proper foundation, whether that’s a bra or undershirt, that will help your clothes fit properly and be more flattering.
Choose a favorite top/dress/suit that is both professional and comfortable. Sleeveless tops can be tricky when photos get cropped and really are best left for those with a fitness trainer’s arms anyway. I recommend wearing colors that you love and that coordinate with your brand if you have your own business. It usually looks best to wear shades of color that contrast with your skin tone but don’t be afraid to wear bold colors or prints. Small patterns such as gingham or stripes look great on a top and add visual interest. Jewelry helps make an outfit look more put together and adds texture. Earrings are a great accent however try to avoid large dangly earrings unless they are part of your signature look.
Pocket squares, scarves, or other accessories can create variety and texture - as long as that feels “you.” When choosing a tie, don’t be shy: prints and bold colors can add great personality and contrast.
You know what you love and look good in - wear that.
Planning Ahead
For outdoor sessions, morning or evening times work best. Remember that scheduling an early morning appointment if you’re not a morning person won’t lend itself to capturing your best you. I recommend scheduling your portraits during a relatively quiet few days, not the day after returning from a trip or around a big deadline.
Illness and Weather
We can’t control either but we can communicate about both. If you feel even slightly sick the day of your portrait session, please reschedule. Even the greatest photographer cannot make you look 100% when you’re feeling crummy. Please be assured that Covid safety protocols are being properly implemented and since our team, including makeup artists, are all fully vaccinated we are no longer wearing masks at shoots. If you feel like you have any symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19, strep, flu, colds, or other contagious illnesses please call to reschedule: 202.550.2520.
If we are shooting outside and the weather is iffy I will contact you and make the call. Cloudy skies make for great portraits so we might meet anyway or decide to make an alternate date.