SELECTING THE PERFECT LOOK FOR YOUR BUSINESS OR ACTOR HEADSHOT
PRE SESSION
The most challenging part of preparing for headshot sessions is trying to figure out what to wear. Overall there are no hard and fast rules, but there are many factors to consider in order to ensure that you look your best. Here are a few of my tried & tested tricks for to look your best at your photo session.
STYLING
Men often tend to wear clothing that is too big for them. A collared shirt should fit snug to the back of the neck, and should not be too baggy. Try to go for the style of collar that has a stiffer or button-down type of collar. The collar that lies flat is not a good look for a headshot. It ends up looking too casual and messy which can ruin the natural lines of your neck and chest, distracting from your face, which is the most important part of your headshot. Shirts and jackets (and pretty much all clothes) should be wrinkle-free. Photoshop is amazing, but fabrics with textures and patterns cannot be retouched well. Wrinkles can’t always be removed and they can affect the overall appearance of the shot. Long sleeve shirts need to be well-pressed and wrinkle-free. Or, if you don’t have time to have your clothes pressed, wear a well-tailored jacket over your shirt to solve that problem.
ACTORS
For gentlemen looking for what to wear for you actor headshots, always bring one dark shirt, one light shirt, one collared shirt, and then one t-shirt. If you want to show off your arms – consider a tank or tighter fitting t-shirt. Please be sure to iron all of your clothes, including your t-shirts. Know if you look better in crew neck or V neck for your t-shirt look. If you’re not sure, bring both. One is always more flattering than the other and I want to make sure that I capture all your best looks and angles.
MY TOP TIP! Iron your clothes. Never bring anything into your photo shoot that hasn’t been recently cleaned and pressed and ready for its close-up. Nothing looks messier than a wrinkled top or ill-fitted collar. It may not seem recognisable to our eyes, but the camera catches everything.
COLOURS
Keep patterns to a minimum. No logos. If your hair is greying, it may be a good idea to wear darker colours (avoiding light greys) that contrast with your lighter hair so you don’t look washed out. In general, solids are better than patterns. Avoid pastels if you have light skin tone – they can wash you out and the colour can also wash out with studio lighting. If in doubt bring one neutral that is light, one neutral that is dark (think black, grey), and then one bright colour option. Consider that the studio background could be grey, white or black so your suit jacket or shirt should contrast a bit with one of those backdrops. As we age, lighter colours may be more flattering and fresher than all black as darker colours near your face can draw more attention to wrinkles.
MY TOP TIP! Usually, you can never go wrong with a simple, classic well-tailored shirt with a jacket.
ACCESSORIES
Accessories are fun, but be sure to choose accessories that do not overwhelm your face. The point of a headshot is to accentuate your most engaging features, your face, so a monster tie is not a good choice. If you are having a 3/4 length shot taken along with your headshots, be sure to wear a belt. If you are wearing a suit jacket, bring a variety of tie choices so we can pick which ones best fit with the overall headshot look.
MY TOP TIP! Simple is always best. While accessories can provide personality they can go unnoticed in the images. Choose your accessories wisely, and keep it simple.
UNDERGARMENTS (t-shirts)
Some men like to wear t-shirts under their shirts, but for headshots, this is not a great idea.
MY TOP TIP! Try your undershirt (t-shirt) on with your shirt before your shoot. Make sure it’s fitted and not showing through your outer shirt. White or neutral colours are best.
What not to wear
STYLING SELECTIONS TO AVOID!
Avoid too loose or baggy clothing unless its your style, wrinkled shirts or jackets, crazy patterns, jackets that are too small for you, shirts that are too tight causing your buttons to look like they could bust out at any moment. If you have recently lost or put on weight, then this is the time to buy new shirts that fit. A good fitting collar always helps.
These all probably seem like no-brainers, but you’d be surprised how many people bring these kinds of items to their shoots. Once we start, what you’ve got is all I’v got to work with. That shirt that fitted “perfectly” a few years ago might not fit so well today, so be sure to test everything.
Trends may seem fashionable today, but keeping with a clean classy look will ensure that your photos will last years longer and still flatter your best assets.
Contrary to popular belief, there are really no absolutes when selecting a wardrobe for headshots. So please bring anything that feels good and looks good on you.
