One of the best ways to be sure you get all the shots you need on your shoot is to be super-prepared. This encompasses making sure you’ve taken care of your skin and hair the night before, choosing the right wardrobe, and having each look you’ll want to be shot in ready-to-go before the shoot even starts.

But even though you should prepare ahead of time, you should also be ready to improvise and go with the flow.

Many of the best headshots come from an easy-going collaborative relationship between the photographer and the subject. Click here to get headshots with me in NYC today!

If you’re prepared with an idea of what you want, the photographer will be able to focus on making you look your best (that way, he or she doesn’t have to play the role of stylist as well).

The night before the shoot, make sure to get PLENTY OF REST! The best make-up artists in the world have trouble covering up the tell-tale signs of a late night.  Don’t do any crazy new beauty routines or try any new products that you might be allergic to. Also, complete your normal routine with your hair.

Ladies: wear your hair as you would to an audition; natural-looking is much better than over-teased, over-sprayed and over-done (unless that’s the look you’re going for!)
Guys: for facial hair, shave as you normally would. If you sometimes have a bit of facial hair and sometimes are clean-shaven, leave it scruffy for the first part of the shoot, and then bring a razor to clean it up for the second part. This is a super easy way to get two drastically different looks out of a single shoot.

The last part of preparation is wardrobe. A good rule of thumb is to bring a couple of different looks – solid colors with attractive but not too revealing necklines work best. Men should bring a couple simple sweaters and/or nice-looking crew-neck options and a couple of button-down options. Ladies should bring a few sleeveless options and a few options with sleeves.

Your photographer should have a good idea of what clothes will look best in what location (for instance, outdoors would be a more casual, commercial look, and indoors would be for more dramatic or theatrical attire). Make sure that what you bring is clean, pressed, and looking new! Fabrics that are old, worn, or fading will only draw attention away from your stunning face!

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By: JM Spafford, Headshot Photographer

Tags: headshot tips, JM Spafford