One of the best things about having your headshot taken, is we’ll only see what you’re wearing from the waist up, which makes the process of selecting an outfit much more simple!
The entire discussion of what to wear for your professional headshot can really be simplified down to one question:
What does your prospective client expect you to be wearing?
The goal of a professional headshot is to begin to introduce yourself to someone you hope to network with, or otherwise do business with. Often that first interaction takes place as they see your profile photo on Linkedin, or on your company website.
Ask yourself what sort of expectation that person has about you and your profession. If they’re looking for a local plumber, will it seem natural for a plumber to be dressed in a suit jacket and tie in their profile photo? Or, maybe a plumber will stand out by wearing something that’s UN-expected!
If you’re located in the Pacific Northwest, so would normally wear a Patagonia vest and flannel shirt, but all of your business is with professionals in Dallas or New York, you might consider a suit jacket and tie. If all of your business is carried out in Bellingham or Everett, you might consider losing the jacket.
Take a quick look at how your competition generally dresses in their headshot picture. If you’re a business banker, it might be a great first impression if you’re dressed for business. If on the other hand you’re a graphic designer, something a bit more casual would probably fit well.
Even though this will probably be your online introduction to the business world, ask yourself this:
If I were walking into a meeting with this person, what would be the appropriate dress code?
Some other details to think about:
-Make sure you aren’t wearing this shirt for the first time, and it’s full of fold crease lines.
-Don’t choose the uncomfortable shirt. If it doesn’t really fit, or never feels good, don’t wear it for your headshot. It’ll be really hard to look and feel natural.
-Avoid bright colors and reflective materials. Unless there’s a particular reason to do so, bright colors will draw the eye away from your face.
-Stay away from tones that match your skin tone.
-Avoid anything with too low a cut. It can be hard to get the correct crop in your photo when a shirt is cut too low.
-Long sleeves are usually better than short sleeves. Skin draws the eye, so it’s usually best to have the face be the center of attention in a headshot photo.
-Avoid aggressive or complex patterns. Sometimes fine stripes or lines can start to do funny things in the digital image, and we want to avoid that.
-Stay away from logos or other brand marks. Unless it’s the logo of your company on your polo shirt, and you want it included in the photo.
-Check yourself for lint, dandruff, cat hair, mustard, tears, etc before the shoot. We can edit out some distractions, but not when there’s too much. We’ll look you over as well before we start the session.
-For the ladies, pick an outfit that doesn’t pronounce bra lines. Either in your choice of top or undergarment.
-Glasses are usually fine, and if you always wear them, let’s keep them on in the photo. We can usually light in such a way that glare isn’t a problem. If it is, one trick we’ll sometimes use is to have you bring along a frame that can have the lenses popped out.
-With jewelry, simple is usually better.
-Makeup should be applied as you naturally do. There’s no need to apply extra for the camera.
-Usually we avoid hats, but sometimes that’s part of someone’s image, and we can definitely work with it. A hat is definitely better than really bad hat hair!
