Headshot Preparation

Have a headshot session coming up soon? What should you wear? Should you bring make-up? How should you prepare for your studio session?

Choose your background

(or your clothing…)
When choosing your attire, think about what background you want, or which one you have been told to use (if a corporation is going for a standard “look” across all photos)
Your choice in clothing can stand out or disappear depending on your background choices.
Tulip Tree Indy shoots mini-session headshots with white/grey/black backgrounds.

Dress for Success

Before you head to the studio for your headshot- you should consider where your final image will be distributed, and the audience you are trying to reach. A lawer and aspiring artist will have vastly different clothing choices for their headshots.  The best rule of thumb is to wear what your clients will expect you to be wearing when you shake hands for the first time. This way, your headshot becomes that first impression, which you reinforce at the first meeting.

Make-up

A light amount of makeup can help reduce shine created by bright flashes in a studio. Beyond that- you should follow the same rule as above, and present yourself as you think your audience will meet you for the first time in person. If you have an existing makeup style, keep that. If you never wear makeup, don’t start now!

Comb & Lint

No matter how good you look when you walk out the door on the way to your headshot session- life happens. Bring a comb or brush, and consider a lint roller as well. A good camera with bright lighting will pick up stray hairs, dust, dandruff, pet fur, and pretty much anything else from the environment – and put it in your photo. Don’t have your session ruined by out of place hair, or some dust and grunkles from lunch.