Being prepared for your headshot will help you feel more relaxed for the shoot and lead to a more successful headshot. Below are some suggestions to make the best of headshot opportunities.
Goal: Identify the goal of your headshot.
- Are you planning to use this for social media, a website, portfolio, conference bulletin, specific circumstance, etc.?
- Who is your audience and what message are you trying to portray?
- Consider your current/future industry and the common trends/expectations for headshots.
- Are there societal/cultural norms regarding clothing and personal appearance that you need to take into consideration?
Considerations for Your Look: Here are some pointers to help you start thinking about the look you would like to portray.
- Headshots are shot from the waist up, so focus primarily on your head and shoulders area.
- While most backgrounds used are neutral colors, it is a good idea to find out the color and/or pattern of the background being used prior to the session.
- We will use a gray marble background for the Graduate Student Appreciation Week headshots, so please take that into consideration when selecting clothing.
- Wear something that is professional but also makes you feel confident and comfortable. While there may be some industries in which it is appropriate to dress casually, the general rule of thumb for a headshot is to dress business professional.
- Take trends into consideration. Is it going to be some time before you think you will have another opportunity for a headshot? If so, you may consider wearing trend-proof staples and jewelry (if applicable).
- Does your clothing have any logos, branding, buttons, etc. on it? If so, consider the message this is portraying and if it aligns with your goals for the headshot.
- If you are wearing layers, such as a dress shirt under a jacket or sweater or undershirt under a dress shirt, try them on before the headshot and review how they look in the mirror to make sure the layers are creating the look that you want.
- Would you prefer to wear your glasses or contacts? If glasses, are they the pair that you like? Are the lenses clean?
- Do you need to iron and/or lint roll your clothes?
- Are you packing your clothes and bringing them with you rather than wearing them all day? If so, consider how you will pack them to prevent wrinkles.
- Do a once over of your clothing to see if you notice any snags, holes, frayed collars, missing buttons, etc.
- If you have facial hair, make sure it is to your preference.
- If you are having your hair cut, consider scheduling a week or two in advance to make sure it turns out the way you would like, and if not, you have time to adjust.
- If wearing make-up, consider how your choices show up on camera, coordinate with your clothing, and if it is portraying the look you were going for.
Identify Preferences: If you are not sure where to start, look at past photos of yourself and identify what you liked about them.
- Were you wearing a specific color?
- Did you like the angle at which the photo was taken or at which you were standing/sitting?
- Do you prefer one side over the other?
- Did you like the way your hair was styled?
- If this doesn’t help, consider looking on websites to see example headshots of people in your industry or institution.