Getting the right look to your headshot photograph is very important. It will not only show people who you are, but how you want to be seen. It’s more important in my opinion initially than a CV as it is the first impression your customers or potential employers will have of you. It sets the tone for how you want them to view you and so whether they will decide to continue to engage with you, or not. Ultimately it is the key to your own personal branding.
Many customers or employers will do an internet search for your name to see any background they can find on you. Old and current headshot photographs will come up, so you’ll want to have some good ones on there!
If you follow my advice below, you’ll easily get the kind of shot you want them to find.

Preparation for your Headshot Photograph

Preparing for your headshot photograph is all important. Many people will have their headshot photography arranged for them. As a result they’ll generally, in my experience, just want to turn up to the shoot and hope the photographer will work their magic getting a great shot. However, there really is only so much a photographer can do. As a London headshot photographer I will create sympathetic lighting, use lenses that give lovely crisp effects, have a good background and post process your headshot beautifully. Even so, unless I know you personally, or have plenty of time to talk to you and take some test shots, I won’t know how you would like to be photographed. Generally I will get a few minutes per person, not enough time to talk through all the options. By this time it is also too late to get different clothes or change the way you look.
As a result, having a think through how you’d like to be photographed well before you arrive for your headshot will make a huge difference to whether you get a headshot you love and will use for many years to come, or get one you won’t be proud of.

What to Wear

It’s very important you wear not only something that presents how you want to be seen, but also that you are comfortable in.
Do you want to look businesslike or relaxed and casual? Rather than thinking about how you’d like to look, think about who will be looking at your headshot and how you’d like them to see you. Do you want to stand out from the crowd, or blend in?
Make sure whatever you wear is clean and freshly pressed if that’s the look you are after. Avoid stripes and patterns as they tend to draw the eye.
The same is true of wearing white. The eye is drawn to the lightest thing in a photograph, so I would avoid white shirts or tops unless worn under a jacket. Again with a white top, if the headshot is on a white background, then it will blend in making you look a bit like a floating head!
Flesh colours and pastels don’t tend to be very good either, mid tones are generally the best.
Having said that, if you have a colour that suits you best, then that’s what you should wear, as long as it isn’t white!
Have a think about a neckline that suits you and avoid bare arms. You can make a statement with jewellery, tattoos and very colourful outfits, though it’s important to think about how you will feel about your headshot in six months, or even a few years time. Remember, the internet has a very long memory!

Other Things to Think About Before your Headshot

Make up

I’ve often been asked if I can supply a make up artist for the shoot. I certainly can and know some very good ones. However, on the occasions I have used one I have had mixed results. Generally, unless you can do a trial with the makeup artist, it’s best not to experiment on the day. Doing your makeup yourself means you will get the results you want and look the way you will expect. It’s also worth mentioning that the camera doesn’t either shed or add on any pounds to you, so just do your makeup the way you’d like it!

Hair

Having a good and clean shave, if that’s the way you want to look, is a good idea for the guys, and I wouldn’t advise a haircut or hair colouring in the week before.

Glasses

Do you wear glasses? If so it’s a good idea to decide if you want to wear them for the headshot or not. I can alternatively do some shots with them and without.
If you aren’t going to wear them for your headshot, or if you are going to have a mix of shots with them on and off, then it’s very important to take your glasses off shortly before your headshot so there are no marks on your face from the nose pads.

How You Want to Come Across in your Headshot

You are very welcome to talk to me when we do your headshot, about how you want to come across. However it is worth having a think about it beforehand, and maybe talk it through with your partner, or a close friend, so you come prepared. For instance, do you have a best side? Do you turn a certain way when you do a selfie? Do you like photographs of yourself smiling, or do you prefer a more enigmatic look?

Things to do Just Before Your Headshot

A visit to the bathroom to look in the mirror to check makeup, hair and straighten any clothes is always a very good idea. It’s also good to take some deep breaths and just stretch a little as most people are understandably a bit tense before a headshot. Looking hunched up isn’t a good look in a headshot! Posture is very important.
As I’ve mentioned above, remember to take your glasses off if you aren’t going to wear them for your headshot, or if you are going to have a mix of shots with them on and off.

In Conclusion

Most people are quite nervous about being photographed for a headshot. It’s totally understandable, however, this often comes from a fear of the unknown and a concern I may have you do something embarrassing, or make you look silly. Rest assured none of these things will happen on a shoot with me as the photographer. No one likes being photographed in front of their work colleagues, so I try to avoid that, though unfortunately it is often unavoidable.
When taking your headshot, I will get you comfortable in front of the camera, chat briefly about how you want to look and then get cracking on the shots themselves. It generally only takes a minute or two, though sometimes longer if you want to try a couple of different looks.

