Preparing for your shoot is pretty simple and straightforward. Get a good night’s sleep, stay hydrated, avoid excessive alcohol the day before – these are all good tips for arriving at your headshot session looking your best.
That aside, regard it as something lighthearted and fun - just an enjoyable way to spend a bit of time. That way, you’ll be relaxed and stress free when you arrive, and you’ll be in the perfect mindset to be natural, self-assured and confident when you step in front of the camera
WHAT TO WEAR
Feel free to bring a change of outfit or two with you. It’s better to bring too much than too little for choice on the day, but please make sure everything is crease free and give it a good brush to remove lint, hairs, etc if necessary.
Solid colours without a pattern and in a simple design are best (preferably medium to dark colours that won’t draw attention from your face - in fact, the earth tones always tend to work well). Don’t worry about them being seasonal, either - the most important thing is that you feel good wearing what you bring.
THE FORMALITIES
All of the above comments apply equally to more formal clothing, such as suits and sports jackets. (And let’s face it - whilst a lot of us are working from home, we still need to show the world our corporate face at times.)
Best to avoid any bold patterns that draw attention from your face, and stick with either very simple patterns or - better still - plain colours (again, medium to dark) that compliment your looks and make you feel great! With regard to bold patterns it’s the same with shirts, by the way. Avoid them when selecting what to wear.
MAKE-UP
The best approach is to keep it both natural and simple. A light application of concealer and foundation is fine, but avoid heavy applications of powder as it can have the effect of deadening studio lighting. It’s probably best to avoid anything more than the subtlest of eyeshadow too.
It’s not a problem if you want to pop on some lippy, shade in your eyebrows and wear mascara though, and using just a very light blusher for a healthy glow is fine too. I’d suggest avoiding eyeliner, which can be intrusive in very detailed images. If in doubt - less is more!
HAIR
If you’re planning a haircut, I would allow it a week or so to ‘settle down’ before your photoshoot. Use your normal hair products, though - generally speaking, just wear your hair how you like it the best as you’ll feel and look your most confident.
The challenge from a photography perspective is often flyaways, which can be time consuming in post-production. It’s therefore really helpful if you can bear this in mind when preparing. If necessary, there’ll be a variety of products in the studio to tame any wildness - and you’re more than welcome to bring your own!
SHAVNG & BEARDAGE
You’re welcome to come unshaven for your photoshoot if you like or normally sport the stubble look; alternatively if you want to look clean shaven then you know what to do. Give this some thought, though, in the context of what you want to use your headshots for (or just bring an electric shaver and go for both).
Beards should be as you want them to appear in your shots (so, if you like your beard to look neatly trimmed then attend to it immediately before the photoshoot so it looks it’s best).
A QUICK WORD ABOUT JEWELLERY…
I don’t recommend jewellery because it’ll distract from you, and for a headshot you’re the only part of the image that matters. If you really must, though, a simple pair of earrings (studs, for example) is probably going to be okay.
However - for headshots at least - necklaces, drop earrings etc will detract from what we’re trying to achieve so are best left at home.