Tips to a Great Headshot

As you know, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”  Consider what you want your image to say about you.  For the most part I hope that you want others to see a confident, positive, friendly, honest and approachable person that they’ll want to meet and do business with.  

• Tip number one: Check out the photographers work. Do the elements of the images, the way they capture expressions, the lighting, the colors and the angles, look the way you want your images to look?

• Tip number two: Get a haircut 3 days to a week before the shoot. This way, the cut will grow in a little and give a more natural look.

• Tip number three: Plan your outfit in advance. If anything needs dry cleaning or ironing, take care of it. It is the little things that can throw off a great photo. Wrinkles can be distracting, expensive to retouch and can be taken care of in five minutes with a hot iron.

• Tip number four: Wear what you feel comfortable in. Clothing should simply enhance you and your features and keep the focus of attention on your face. A brand new outfit, if it doesn’t fit right or makes you feel awkward, can make you tense. Don’t be too seasonal. Bring a few different outfits. But don’t bring something that you don’t like. Remember that being more conservative for your headshot wardrobe is often better. Stay away from crazy patterns.

• Tip number four: Man or woman, I seriously consider booking the services of a professional make up artist who can be on hand throughout your shoot and ensure you’re looking your absolute best. Since you are already investing in the process, don’t you want to protect and optimize your investment?

• Tip number five: Get a good night rest and plan your shoot for the morning. Nothing worse than being bleary eyed, puffy and tired during a shoot. For that matter, shooting in the morning helps avoid some of the distractions that can kill a late afternoon shoot.

• Tip number six: Don’t be so critical of yourself! We shoot a lot of frames during a session and, often, use the frames we just shot as a reference point for the next series of pictures. Let the photographer give you directions and, if you see something that you hate, relax. Remember to breath. That is only one frame out of …well… a bunch! We’ll shoot more and, if you are open to experimenting, you may find a new look that you hadn’t considered before.

• Tip number seven: You have heard it before: Relax! No one has died at one of my photoshoots. My lens has never broken from someone’s image. And no one has ever turned to stone. Breath and enjoy an experience that doesn’t need to happen every day. It’s an adventure!

How to choose a Headshot Photographer...

No matter what line of work you are in, it is essential that you have a headshot that shows the world who you are.  Since most people like to see who they will be doing business with and will probably find you online, it's important that you not only get noticed but that you also appear confident, trustworthy and approachable.  In order to have a great first impression you will have to invest in the service of a professional that will help you to put your best face forward.

What will it Cost?

As with most things, you probably want to understand what it cost to get a quality headshot.   Rates vary widely as with most services.  I have seen rates as low as $75. but I know a headshot photographer that charges $3,000. for a session.  You may be wondering what could make such a big difference.  It will boil down to a number of things: experience of the photographer; number of outfit changes; if hair and makeup are included; number of images; are images edited/retouched; the quality of the images and the quality of the service.  Most photographers will offer 3-4 different packages and you can choose the package that best suits your needs.  Make sure you take a look at a photographers website before choosing, to be sure you like the work they do.  

What to expect from your session.

Before you start your session, be clear on what you will receive, what it will cost, when and how you will receive your images.  Also, make sure the photographer knows what your images are for: Website profile; Business cards; Real estate or Corporate; Modeling; Acting; or even if it's just for a social media avatar.  A clear understanding will help to ensure that what you are paying for is exactly what you need. 

The most important thing when choosing a photographer is that you feel comfortable with them, because it will definitely show in your images.

I hope that helps answer some of the many questions you may have if you are looking for a photographer.  If you have comments or questions please feel free to contact me.  

If you are in need of a headshot and you are in the Miami area I'd love to help you out.   Thank you for your time.

When is it time to Take New Headshots?

If you are using a selfie for your profile or did you cropped someone out of a picture because you liked that photo of yourself and you usually don’t like yourself in pictures?  It's Definitely Time !!!

As a general rule, every year or 2 should be fine.  If you still look like your headshot it should be okay.

1. Changed your hair: You have a different hair style or your old hair style is outdated.

2. You have noticeable changes to your appearance:  If you’ve had plastic surgery or lost or gained a significant amount of weight. 

3. You have aged: It is unprofessional to lie about your age in your headshot. So, if you don’t look like your headshot…  It’s time.

4. Fashion trends change: Don’t wear something too seasonal or trendy. If your clothing feels outdated, it’s time for an update. 

5. Headshot trend shifts: At one time black and white headshots were popular. If you present a black and white shot today, it may seem as if you haven’t had your headshots updated since 2005. If you’ll be using your headshot online, your image will show up for them as small thumbnail image. You may want your main picture with a tighter crop on the face so that the eyes can be easier seen easier. A three-quarters shot won’t stand out as much in an online gallery of headshots.

6. Your old shots don’t represent the real you: Do your headshots represent your personality and physicality, or are they just generic pretty shots? 

7. Your old headshots are unprofessional: Do your shots make you look inexperienced and like you didn’t invest in yourself? Who would take you seriously if you haven’t invested the time and money to present yourself as serious and professional?

Tips&Advice — A Better Headshot

For my first blog post on this site, I'll begin with a little advice on how to get the best possible images out of your session.

1. Start with your photographer - Make sure you like their work;  the angles, the colors and the expressions that they capture in their images.  Make sure they understand what you want.
2. Make sure that you are well rested.
3. Drink more water
4. Make sure your wardrobe compliment the look you want and are not to busy or trendy.
5. Make sure your clothes are clean and wrinkle-free

If you have a couple of minutes, 6 to be exact, here's a video i found that offers some great advice on preparing for a headshot session.

A simple 8-step checklist to help actors to prepare for their next shoot, covering everything from clothing and hair/makeup to casting types, briefing your photographer, and the Don'ts The next in my 'Take Control of Your Headshots' series looks at how to prepare to make the most your next headshot shoot.