DC branding headshots tips

As a DC Branding Photographer for small businesses and entrepreneurs, I know from experience that preparing for your upcoming headshots session is key for beautiful portraits. Professional images are a powerful tool for presenting yourself to potential clients and conveying your brand values effectively. Here are various tips to ensure effective end results from the shoot.

a collaborative process

When we are on the same page, you will get the most out of your session. Before the shoot, I send you a questionnaire and/or we can hop on a call to share your expectations in terms of the overall look and feel you would like to achieve from this. I ask questions about your company, what you do and your values.

Do you want environmental portraits shot where you do business or a solid, neutral background?

The more information I have beforehand, the easier it is to direct the session to mold to your expectations.

Your brand voice

As a business owner or entrepreneur, how you show up is part of your brand. What is the message and values you want to convey to your clients? Do you want to be seen as accessible, fun, experienced, supportive, friendly, casual, or approachable? Choose outfits based on your brand and who you want to attract.

Hair and Makeup

First: get a good night’s sleep! You want to be as fresh and relaxed as possible on picture day. Although your photographer will most likely be able to remove dark circles during editing, you should get enough sleep the night before if you wish to look truly well-rested in your photos.

Don’t go overboard with hair and makeup. This is not the time to experiment. You want a natural look that enhances your person without overwhelming so avoid sparkly or shimmery products and apply translucent powder to eliminate shine. Lipstick always looks good!

For the hair, keep it simple and choose a hairstyle that has worked for you before. If you have long hair, it often looks better when you wear it down and not pulled back.

If you are due for a cut and color, schedule it 3-5 days before the shoot and not the day before. Even though all headshots are professionally retouched, consider having your hair and makeup professionally done.

Groom your fingernails, put on nail polish if you usually do. Guys shave the morning of your shoot.

What to wear for headshots

Keep it simple

When choosing your outfit, be your usual self but a bit more stylish and fashionable. For headshots, the subject of your photograph is your face but colors and background play an important role too. Keep your outfit simple and the pattern to a minimum if you know that the environment will be busy. But if bold colors are part of your branding then let’s go all in! We want your mood and personality to come through in pictures.

Fitted clothes look best

Make sure the clothes you’re wearing are fitted. This is one of the most important tips! If your shirt or suit is too big or too small, it will not be flattering and will look unprofessional. And not everything can be retouched in post-production!

Colors and the environment

Regarding colors, neutrals and muted colors are flattering on most skin types. Black and white are usually best to avoid as they are very contrasty, as neon colors (big no!). If we are shooting outdoors, keep the season in mind and don’t blend with nature! Avoid too much green in Spring/ Summer and browns in the Fall.

Textures and layers

If you want to add depth and interest to your portrait, have different layers and textures. You can pair a shirt with a vest, a cardigan, or a sweater. Accessories like necklaces, watches, or belts can elevate your outfit. Wear a piece of jewelry (earrings, necklace) that you would be comfortable wearing on a workday. Be you!

Play with different textures like cotton, corduroy, jeans, quilted top, linen, jeans, cable-knit… Thin stripes are a bit tricky to photograph and turtlenecks or scarves don’t look good on camera.

Be yourself! You have personality and I want to see it. My job is to get you to relax and trust me so you feel comfortable enough to show me the real you. Be open to letting your personality shine through!

Want to learn more about how I can help you set your brand apart with authentic, upbeat + modern commercial photography?

Contact me here