You’re about to have your headshot taken. You’ve probably been waiting for this moment for years and now it’s finally here. And yet, there’s still so much left to do you have no idea which outfit will make you look best, how much makeup to wear, or whether you should exfoliate before the shoot. Don’t worry; we’re here to help! In this post, we’ll share some common headshot mistakes and how they can be avoided.
Take Advantage of Your Consultation
Once you’ve booked your appointment with a professional photographer like Melbourne professional headshots
, and are ready to prepare for the shoot, it’s time to start thinking about what to bring. First things first: make sure you have a current version of your headshot with you at all times. This is not an unreasonable request from any photographer worth their salt, so don’t be surprised if they ask for one during the consultation.
It’s also helpful to bring a list of references with you as well you never know when inspiration might strike. Sometimes it can take multiple sittings before we find just the right image, so don’t worry if nothing seems quite right at first glance.
The duration of your consultation should depend on how many shots they plan on doing; generally speaking, though, trying no more than three different looks (makeup/hair changes count) to avoid overburdening yourself during this part of the preparation process but if there are other considerations involved such as scheduling conflicts or wardrobe changes then adjustments may need be made accordingly depending on these factors alone.
Have More Than One Outfit Option
It’s common to be nervous during a photo session, so having multiple outfits can help you feel more comfortable. Bring clothes that fit or borrow from a friend who has the same size body as you do this way, you won’t have to worry about whether or not your clothing will work for your shoot. If you plan on buying new pieces of work clothes for women, buy them early so there’s time for alterations if needed, and consider purchasing things that can be worn in more than one way (i.e., a pair of jeans with different shirts).
Consider Teeth Whitening
As a general rule, you should be very careful about whitening your teeth. You can do it at home with over-the-counter products, but this isn’t recommended for professional headshots. Dentists and hygienists like this teeth whitening in Launceston generally have the proper tools for the job and know how to use them safely. If you want whiter teeth for your headshot, consider visiting your dentist or hygienist before getting fitted for a shot.
Put Some Distance Between You and an Alcoholic Beverage
Alcohol is one of the worst things you can do to your face. Sure, it might seem like a good idea at the time, but it’s fairly dangerous to consume alcohol regularly, especially if you’re planning on getting your headshots taken soon. Alcohol can cause redness and bloodshot eyes, which is exactly what you don’t want in your professional headshots.
Additionally, alcohol can cause dehydration since it reduces the amount of water in your body by diluting cells and tissues with toxins (which are then expelled through urine and sweat). This can lead to headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue all things that will make posing for photos more difficult than necessary.
Know When to Exfoliate and When not to
If you have acne, dry skin, or are prone to acne breakouts, avoid exfoliating the day of your shoot. If you have oily skin and want to remove dead cells so that your face looks fresh, exfoliate before the shoot.
After a shoot is another time when it’s beneficial to use an exfoliant (you can even do it in the car on your way home). The reason for this is that after a long day of having makeup applied and being photographed from all different angles and distances, there is bound to be some redness left over which may show up in the photographs. Using a gentle scrub will help remove those dead cells while reducing any redness present on your face at this point as well as giving you great results when looking at yourself in front of the mirror later on as well.
Make sure not to overdo it with how many exfoliation products used per day since excessive usage can cause more harm than good such as irritating/irritation around the eyes most likely due to the eye area being very sensitive compared to other areas; additionally if using too much product may cause more blemishes from occurring during healing process afterward so I would caution against doing anything like that unless necessary.
Limit your retouching requests only to the most important details
There is a certain level of retouching that’s important for a headshot, but you should not request too many details to be retouched. For example, most people don’t want to see every single line on their faces. If your skin is in good shape and there are no major blemishes or scars visible in the photo, don’t request those parts of your face to be retouched.
Similarly, if your hair looks messy but it’s not covering your eyes or ears or obstructing other important features (like cheekbones), then don’t ask for it to be fixed either. It’s more important to make sure that this detail isn’t distracting than changing its appearance altogether.
Finally, as we previously mentioned: do not request anything that isn’t visible in the shot! This includes small details like how shiny someone’s eyes are or how much hair they have at their temples – unless these things are bothering you while looking at yourself on screen then there shouldn’t be any need for them to be retouched anyway!
Do a little prep the day before and put your mind at ease.
You might be surprised to learn that many headshot photographers will do their best to accommodate you, even if you show up unprepared. However, this is a case where it pays to be prepared. Here are some tips for ensuring your shoot runs smoothly:
Know what to expect. When you bring in someone new, they may not know who they’re working with or how their clientele works. A photographer who’s been building their reputation since the early days of photography has learned how much time and effort goes into shooting each person—and now they have hundreds of portraits under their belt! They’ll have less time for people who don’t understand the process and need more handholding through every step of getting ready for the shoot. Make sure you know what sort of attire is expected (suits? casual clothes?), whether or not retouching is included (it usually is), and anything else relevant information about what happens during an appointment at this studio before showing up on set—this includes timings: how long does each part take? Do people get asked questions about themselves? What kind do these questions tend toward (“Do any hobbies keep you busy” vs “What’s your favorite color”?)?
Conclusion
Whether you show up for a headshot with a “do or die” attitude or just want to get as much done in one day as possible, we hope these tips will help make your experience with us more enjoyable. Every client is different, so they want to make sure that when you come in, there isn’t anything holding you back from getting the best headshots possible.
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