Your portrait is your first point of contact, it’s your first impression, it’s your brand, your image, your signature. Let's have a succesful Shoot!
Needs to Look like you!
Inspiration
Gather a collection of some portraits. What do you like about them? What is the person wearing? How are they standing? Take notes, figure out what you like and then use that to inspire your shoot. It's important to not imitate rather than to give you a sense of direction.
Portraits should capture the ‘essence’ of the person in the image. In short it needs to look like you on a good day. Dress as you would when meeting a client! Be yourself, and don’t alter your dress or makeup/hair specifically for the photos. Basically, we want to make sure you look as natural to yourself as possible.
Looking confident when you're uncomfortable
Communication
Make sure your goals for your headshot are clearly defined and articulated to me before the day of the shoot. What will these images be used for, website, promotional materials, resume? How do you want to be perceived as, in charged, intelligent, friendly etc. What part of your personality would you like reflected in your photos? .
Taking headshots can feel incredibly invasive and uncomfortable. You don't need to be looking at the camera for every shot. Look away, try smiling, laughing and not smiling at all. Practice in front of a miror and be yourself. I will help you look your best!
Tips to help you achieve the best images
• Clothing
When choosing clothing for your professional portrait, think classic. Wear clothing that fits snugly and shows the natural curves of your body. Most clothing that isn't fitted and can appear boxy in a photo. Wearing neutral colors for your headshot will draw viewer to your face and not what you're wearing. Neutral colors that compliment your skin tone eyes such as gray navy, pink, and earth tones. If you want to go bold, think of jewel-tones such as royal purple, sapphire blue, emerald green, and Ruby red, these colors tend to be flattering. Avoid color too close to your skin color. If the picture is small or seen far from far away, it can appear as if you're not wearing clothes. Layering clothing looks pleasant and is more slimming than most non layered items. Avoid busy prints or strong lines. Simple jewelry and accessory that don't draw the eye works well. A classic fitted sweater works better than something bulky.
Take time the night before to Iron shirt, dress, and or pants. It can make a difference in the photographs.
• Make up
A natural look always works best. Don’t go overboard, what you’d do for a big night out, probably won’t work for a headshot. If you normally wear a strong lipstick, then that's fine, but don’t go for a bold look if you don’t normally look like that. After all you want the image to be a good professional representation of yourself.
But I do want you to know cameras can diminish features and look dull. (if really is a fine line, so just be careful.) Accent eyes by applying bolder makeup to those areas. For example, if you normally use Brown eyeliner or mascara, use a shade of black this time. Make sure your makeup is blended well and balanced. Be careful to not to overdo in one specific area. Oil blotting wipes can be your best friend for removing excess shine. Chapstick is another good item to keeps lips moist and plump for the camera.
• Grooming
Manicured finger tips: Your hands will be in some of the images, we want them to look well maintained. A natural trimmed polished look is suitable. If nails are painted with nail polish, make sure it’s not chipped.
Have a clean eyebrow framing your face.
Brush your hair and put any light product for flyaways.
Trim any nose hair and brush your teeth before the shoot.
• Did you know I use to model clothes when I was in my teens. Some tips stood out and I want to share so you can look your best. Don’t worry, you don’t have to remember all of these. I will remind you, I just want you to feel confident before the shoot.
Face: Relax, tension will show. The eyes are said to be the window of the soul. Therefore, nothing is more important than achieving sharp, crisp eyes in the shot. Establishing a strong connection will speak volumes. So, when your looking into the camera, look thoughtful. Squint a tad bit as if your about to laugh. I was trained to keep noise towards the light. finding the light, it will help illuminate your face. Relax your mouth and keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth. It will help your profile look leaner. Also extending your head towards will eliminate any unwanted double chin.
Hands: Think of ballerina hands. Soft and delegate. It’s always best to show the side of your hand towards the camera rather than the flat surface. Relax your fingers. If you don’t know what to do with your hand, grab or hold on to something.
Limbs: When in doubt, bend. Bend your knee, bend your arms and tilt your head. It makes more of a natural picture. Separate your arms from your body. We tend to keep arms squished against our bodies, which makes us look bigger than we are.
Sitting: It's important to keep good posture when sitting. Keep back straight roll your shoulder back.
Stands: Put weight on one leg and shift. Bring leg out and rest hand on leg. This should be your default stands. Cross one leg over the other or touch both knees together to help accentuate the s-curve.
