Preparing For A Headshot Session

by Thomas B. Marketing Professional

Preparing for a headshot session

So, preparing for a headshot session is as simple as rocking up in your favourite t-shirt and letting the photographer work some magic right? Well, sort of, but there are a few things you can do to make the whole thing go as smoothly as possible. Here are some thoughts on the matter.

Get a good nights sleep.

This may sound obvious but being well rested is going to go a long way to help looking your best on headshot day. Yes you want to hit the local dive bar the night before and nobody wants to turn down a tray of shots BUT if you get a good solid nights sleep the night before then your body and the camera will thank you for it. The camera has an uncanny nose for the hungover. Get some good rest and enjoy a craft ale/mojito/pimms after the shoot. You don’t get your headshots done everyday. Make it count.

Choose the right headshot photographer.

Different headshot photographers take different kinds of headshots. They’re not all the same these days. |t is no longer the simple black and white 10 by 8 of the 90s.

Take a good look at the kind of work your photographer does. Do they specialise in actors headshots? Dancers portraits? Does their style of work suit your look and personality? Do they have a cinematic air that perhaps doesn’t suit your love for classical theatre? It is really important to find the right photographer FOR YOU. Its also really worth looking into how long they shoot for. Some photographers shoot actors headshots in a hour. Others like to shoot for a sprawling 3 hours and get more creative. Make sure you find how long your session will be and what to expect. Finally this may sound obvious but check out their work on instagram. See what they are currently putting out. You will get a good taste of what they are like as a photographer.

What should I wear??

Well this is a big question and everyone will give you a different answer. Things to think about are who you are and how do you want to be perceived. What sort of clothing best represents you? Also, what do you feel most “yourself” wearing. You’re going to look chilled and relaxed in the jacket you’ve worn on a hundred nights out and fits your shape perfectly. You might feel less at ease in a new cardi you’ve just picked up from a high street store. Bring lots of options. Your photographer will thank you for it. Colour is great. Dont be afraid of it. Different necklines, textures, collars etc are all very useful. Give yourself and your photographer the best opportunity to take some excellent pictures. Also think about how you are selling yourself and what your casting type is. If you get in the room for lots of tough labourers then make sure you pack your torn jeans and paint stained hoodie. If you mainly play young professionals then keep a smart well pressed shirt close at hand. Have a good think about who you are and how you want to sell yourself.

Hair and make up and other acts of personal grooming.

Should I wear full make up? Should I bring a make up artist? Should I shave during the session? Will I have time to change my hair mid session? Or will this eat in to our shoot time? They are all excellent questions and all ones you should ask your headshot photographer. Find out if they have the facilities for shaving. Some professional photographers just like to work outside with natural light so in that situation you are unlikely to have access to a sink. Some photographers will work with a make up artist that they trust so do your best to find out who that is and do you like the work they produce too. Ideally you will have time to offer as many style changes as you like during your session. Just touch base with your photographer and make sure you are on the same page. Personally I think you need to appear in your photos as you might look when you enter an audition space.

So my closing thoughts are…

Be prepared

Choose the right photographer for you

Be yourself

The rest is in the lap of the gods. ( and whomever you selected to take your picture )

Ben Wulf

https://benwulfphotography.co.uk