Photoshoot Wardrobe

Now that we are scheduled to work together, the natural next thought in your mind might certainly be… “WHAT WILL I WEAR?!” Take a breath; it’s going to be ok! Read on for some thoughts on your photoshoot wardrobe. Ready to book your session? Click here.

Headshots:Headshot of a woman with short dark hair, wearing glasses and red lipstick. She chose a solid grey dress as the main component of her photoshoot wardrobe.

Ultimately, a headshot is just that… a shot of your head. We will get some shoulder action in there… possibly mid-torso, but that’s it. If you’re looking for something to put on LinkedIn or your company’s internet/intranet page, you won’t be doing a full-body shot. So, with that in mind, your photoshoot wardrobe will be just for the upper half. Wear whatever you’d like when you arrive and bring along some choices for the top half. (Just envision the scenes from The Anchorman where the news anchors are all business waist up, and were more casual waist down.)  Bring two or three choices and we’ll figure out which one(s) work best.

Good colors up top:

  • Solid colors work great

  • Medium or Light Grey

  • Medium or Light Blue

  • Medium Green

  • Medium Red (not quite burgundy)

Avoid these:

  • White

  • Black

  • Bright or Bold colors

  • Neon Colors

  • Stripes

  • Plaids

  • Checks

Why are we avoiding patterns? Well, here’s the deal. When websites compress images to either save space or to make an image fit however large the designer wants the photo to render, the patterns get…off. Odd things happen and then people are more interested in the craziness that happened with your shirt than they are with how awesome you look with your headshot done by yours truly. So, you know… just don’t do it!

Ladies, accessories that complement are good. If they’re the center of attention, perhaps they’re not the best for this setting. In doubt? Bring some options.

Gents, Bring a few neckties that go with the shirts. (Assuming you’re going for the suit and tie look.)  Bring a few suit jackets as well; we’ll mix and match until we find what will look great. If your shirt or suit jacket are just a little too big, I’ve got an instant cure. A little too snug? Well, we’ll figure it out.


Model Portfolios:Artistic headshot of an African-American female. Her photoshoot wardrobe included a black leather jacket and white tank top.

For your photoshoot wardrobe, first, see the Headshot Clothing section above, but envision complete outfits. For my model clients, think of either timeless looks and/or cutting-edge looks…depending on what we’re adding to your portfolio.


Fitness Portfolios:

This is probably less about what to wear, since a fitness portfolio, by its very nature, is showing the body in an artistic way.  However, for your photoshoot wardrobe consider posing trunks. These are awesome for the timid. Those are the ones typically worn on-stage at a competition, and tend to hide away any bulges.

If one of your goals is a publication, then a variety of designers and looks are Fitness photograph of an athletic man wearing a sleeveless red hoodie.recommended. Ultimately, it’s about what makes you unique.  One of my regular clients loves the EDM Rave scene. When he’s attending, he’s typically got his face covered in some way (while not covering much else). We’ve now used that vibe in different sets… published (domestically and internationally).

Another of my clients was a collegiate-level track and field superstar. He brought in his tracksuit and we put that to work…yielding a stunning shot.

Bottom line… don’t be afraid to be YOU!

What to eat before a session?  Happy to help guide you if you need some insight.  Ultimately, you’ll be wanting to dry out that water weight in the days and hours leading up to your session.  Many think that they need to come in starving, but that actually won’t help.  A good mix of complex and simple carbs before your shoot will fill up the muscles again and help you hold your shape.  (Don’t go overboard… no food babies, please.)


Hair:

Please don’t get a haircut the day before our shoot. Preferably, don’t get one within a week of our shoot. By avoiding this, we eliminate the error factor with a bad snip and we allow your hair the time it needs to get back to your normal look without looking shaggy.

Guys, if you’re coming late in the day, you may want to bring a shaver to eliminate the 5 o’clock shadow. You can certainly clean up in the restroom here at the studio.


Skin:

Razor burn and razor cuts happen. Acne happens. In my 40’s I had to take Accutane to deal with acne once and for all. I understand acne! I also know how to deal with it in post-production. If you’re a guy, don’t try to cover it with makeup. Ladies, do your makeup as you would normally without caking on any sort of dense cover-up. You know that never fools anyone anyway. Oh, and, yeah… don’t try to make it into a Marilyn Monroe beauty mark. We’ll talk about it and fix it. Leave that worry to me.

Lastly, the sun does nasty things to our skin. Don’t book our session right after a beach weekend. Aside from looking red from a sunburn, you’ll also be quite dried out and my camera/lens combo is high resolution (as in…when I zoom in on the Mac, I can see the flecks of color in your eyes, guess what I see when you’re fried from the sun).