Headshot fundamentals

What to wear for a headshot session

You'll get a short prep guide by email after booking. This is the longer version, with the reasoning behind each bit of advice.

01

Solid colours over patterns

Wear something you feel confident in. Solid colours photograph best; avoid busy patterns and big logos. A busy check or a fine stripe can shimmer or strobe on camera in a way your eye doesn't catch in the mirror but the lens will. Big logos date a photo instantly and can look like an ad for a brand that isn't you. Plain, mid-tone colours — navy, charcoal, burgundy, forest green — photograph the most reliably and won't fight with your skin tone or the backdrop.

02

Bring a second outfit — and a layer either way

Bring a second outfit if your package includes a change — and a jacket or layer even if it doesn't. If your package includes a change, a genuinely different look (not just a different shirt in the same jacket) gets you more usable variety — one styled for LinkedIn, one for a more relaxed personal-brand shot, for example. Even on packages without a change, a jacket or cardigan you can add or remove mid-session gives a bit of visual range for free.

03

Come camera-ready

Come camera-ready. There's no stylist on set unless you've added hair & make-up. Natural and light works; matte or a quick blot cuts shine. There's no stylist on set unless you've booked the hair & make-up add-on, so do your normal routine as if for an important meeting, not a special occasion. Natural and light works better on camera than anything heavy. If shine is a concern, a quick blot with a matte tissue right before we start does more good than any amount of powder.

04

Small kit worth having

A small mirror, a comb and lip balm are worth having in your bag. A small mirror to check yourself between looks, a comb for the obvious reason, and lip balm because dry lips show up more than people expect under studio light. None of this is essential — I'll flag anything visible before we shoot — but it saves a few minutes of back and forth.

05

Sleep and water, not a skincare routine

Sleep and water the night before do more than any retouching will. A late night shows in the eyes in a way no amount of retouching fully undoes, and dehydration flattens skin in a way lighting can't fix either. If you do one thing to prepare beyond your outfit, make it an early night and a full water bottle the day before.

Example outfit: a simple, solid colour
Example outfit: a simple, solid colour

Simple, solid colours — both of these work.

Still unsure what counts as too busy or too casual?

Send a photo of the outfit before the day and I'll give you a straight answer.

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