A headshot is the visual equivalent of a first-meeting handshake. It makes up most of the initial impression people will have of you. Whether they think you’re friendly, confident, or trustworthy can all depend on your headshot. After all, headshots are meant for people who haven’t met you in person. They don’t know you, what you’re like, your in-person demeanor, or if you’re someone they’ll have an easy time working with.
Whether you’re a working professional, model, actor, or entrepreneur, a headshot can significantly impact the quantity and quality of career opportunities you receive. With so much on the line, why not hire a Sydney headshot photographer to boost your prospects?
Preparing for Headshot Sessions
Aside from hiring a trusted Sydney headshot photographer, you can further ensure that you get a great headshot by following these headshot photography tips:
Essential Grooming Tips for All Headshots
- Apply moisturiser daily for 7 days before your headshot session.
- Avoid using new skincare products that you haven’t previously tried during the 7 days before and the day of your headshot session.
- Drink more water than usual in the 5 days before your headshot session.
- Don’t get any facial or upper body treatments (including hair removal) within less than 3 days before your headshot session.
- Trim your moustache (if you have one) and groom your beard (if you have one) on the day before and/or day of your headshot session.
- Don’t wear sunscreen on the day of your headshot session.
- If you won’t arrange for Hair and Make-Up (HMU) at the headshot session, bring a non-mattifying hairspray or hair gel for keeping your hair in place. However, only put a little bit at a time so that you don’t go overboard.
- If you won’t arrange for HMU at the headshot session, apply concealer on any red spots or areas on your face as well as under the eyes. Don’t forget to lightly blend the concealer on your face using your fingers or a makeup applicator.
- If you won’t arrange for HMU at the headshot session, apply a tinted lip balm.
Optional Grooming Tips for All Headshots
- If you plan on smiling during the headshot session and are conscious about the discolouration of your teeth, you can book an in-chair teeth whitening treatment with a registered dental practitioner or dentist before your headshot session.
- If your hair tends to lay flat or is generally very thin (and you haven’t arranged for HMU at the headshot session), you can apply a little bit of volumising hairspray or mousse before you leave home.
Essential Clothing Tips for Business Headshots
- Try to have moderate colour contrast. For example, you can wear a dark-coloured blazer or suit jacket over a white top or undershirt and add in a vibrant tie or pendant necklace. Ideally, you should aim for a look that has dark, light, and a pop of colour.
- Keep in mind your hair colour, eye colour, skin colour, and makeup as well. For example, you can wear a gray top with a vibrant lipstick. You can also wear a bright blue top with natural “your lips but better” lipstick.
Essential Clothing Tips for Acting Headshots
- Your look should slightly resemble the type of character you’re usually cast as or likely to be cast as. However, do not dress in full “costume” unless the character type’s clothes are something you would wear or see in everyday life. It’s better to hint at rather than explicitly show up as the character type.
- Avoid tops that are baggy or have a complicated design. Generally, you should wear simple but not “spending-the-day-at-home casual” clothes.
Essential Clothing Tips for Modelling Headshots
- Unlike acting and business headshots where you need to add an element of uniqueness or personalisation to your look, it’s the opposite for modelling headshots. The goal of modelling headshots is to allow casting directors to imagine you in their specific desired look for a photoshoot or in the designer’s clothes for a runway walk.
- A black tank top and black leggings are often considered the industry-standard for modelling headshots and comp cards.
Essential Mindset Tips for Business Headshots
- You need to have a clear idea of the message you want to convey with your business headshot and the persona that’s most suited to deliver this message to your target audience. For example, if the message you want to convey is “I’m approachable and pleasant to work with so you should hire me for the job,” then your mindset should be that of a friendly and reliable persona.
- Don’t think too much. While you should try to get into the right mindset, you shouldn’t overly stress about your headshot session because it will reflect in the images. The headshot session is an opportunity for you to present a better version of yourself; it’s not an interrogation or an exposé on you.
Essential Mindset Tips for Modelling and Acting Headshots
- In modelling and acting headshots, your eyes need to lure the viewer in because a key objective of these professions is to fascinate the viewer. Therefore, you need to dig deep into your soul and find what’s most compelling about you to prepare your mindset for acting and modelling headshots.
- While models and actors are likely to be no strangers to cameras, it can be easy to not take something as simple as headshots (in comparison to their other work) seriously. However, headshots are still vital to getting more jobs in these professions and your mindset going into a session should reflect this.
What to Expect in a Professional Headshot Session
We’ll first try to make you as comfortable and as relaxed as possible. DigiEye headshot photographers know how busy each work day can be and that you may be coming from a stressful meeting or have other important matters on your mind. We may take a couple of testing shots while also asking you about what you want from these headshots.
Once we have a good understanding of your intentions for these headshots (including the personal brand and professional image you want to convey through them), we begin taking the actual headshots. Throughout this process, we’ll engage and collaborate with you to ensure the images meet your expectations. We may also instruct you on posing.
Get Exceptional Headshots in Sydney
Here are some final headshot photography tips to look your best in every single frame:
- If you’re conscious about a double chin appearing, simply move your chin forward and then lower it a bit.
- Keep your shoulders down since having shoulders hunched up can be a sign of awkwardness or unease.
- If you want to add more variety to your headshots, experiment with different head and shoulder positions.
With your knowledge of headshot session preparation and our assistance, your headshots will definitely leave a lasting impact on whoever sees them. Book a session with DigiEye.