Essential Tips for a Successful Headshot Session

Mike Black PhotowWorks
3 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

You've scheduled your headshot session with the photographer, so what's next?

What should you wear?

How long will the session last?

When will you receive your photos?

My Mac's internal dictionary defines a headshot as "A photograph of a person's head." Nicely put, LOL! It seems straightforward and appears simple, but capturing a photo of you that looks fresh and modern (or traditional, depending on your desired style) and appeals to your target market requires significant skill. A professional photographer accomplishes exactly that, providing you with what you need.

Note - I can work either on location or just as comfortably in a studio. In both settings, I utilize studio and natural light to craft your image.

Cinematic-style headshot, exuding confidence and professionalism. Head of Google Cloud Consulting, Saudi Arabia

A photo of a real estate salesperson, captured on-site, final image, and the client's use of the photo for branding.

What should I wear?

Opt for solids, simple stripes, or subtle patterns; avoid overly trendy styles unless that's your goal. The emphasis of the #headshot is on you and the image you wish to convey.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/b5fb2b_895e1eac02654f6092cdead2dd8caa6c/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Behind the scenes - reviewing photos during the session

How long will the session take, and what does that include? A typical session can last between 25 - 30 minutes, covering wardrobe changes, warm-up shots, and main photos. During the session, we will periodically review the photos to ensure we are going in the right direction in terms of angle, facial expressions, body language, (my wife has a knack for closing her eyes in almost every #photo, ha!).

When will I receive my photos and how?

After the photo shoot, there are two stages.

Stage 1: Involves a quick colour adjustment and uploading of images to a secure, password-protected third-party website, where you can choose your selections.

Stage 2: The choices you make are then subsequently edited to enhance your images, this includes minor exposure tweaks, blemish removal, adjustments to stray curls or staticly charged hairs, or smoothing of expression lines, razor burns, etc. But you will be kept looking like you and not a glassed over proxy. This applies to both individual and group/company-wide #headshots. The process is typically expedited by choosing your preferred shots during the session for larger amounts of people. For company wide headhsots of 15 or people, where speed is of the essence, editing it kept to a minimum and can be adjusted on a case by case basis.

All final images are prepared and delivered in resolutions suitable for both web and print ("Lo" and "Hi resolution).