3 Tips For Getting Great Professional Headshots
You've lined up a professional headshot photographer whose work you love. There's a date lined up, and everything is a go. You want it all to go flawlessly, but you may wonder exactly what you can do to ensure it goes off without a hitch. Here are three tips you'll want to follow.
Don't Go Overboard With Your Clothing
Professional headshots are about letting folks know what you look like, and the focus for your shoot should be on your face. It can be tempting to make a shoot a little more glamorous, but you should be very careful about what you choose to wear.
For example, an outfit that has a lot of sparkles or white areas may create trouble for a photographer in dealing with light levels. It also can distract from your face, reducing recall by folks who see your picture. Similarly, you don't want to wear the most "wow" outfit you have.
Take Care of Your Skin
If you're not currently using a quality abrasive scrub, you should start at least a couple of weeks before your conduct a shoot. Moisturizing is also important, and make a point to avoid using scrubs or exfoliants on the day of your shoot. Remember, if you don't have a good base for your skin, it's going to be hard to use makeup to fix things. No one wants a breakout of acne, for example, on the day of a shoot, so try to get your skin regimen together early in the process.
Makeup Tips
Even if you don't see yourself as the kind of person who uses makeup, it helps to have it. Adding more makeup than normal may seem counterintuitive, but it's wise to exaggerate a bit because cameras often struggle to pick up tones with the same vibrancy we see in real life.
The majority of camera flashes and strobes are calibrated to color temperatures close to sunlight, so assume that artificial and natural lighting options will have similar makeup needs. It's also prudent to have a makeup artist on hand during a shoot to ensure that adjustments can be made to compensate for light conditions. If you can't afford one, take the time to search for pointers from a makeup artist online who handles a lot of photography work. Some photographers may also offer help with makeup, but you'll definitely want to see evidence of their work.