It’s worth mentioning I’ve purposely not separated this article into men & women sections as there is so much overlap now depending on the industry I am shooting for.

If you enjoyed this article , then you might find a couple of other ones I’ve written interesting too. Here’s one about the different types of headshots. Here’s one from a headshot shoot I did for the Publishers Association.

If you are considering booking me as your headshot photographer, then you can use my contact page to ask any questions, get a quote, or to book me.

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Knowing What Kind of Headshot Photography You’d Like

Backdrop headshots

These are fairly straight forward in that they are photographed on a plain background of some sort, often white or grey, with the subject looking to camera. The type of backdrop can be a brand colour or just neutral. These sorts of shots are good for when you need headshot photography for a large team, if you are short of time to get the photographs done or if you need them doing regularly because you have team members changing. They can also be done in a variety of locations, wherever a small headshot studio can be set up. This is often in a canteen or a meeting room where there is plenty of space. It’s important to remember that plug sockets will be needed too.
My personal preference is for grey rather than white as white will often wash out the subject, whereas grey lends a bit of depth to the shot.
A backdrop headshot doesn’t have to be formal, it can be quite informal given a bit of time to work with the subject. Most people are a little stressed by the idea of being photographed. For a formal shot it doesn’t take much time to relax a subject and get the shot, but for a more informal shot it really helps to have a bit of time. Here’s a link to another blog post with more backdrop headshots.

Environmental Headshots

These are similar to backdrop headshots in that the subject is generally looking to camera. However, rather than having a plain background, the immediate environment is in the photograph. This style of shot brings a lot more to the photograph. I particularly like using a short depth of field so the subject is sharp but the rest of the photo is slightly blurred. This brings the viewers attention straight onto the subject while the feel of the photograph is still informed by the choice of background. The title photograph at the top of this article is an example of an environmental headshot.
Choosing the background is obviously important, while as a headshot photographer I would need to consider carefully what light we could work with depending on the location.

Natural or Documentary Headshots

Now we come to my particular favourite. It’s not always possible to shoot like this, and it won’t always suit what’s needed. However, to my mind documentary headshots are the most natural and relaxed form of headshot. This shows off the subject at their best, when they aren’t focusing on the fact they are being photographed. With natural or documentary headshots generally I look to get a group of people in a situation where they can relax and stop thinking about the fact they are being photographed. This can be in a meeting situation or just standing talking to someone. Either way it takes their mind away from being photographed and makes them look much more natural.
It’s often possible to shoot this way with natural light too, which adds to the feel of the shots.

Other Things to Consider

When organising headshot photography it’s important to talk everything through with your photographer so the shoot goes smoothly. I like to have a good chat through the different options and give some advice on timings, clothes and how to get the most out of the shoot. Generally I advise subjects to wear something they feel comfortable in or something that projects what they want to show. However, it does look best if subjects wear darker clothing as light clothes can wash out the skin tones and draw the eye away from the face. Stripes and patterns are generally best left at home and a quick trip to the bathroom before being photographed to check hair, makeup and straighten clothes is a good idea. I have in the past occasionally used a makeup artist, but it is my experience that generally people do their own makeup the way they like it, so changing it at the last minute might not work.
Setting up for a shoot usually takes between half an hour to an hour depending on the conditions, so it’s important to consider that when booking out any meeting rooms and booking the time of the first shot. Getting equipment in and out of the location is also worth talking to your photographer about too.

Conclusion

The single most important thing when starting the process of getting headshots done is to choose the right photographer for you. The right photographer will not only take great shots the way you want them, but will also be organised, professional and reliable, all important factors when arranging a shoot. They will talk through the different options taking into account your needs and how you want to present yourselves. I like to plan well, so on the day the shoot goes smoothly and I’m thinking about the photography rather than the arrangements, as they have been sorted in advance.
I hope this has been of use. If you’d like to see more of my work then a good place to look is my blog, and also my FAQ’s. You can also get in touch with me direct through my contact page.

Equipment I Use

Finally, in case you’re interested, I like to use a variety of different photographic headshot equipment. As a London event photographer I have a whole range of kit to choose from. The main piece of kit will be my 85mm telephoto lens, which gives a beautiful portrait feel to the shot as well as a lovely short depth of field, or bokeh as photographers call it. I use Fuji cameras and Godox flash heads with a variety of light diffusers for the subject and the background.
Where I can I like to use natural light a it gives a beautiful soft feel. Though if I am photographing several people and possibly more at a later date I will use flash as natural light changes constantly meaning each shot will feel different. A wonderful thing for photographers, but not what you want for headshots that are all going to sit together on the page of a website or publication.

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