In conclusion, preparing for your professional studio portrait doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By following a few simple guidelines—choosing the right outfit, styling your hair and makeup to reflect your everyday look, staying relaxed, and selecting images that highlight your natural confidence—you can ensure a successful and stress-free photoshoot. Remember, this is your opportunity to showcase the professional side of you, so focus on what makes you feel comfortable and authentic. Trust the expertise of your photographer and enjoy the process, knowing that you’re in good hands. You’ve got this!
HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT:
MAKING YOUR DESIGNS COME TO LIFE:
Essential Tips for a Confident and Successful Photo Shoot
Introduction
As you’re preparing for your professional headshot you may have questions, or you may even be a bit nervous. We are just here to say, “You got this!” You’re a professional and we are too. We’ve worked with thousands of people within our studio and have the art of the headshot down to a science. The overall guiding principle comes in remembering that this is a corporate portrait. There won’t be any stark contrasts or poses; this is just an extension of you being the professional you are every day!
What to Wear
First and foremost, ask your marketing or business development contact if they have dress requirements for you and your team. We have clients that request a specific dress code for their team members, such as men need a tie, or executives wear something different than managers. Be sure to understand these before selecting your outfit.
Secondly, be sure that you wear something that you’re comfortable in and makes you feel like yourself. If you aren’t in front of the camera often, getting a professional headshot might feel like a little unnatural, so choosing clothes you love and feel confident in takes you just one step further into looking like a natural in the studio.
How to Style Hair and Makeup
For ladies, hair and makeup should generally be styled as you normally would on a day-to-day basis, or maybe slightly more “done up”. Too much makeup can come across as fake or very bold and distract from the professional nature of your headshot.
For men, all hair and facial hair should be neatly groomed and trimmed and styled to the degree you would for meeting an important client. If it’s been a moment since you’ve had a good haircut, do your future self a favor and get one (from a trusted barber) before your portrait.
When you arrive to the studio, but before you step in front of the camera, your photographer will allow you to take one final look to make sure you look just how you want to before the shutter starts clicking. Just a heads up, no matter your gender, your photographer might ask you to dull the shine on your face with an oil blotting sheet; this is not meant to be an insult but instead is to make your photo the best it can be before going to the editor.
1. Your photographer will lead you to stand on a mark.
2. She will capture a test shot or two to make sure the lighting hasn’t changed since setting up. You don’t have to smile for this, but you could make a funny face to break the ice!
3. Now smile! You’re on camera. The photographer will instruct you on how to pose, looking through the camera to make sure this looks natural and adjusting you if not.
4. She will take 5-10 photos then adjust you into a new pose and capture that one as well. Adjust and shoot, and so on until you have two poses facing three directions each. (Depending on your company’s guidelines.)
5. Done!
If this sounds daunting, know that you can take breaks to shake it out, relax the smile that has become painful, or blink your eyes one hundred times. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you need a moment!
If you are having the worst time of your life, we understand the feeling. You can request fewer poses and we can make the most of the beginning of your portrait session. We find that as time goes on, the photos do not get better if you’re miserable. We will do all we can to make the process as easy and painless as possible.
How to Choose Your Final Images
Once you’ve completed your photoshoot, your photographer may give you sheets of your raw images (called proofs) to choose your favorite ones. If you find yourself looking at 30 different images that all seem nearly identical, how do you know which ones to choose?
Firstly, don’t pay attention to small, editable details like a stray hair somewhere or the glare on your glasses. These can all fade away during the post-production phase. Look for the photos where you look the most natural, your face is happy and relaxed, and your posing makes you look and feel confident. Most clients get to choose two photos to send to editing, so if you must choose multiple favorites, consider choosing two different poses or with your face to different sides to give you some variety.
Conclusion
If you have special considerations for your portrait or other questions that we didn’t answer here, feel free to reach out to your marketing lead or contact us at newbusiness@studio13online.com. We are more than happy to help you love your next professional portrait.