In this digital and online age, corporate headshots have become more important than ever for businesses. Studies show that a website is more appealing and trustworthy to consumers if it contains photos of yourself and your business partners. Therefore, you want to make the most of your look in your portrait photo. With that in mind, here is a list of important tips you should keep in mind when having your corporate headshot taken.
#1 – YOUR CLOTHES
Choosing the clothes that you plan to wear in your corporate headshot should be your starting point. What you wear in your photo will help establish the message you want your business to portray. Obviously, you want to look professional. T-shirts with funny sayings or pictures are not a good idea. While they may be funny in person, they will get cut off or look silly in a professional photo. Also steer away from brand logos. You want to look like your own individual brand, instead of somebody else’s. Patterns and thin stripes don’t work well on camera or computer screens either because they can create a rippling pattern. You can wear stripe shirt under your suit or sport coat. You also can wear subtle striped suits just as long as they are not too bold. You don’t want your clothes to be too busy on camera. The simpler the wardrobe, the better it will appear on camera. You are trying to look like someone who is successful and approachable.
#2 – YOUR HAIR
You definitely don’t want your hair to look messy. Good grooming is a must for your corporate photo. How you look sends a message to potential consumers. If you look like you don’t have time to keep yourself personally groomed, you may be perceived as someone who also doesn’t have time to be organized and efficient in their work tasks. Bring a hair brush or comb to your shoot and use it! You don’t want to have a bunch of straggly strands. Alan Weissman Photography studio offers retouching services and can certainly do touch-ups, but photoshopping hair can be difficult since hair strands tend to make so many different lines in many directions. Help us out out by assuring your hair looks professional.
#3 – YOUR MAKE-UP
Keep in mind that this is supposed to look like a professional shot of you at work. Consequently, this photo should look the way you look at work. You’d be surprised how many people don’t get that. They show up to their shoot looking all glammed up like they are going out for a night on the town with heavy make-up. Wrong! A nice natural shot always looks best. Keep this in mind when you are applying your make-up. An overboard look that you may use for a special night out won’t work for a corporate headshot. You should try to keep it clean and fresh. If you normally wear red lipstick to the office, then that’s fine, but don’t go for a new bold color if it doesn’t look like the “normal” you at work. After all, the point of this session is to assure that your picture is a good representation of the real YOU! Our professional makeup artist will work with you to get the perfect look. They will be at your side throughout the entire session to keep an eye on your hair as well as your makeup.
#4 – YOUR BEST SIDE
When it comes to photography, we all have a “good” side and a “bad” side. No one has a completely symmetrical face. Some people are aware of their good side, but others aren’t. If you’re not sure, start asking your friends and family which side they think is your best. Alan will be able to tell which side you photograph best on. Don’t be afraid to ask and then take advantage of that knowledge. Similarly, if there is a part of your face that you are self-conscious about, speak up and tell us. Do not stay quiet and then dislike your photo forever because that part of your face is glaring at you in the photo. Also, some people think that they have one eye that tends to look smaller in a picture. Be sure to point this out before you start your photo shoot, so Alan can shoot your eyes with the right proportions. He is skilled at taking your picture with the correct eye closest to the camera. Remember, we are professionals. You can share anything with us without being embarrassed. Chances are we’ve heard it before.
#5 – YOUR SMILE
A friendly and trustworthy smile can be a tricky thing to capture in a picture. Most people tend to tense up a bit when they are directly asked to smile on command. This ends up making your smile look somewhat forced. Instead of trying to fake a smile, think of something funny that makes you smile or laugh. In doing this, you will display a more natural and genuine expression that will attract people to you and your business. It will also help your smile come through in your eyes, instead of just in your mouth, making it look more genuine. If you are a person who doesn’t like their teeth, be sure to mention this before your shoot begins. Alan is skilled at helping people to smile with their mouths closed. The right smile will portray the image you are sending to those that are interested in doing business with you. Alan is funny and he will make you smile so not to worry.
#6 – YOUR EYE WEAR
People often ask if they should wear their glasses in a photo or if they should take them off. Here’s a simple way to decide. If you normally wear glasses at work and people are used to seeing you in them, then you should definitely wear them. However, if you only wear your glasses for reading and most people don’t see you wearing them, then you will need to make the decision beforehand about whether you want to wear them in your picture or not. If you decide that you aren’t going to wear your glasses, be sure that you take them off at least an hour before you have your photo taken. This will prevent you from having indentations on either side of your nose. On the other hand, if you decide that you do want to wear your glasses, make sure that you clean them extremely well first. You don’t want them to have dust, fingerprints, hair, or other smudges on them. Be sure they are spotless. It’s really important to see your eyes in a picture, so you’ll want to make sure they are shown off in the best way possible.
#7 – YOUR ACCESSORIES
The same concept should be applied to any other accessories you may be considering wearing in your corporate photo. If you don’t normally wear colorful jewelry at work, then don’t suddenly decide to experiment. If you always wear a bowtie to work, this is not the time to suddenly switch to a necktie. Apply the same common sense to other accessories such as hats, scarves, or suspenders. Look the way you will when you first meet a new client. You want people to feel as though they recognize you.
#8 - YOUR REFLECTION
Lastly, the most important tip you can apply is giving yourself a once-over before you have any pictures taken. This means checking your hair, clothes, glasses, make-up, and accessories before the camera even starts clicking. More than likely, Alan has never met you before. He does not know what your typical look is like, but you do. It’s a good idea to make sure you’re happy with the way you look. Check to make sure your hair looks good, there isn’t any food in your teeth, and you haven’t missed a button. Once you are happy with your reflection, it’s GO-time. Relax and enjoy yourself. A picture is worth a thousand words.