Tips for Business Portraits & Professional Headshots

Tips for Business Portraits & Professional Headshots - Durham & Raleigh Professional

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- General Tips

• Tell us your expectations and intentions. Let us know what kind of look you want
• Tell us how and where the photo will be used (so we can be sure it's appropriate)
• Drink lots of water and be well rested (so your eyes will not have dark cirlces)
• Your skin might not look it's best after drug/alcohol use. Try to abstain from these before your shoot
• Arrive on time. Please do not arrive more than 10 minutes early (we may have other clients scheduled before you) unless you are scheduled to have MakeUp and/or Hair services provided in studio.
• Please call if you are running late or arrive early

What to Wear - Everyone

• Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you look great
• Make sure your jacket and shirt fit you well. A poor fitting jacket or shirt will be obvious in the photos (especially around the neck)
• Don't overdress
• Turtlenecks are almost always a bad idea (since they crowd the face)
• Clothes should be neatly pressed and should look new or like new
• Avoid busy patterns and large lines/stripes
• Blue/green/turquoise shirts/blouses or accents can help emphasize blue/green/hazel eyes

What to Wear - Men

• The standard business look is a suit jacket, dress shirt and tie
• A casual business look is often a jacket and open dress shirt, shirt and tie (no jacket), or dress shirt on it's own
• Polo shirts are a good look for some businesses. Be sure the shirt is in good condition and fits well
• For a no-jacket casual look, bring colored shirts - ideally darker than your skin tone
• A white dress shirt by itself is a bad idea - unless you plan to wear it underneath something (jacket or sweater)
• Bring a few different jackets, shirt colors and ties so we have choices for the photo

What to Wear - Women

• Avoid big prints and busy patterns
• Different necklines will change the apparent shape of your face. Bring a variety different shirts/blouses to see what works best
• For a no-jacket casual look, bring various colored blouses - ideally darker than your skin tone
• Be stylish and fashionable, but remember the picture is about your face and not your clothes or jewelry
• Sleeveless tops/dresses can draw attention to your shoulders/arms. Consider bringing items with a variety of different sleeves

Remember: Select and wear clothes that make you feel comfortable. Select something that makes you look and feel good.

Jewelry

• Keep jewelry extremely simple - small is better
• Avoid jewelry that would distract from your face or that looks dated
• The picture is about your face, not your jewelry
• Consider if facial piercings or multiple ear piercings are appropriate for where your photo will be displayed

What to Bring

• Your previous headshots (so we can improve)
• Sample headshots to help communicate the look you want
• Favorite Music (iPod/MP3 player, phone, thumb-drive)
• Various changes of clothing (see above)
• A good attitude
• Lip balm
• Hair brush/comb
• Makeup and hair products you prefer (especially if you have allergies)

Hair and Makeup Tips

• Make-up should be clean and natural
• Wear a heavy layer of translucent powder - your face will appear flawless in photos. Shine disappears, pores seem smaller, skin looks even, and blush is smoother
• Line lips before applying matte lipstick, then reline. Don't overdo it. Dip a cotton bud in powder and run along lip line to prevent color from bleeding
• Avoid shimmers or products with lots of sparkle or shine
• Avoid frosts or overly-bright colors
• Don't get a new hair cut just before the shoot (you may want to let it grow-in a bit or get used to styling a new cut)
• Do not try/use any new product on your hair, face or body the day before or few days before your shoot. In case you have a bad reaction to the product

Please Arrive With

• Hair styled and makeup already applied (if not using makeup artist)

Using Professional Headshots Online

Affordable Headshots - Visit www.NCHeadShot.com

You likely have an “About Me” or “About Our Company” or “About Us” page on your website. And you certainly have a thumbnail image that you use for your social media profiles (if you’re not using a logo or brand). Occasionally you might be asked to be interviewed on a blog, or an article may be written referencing you. In each of these circumstances, you’ll want a photo of yourself displayed. In a physically disconnected world, where many of your networks and connections are made online, it’s more important than ever for people to sense your authenticity and your personality.

And you don’t want a terribly lit & slightly inebriated photo of yourself taken at a friend’s wedding, or a snapshot of you on the beach during your vacation to Costa Rica to be the way you represent yourself & your business to the world. And definitely NOT A CELLPHONE SELFIE / CELFIE.  I once had a client who wanted to use a photo of himself at an event where he was clearly snozzled – yikes!

If it’s your personal Facebook profile and you regularly update it to show a recent snapshot of you at a speaking engagement or giving a presentation, that’s one thing & you can get away with something less formal. If it’s the only headshot of you on the website of your business, that’s another thing entirely. This isn’t to say it needs to be stuffy, or nostalgic for Sears photo shoots circa 1981… you want it to reference your personality and that of your business. 

For example, if you’re an investment banker, you’d likely meet your potential clients face-to-face in some level of business attire. Maybe not a suit, but something appropriate. If you’re a bee keeper, you’re likely wearing something appropriate for that work, etc… In each of these cases it’s not much of an investment of time or money to hire a photographer to take a professional-looking headshot of you in your environment.

Usually, a professional headshot session either takes place in the studio or in the field. Personally, I like shots that aren’t against a solid white backdrop in the studio or that feel too contrived. I prefer shots taken in an appropriate environment – maybe in your office, or maybe outside with a natural backdrop.

There’s no magic formula. You don’t need to be an actor. You don’t need $1 million dollars or an entourage.

So, how do you find someone local to do this for you whose work you like? Well first, if you see a headshot you really like, and you know that it was likely taken in your area, find out who took them! Sometimes there’s an attribution, and other times you can just send an email and ask. Secondly, search for someone & review what you find.

A simple Google Search for Durham Headshot Photography or Raleigh Business Portraits in your local area would suffice.

You can expect to pay anywhere from $175 to $1500 depending on how many poses and/or outfits you want, where you live, and the experience of the photographer. The most important thing is that you find someone whose work shows the kind of headshot you’d like to end up with.

So, throw that modesty out the window, find the right photographer for you, and be happy when you’re being represented in your best light online!

NC Headshot Studio is a Durham Headshot, Business Portrait, and Commercial Photography Studio servicing the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill areas.  We are your professional headshot studio!

Creative Director / NC HeadShot Photography