What to expect during your headshot session

The Gist

Most people dread having their picture taken, and I get it. It can be stressful. The version of ourselves we see in mirrors, and more importantly, the version of ourselves that is seen by others, can be tricky to portray in a photograph. Cameras and lenses do strange things to people and things. The glass inside of camera lenses are all sorts of combinations of concave and convex and can distort the things they photograph. 

I study the impact all of this stuff has on faces. It’s a core part of my job and it’s one of the reasons why I am obsessed with creating headshots. I want to make sure everyone looks great in their headshot and feels great about it. I am constantly experimenting with camera angles, distances and posing positions that complement everyone. 

The tips and tricks in this guide should put you at ease before your session. The one thing I can promise is that I work hard to create a relaxed, judgment free zone. I am going to concentrate on you and what you need, and not be fumbling with my equipment or mindlessly walking through the process. 

What to Wear

The most frequently asked question about headshot sessions is “what should I wear?” and in my opinion, there isn’t a simple answer. It all depends on who you want your headshot to introduce you to and how you want to portray yourself. Some sitters have a specific style or appearance to keep. Others might get a lot of mileage out of a more versatile outfit.

There is one thing I want you to keep in mind as you consider your outfits:

Your headshot is supposed to introduce you to New People.

The main purpose of a headshot is to introduce yourself, your likeness, your professionalism and your personality to new people. Or at least people you have just recently met and they are trying to get back in touch with you.

“Oh yea! This is the them. We met at that cocktail party..” 

Or, they see your headshot pop up in a sea of google search results for optometrists near them and they think, “wow, she looks someone I can trust and her office is nearby. I will give her a try.” 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great when lifelong friends and family dig your headshot. That sort of social reinforcement is a critical part of the human experience. 

But your headshot is going to be most valuable when it’s relatable to people you barely know but you want them to know you more. 

So, when deciding on your outfit, think of the best way to make your first impression to an important person you are about to meet. This might call for a suit and tie, or a blouse or a crisp white T-shirt. 

It all depends on your situation. Call me if you have any questions though. I’m always happy to talk shop: 401-741-5720. 

Also, if you want your headshot to last a few years try to avoid accessories or styles that “of the moment.” They can date your headshot pretty quickly. 

During the Session

Once you’re here and ready for your session I will help make some final adjustments to hair and outfits (straighten that tie!) and walk you through the set. I’ll show you where to stand and look, go over a few simple posing techniques and get you comfortable amongst the gear. 

Your homebase will kind of look like this:

I like to call that homebase and I will probably reference it a couple of times during your session. 

Feel free to ask questions about how all the gear works, too. I like to teach and I’m usually highly caffeinated and willing to yabber away all day about it.

My Posing Tips

I’ll be honest, I am pretty light on posing instructions. I will get you settled and help calm any nerves you might have and then I am going to simply observe how you naturally present yourself to the camera. In fact, I will probably learn more during our initial conversation before you even get in front of the camera because you won’t be preoccupied about “posing for a camera.” 

Most of us try to present our best selves during conversations. It’s my job to pay attention to those cues and translate them into a great headshot. How you like to shift your weight, what you naturally do with your hands, which side of your face you tend to favor. These are all subtly revealed during regular conversations between humans. 

Luckily, how someone portrays themselves during a regular conversation or interaction with another human is the exact sort of way I like to portray people in their headshot. 

I will for sure start with some posing basics once you are standing at homebase. For some reason a person’s body language can change a lot during the three or four feet they travel from our initial conversation to homebase under the lights. It’s like some sort of switch goes off. I will help make whatever changes need to be made to bring you back to your best, natural self.

Less can usually Be More

There’s a million ways to pose people for headshots. I find that less instruction can usually be more beneficial. I provide a basic framework for presenting yourself to camera and then we work together from there. Typically, the less that you and I have to concentrate on, the better. 

We will take a few images at a time. I will then invite you over to the laptop to check out how the initial photos are going. The initial photos usually give us a great idea of what is and isn’t working. We can compare notes, walk you back off the cliff if necessary and get back to work emphasizing what worked and deemphasizing what didn’t. It’s a collaborative process I will be there to work through it with you all the way. 

Image Review & Selection

After a couple short rounds of image creation, I will quickly cull through the collection and show you the top candidates for review and selection. The best of the bunch have a way of standing out amongst the crowd. 

That’s usually what makes them great. We will probably already have what we need at this point but if not, we will both return to homebase and keep working until we get what you need. 

Pretty much everyone I have ever photographed is impressed with how they look under my lights and in their headshots. The images you see during review and selection will be “straight outta camera” as we in the industry like to say, and you are going to surprised by how well you look.

Image Retouching

Your selection will be marked as a favorite and will receive my typical retouch and “Finishing’ before its delivered for use. I like to remove blemishes, deemphasize wrinkles and dial back some of the exacting details that can be captured by todays high resolution cameras and super sharp lenses. I strive to make headshots that depict you as your best self. 

My lighting, posing tips, bed side manner during the session and retouching techniques all combine to make a fun, approachable and natural headshot. 

Behind the Scenes

By the way, if you are part of a group session I might ask you to grab some behind the scenes photos or video footage of your colleagues making their way through the Headshot Station. 

We’re all used to “creating content” these days and client created behind the scenes footage usually makes for an entertaining recap of office “Picture Day.” 

If I bring my iphone gimbal stabilizer feel free to take it for a spin before or after your session, too. I’ll give you a run down of how it works and set you loose. 

Whatever it takes!