When it comes to headshots, there are various styles that can be considered. Depending on the desired professional image and the field of business, a certain type of shot might work best for an individual. It all depends on specific requirements and preferences.

Whichever style you go for, we make sure you look the best you can.

You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. 

Choosing your outfit for your headshot photography session can have a big impact on the way the photos turn out, and you want to make sure to select clothing that will be comfortable and attractive at the same time. The goal with the headshot is to make you appear confident, and emphasise your face and your eyes instead of the clothing.

Sometimes, people get too caught up by choosing cute and trendy clothing, and it causes the picture to look unprofessional or amateur because of the clothing choices. Making poor clothing choices can actually detract from your face, and have a negative impact on the effectiveness of your headshot photo. So, it is a good idea to read through these guidelines before you choose your clothing for the photo shoot, and also talk with your photographer to select the best outfit for your session.

With any headshot photo shoot, you want to make sure that the clothes are clean and wrinkle free before you begin. Also, pay attention to the way your clothing fits, because the wrong fit can look funny in the photo. One of the most common fitting problems happens when people wear clothing that is too small. So, if you have an older outfit that you love, you might need to choose different clothing if you have recently gained weight.

Avoid wrinkled or bulky clothing, because it can look unprofessional in the photo. When you are wearing overly bulky sweaters or clothing, they can look rumpled and make you look fatter than you are in reality.

You may be tempted to choose a chic, trendy outfit, but try to stay away from funky or styles that can become quickly outdated. It is better to choose classic clothes instead of a modern trend, because the classic styles are usually more appropriate for most professions.

In terms of colour, it is important to stay away from patterns on the fabric, because the patterns can detract from your face. So, don’t choose a shirt with floral print, checkers, polka dots, stripes, or any other type of pattern on the fabric. These patterns will make the photo too “busy” and they can be very distracting.

Stick with darker colours instead of lighter colours, because the darker or mid-tone colours tend to put more emphasis on your eyes and smile, instead of the clothing. Always avoid lighter colours that are too similar to your skin tone, because they can make you appear washed out.

It is best to wear colours that are contrasting to your skin, so if you have medium or darker coloured skin tones, then you should avoid the earthy colours that are very similar to the colour of your skin.

You may consider selecting a colour that can help to bring out the colours in your eyes. For example, if you have blue eyes, then you may consider a blue or grey shirt. Or, if you have brown or green eyes, then earthy tones can be very complimentary to your eye colour.

The most important clothing selection should be the shirt or blouse that you choose, because the other clothing options won’t likely be shown in the picture. For example, don’t worry too much about your pants, because they probably won’t be seen in the photos. The goal with a headshot is to highlight your face and eyes, so headshots usually only focus on the top half of your body. If you are on a budget, then spend your money on the top and don’t spend a lot of money on the pants.

With shoes, it is better to choose a pair of shoes for comfort instead of style if you are shooting on location, because you might be doing a lot of walking as you are moving around for the photo shoot. Most likely, your feet will not be visible in the picture. If you are concerned that your shoes don’t match your outfit quite right, then you may consider bringing an extra pair of shoes that can be slipped on when you are walking, and quickly changed out for the nicer shoes when the photo shoot begins.

If you are working in a corporate environment, then it is important that you are wearing the right type of clothing that is common in an office. Many corporations have conservative dress codes, and you want to be sure that the clothing in your picture is the type of clothing that you could wear when you are going to work each day.

As a general tip for both men and women, it is best to wear long sleeves in a corporate headshot, because the bare arms are often distracting. Many people consider bare arms to be inappropriate in a corporate headshot.

For women: Make sure that your clothing is modest, because it is a bad idea to reveal too much skin in the picture. Choose a classy corporate style which shows that you are serious about your career. For example, you might choose a nice blouse or a collared shirt, paired with a suit coat and slacks or a skirt.
Also, make sure that you choose jewelry to match your outfit.

As a model, it is especially important that your clothing fits correctly, because you want to show a realistic image of your shape and size. You may consider wearing different layers of clothing, and the top layers can be removed for some of the pictures.

For men: As a model, you generally want to stay away from corporate clothing that looks too professional. If you plan to wear a collared shirt, you may consider making it a little more casual by leaving the top button open and not wearing a tie. Or, you can choose another style of shirt if you don’t want to wear a collar. It is a good idea to stay away from crew neck or v-neck shirts, because it is difficult to make those shirts look good in a headshot photo.

For women: If you do a lot of beauty or skin product modeling, then you may consider natural photos that show more skin than regular headshot photos. Even though it is generally advised to keep your shoulders and arms covered in headshot photos, it can be advantageous to have modeling photos that show a little more skin. In some of the photos, you may consider wearing a spaghetti strap tank top or a tube top to show off the lines on your neck and shoulders.

There are many opinions about the types of clothing that you should wear for a headshot photo session, and it is important to talk with your photographer before making your decision. Sharing details about the purpose of the session can help your photographer to create the right types of photos, and they can advise you on the clothing choices that you should bring with you.

Keep in mind that you may encounter specific situations where you may want to “break” one of the rules for headshots. You may find situations where a funky style headshot can be more beneficial than a basic headshot, so it is nice to have several options available to choose from. In most situations, these guidelines should be followed, but there are occasional situations where it might make sense to change some of your clothing choices in order to accommodate a specific job that you are applying for.

What is a Good Retouch?

When it comes to using Photoshop, there are a few steps that can be used for a good retouch. One of the first steps that should be considered is the lighting of the photo, because the dark/light contrast can make a big difference in the way the details within the picture “pop.” Instead of simply using automatic Photoshop retouching, an experienced Photographer will take the time to retouch each photo by hand, using tools such as dodge & burn, plugins for additional Photoshop functions, brightness and contrast adjustments, and cropping, just to name a few.