What should you not wear for a headshot?

While you may think that a skilled professional headshot photographer can make you look good no matter what you wear, they are not magicians, and your choice of clothing can actually make or break the success of your session. But don’t fret! Here are 8 useful tips on choosing the right attire for your shoot:

1. Dress for the job you want: The clothes you wear should reflect your personality and how you want clients or employers to perceive you. To achieve a professional look, avoid dirty or wrinkled clothes, vulgar t-shirts, and other unprofessional attire.
2. Avoid neon colors: While neon clothing can look amazing, fluorescent colors aren’t the best choice for photoshoots as they reflect light up onto your face. For instance, if you wear a neon green shirt, your face may end up having a slight greenish glow.
3. Don’t wear white outer clothing: White can reflect light and pick up colors from the environment. Unless you plan to wear a jacket or sweater on top, avoid wearing white or off-white clothes to your shoot if you want to avoid this.
4. Keep patterns simple: Small and busy patterns can distract from your face, and they can also be challenging to photograph. The small details can cause something known as the moiré effect, so make sure to stick with solid colors and simple patterns.
5. Sleeves are important: Women should stay away from spaghetti straps as they can leave indentations in the skin and make you look a bit wider as well. Strapless tops, on the other hand, can make you look like you’re toppless, so stick to wide straps or wear a blouse with longer sleeves to maintain a professional look.
6. Don’t blend into the background: Make sure to ask your photographer which color background they plan to use and choose your attire accordingly. For example, don’t wear gray clothing on a gray background, and generally choose lighter colors if the background is dark, and vice versa.
7. Wear what you’re comfortable with: While you may be inclined to wear that awesome new shirt you bought last week, it would probably be a better idea to wear something you know you’ll feel comfortable in and that has looked good in photos before.
8. Baggy clothes aren’t a good option: You don’t want to look sloppy in your headshots, and baggy clothes can achieve the exact effect you want to avoid. They can also make you appear heavier than you actually are, so stick with well fitting clothes that give you structure and shape.

Should you smile in a headshot?

Smiling in your headshots can look fantastic, but there are some things you should keep in mind if you decide to do so:

• While a genuine smile can help you connect with your audience and show approachability, a forced smile can make you look disingenuous.
• Try to tell whether you look better smiling with or without your teeth and choose the option you feel more comfortable with
• Smiling in photos can make you look younger, so keep that in mind if you’re already pretty young
• A big smile can cause your eyes to appear squinty, so try a subtle laugh or look at the upper part of the camera to avoid this
• You can try thinking about something or someone that makes you laugh to make sure your smile is genuine

We bring you top-quality professional headshots in San Diego and Sacramento

Impactful headshots can do wonders for your professional success. If you’re ready to showcase yourself and your brand in the right way, make sure to contact Profile Business Photography. We are a team of experienced and friendly professionals with a passion for photography and helping our clients represent their unique personality to the world.

We have two photogenic studios, one located near Old Town, San Diego and the other in Midtown Sacramento. Reach out to us today and book your shoot!

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