Helping you make the most of your time in front of the camera
Being relaxed and confident is the key element to having a successful corporate headshot photo shoot. Make the most of your time in front of the camera. If you’re feeling daunted by the prospect of having your photo taken or if you’ve never had a professional portrait before, ask a friend or family member to take some photos of you so you can start to get comfortable. Also, sometimes people, like to see what their best angle is and what pose makes them feel the most comfortable. This will also familiarise you with seeing your own image and help when you have your professional shoot, feel much more familiar to you.
Choose the right clothes
What you wear is very important to the success of a corporate photo shoot. Allow your clothes to help show your personality, but make sure you don’t let colours or patterns overpower the look. Also, don’t take a risk by deciding to wear something you’re not sure about. Make sure you select an outfit that makes you feel relaxed and confident in how you feel.
Here are some do nots in clothing. Don’t wear any graphic logo t-shirts or band names or funny slogans on your top. The chances are that they may be cut off in the shot and look silly. You’d be surprised how many people have writing on their tops and it just looks bad. After all this photo is probably going to last a couple of years on a business website or your social media platforms.
Also patterns and stripes don’t work well on camera and computer screens. There is a thing called the moiré effect when thin strips close together create a secondary rippling pattern. This is especially evident when an image is small on a screen. Also, patterns which look might look modern may just be a busy visual noise on camera. Best option is to wear something plain that will look good no matter what size the image is.
A lot of portraits get converted into black and white. So something else to consider is the tones that you wear. That pink tie with that light blue shirt may look great in real life, but by the time the image has been converted to black and white, they may be the same tone and just blend into one another. So, think about contrast and tones, and if in doubt take a couple of shots of yourself in the mirror on your phone and convert them to black and white and see what looks good.
Take your time in a photoshoot
Keep your diary free for 10 minutes on either side of the photo session so you don’t feel under any time pressure. Try to clear your mind as much as possible of all the work stress of the last hour. Don’t rush straight into the photo session from a difficult meeting. Take your time.
Check your appearance, look in the mirror, brush your hair, check your makeup, and make sure your tie is straight. If you feel confident about the way you look, this will shine through in your photography session. Also, remember to get lots of sleep the night before and drink lots of water to keep hydrated.
Visualise a great result
Beforehand, think about the ideal way you’d like your photo to look. Decide what the perfect result for you would be. It is always a good idea to check out other people’s business headshots if it helps. See what kind of look you wish to achieve. You can also create a mood board and show your photographer what you are after.
Having a Business Headshot or a Corporate Portrait taken by Creative Focus Photography Studios is a joint venture between the client and photographer.