So you want to update your headshots
No matter the reason, ya gotta make sure you’re ready!
There are loads of reasons to have a headshot session – whether you’re updating the images on your business’ website, or you just want some new profile photos for your online presence. Or maybe you’re not a business owner at all, and you want headshots so you can take your dating profiles to the next level! Whatever your reason, you’re still going to need to get prepared. And this guide leaves no stone unturned – so without further ado, let’s get into all the things you need to think about before your headshot photo session here in Minneapolis!
The First Steps for your Headshot Session
As always with these guides, we have to begin at the beginning. So the first thing you’re going to want to do ahead of your headshot session, is… well, your research! This is the stage when you’re looking at photographers’ portfolios, making sure their policies line up with your needs, and ensuring that they offer locations that work for you.
If you wanted to have your headshot session in your business’ premises, and your favorite photographer ONLY offers in-studio headshot sessions, then for obvious reasons that’s not going to be a match. Now, if you’re planning on using the images for your business, there are a couple of other things to consider, because you want to make sure the photographer you’re working with can create images that are going to capture the brand tone for your business. Every photographer has a different style, and some are more specific than others! Most photographers who work specifically with brands (like I do!) can modify their workflow to make sure you get images that line up perfectly with the vibe you need. But that’s not always the case – so when in doubt… ask!
Once you’ve found a photographer whose portfolio you LOVE, who will work with the location you’re going for, and who can line the final images up with your business’ brand… it’s time to book!
So that means steps 1-3 are:
- Choose a photographer local to you whose work you’re obsessed with
- Ask them the burning questions you’ve got
- Talk about locations
- Get booked into their calendar!
Up to a Month Before Your Headshot Photoshoot
So, sometimes I lump this into the “one to two weeks” category, but I’m going to go ahead and put it earlier because I know how difficult it can be to get on hairdresser’s calendars sometimes!! If you’re thinking you’re going to want your hair done or your nails done before your session, as soon as you’ve booked it, it’s time to think about scheduling those sessions into your stylists’ calendars. Now I do have to tell you that this one isn’t required by any means!! You don’t HAVE to get your hair done, and you don’t HAVE to get your nails done. But if those are little details you want to have taken care of professionally before your session, then absolutely go for it!!
And of course you’re going to want to approach that question differently depending on the brand you’re capturing headshots for, too. But we don’t need to get into the intricacies of brand tone here, that’s a whole big topic entirely!
If this is something you’re going to do, that makes step 4:
- Schedule styling appointments with hairdressers, or nail techs
One to Two Weeks Before Your Headshot Photo Shoot
After you’ve chosen your photographer and scheduled all of the things, you’ve got a few logistical items to do on your side in the lead-up to the session!
The first, is picking outfits. Sometimes, that’s going to mean a consultation with your photographer! Depending on the package that you’ve purchased, and the vibe you’re going for with your headshots, there might be options for in-studio wardrobe that are available to you for your session. But that’s going to depend on a lot of factors, so definitely plan on talking to your photographer about it!
Selecting Your Wardrobe
Other sessions might even come with a wardrobe consultation, to make sure that the clothes you’re picking are aligned to the branding of the business your headshots will be used for. If that’s the case, reach out and schedule that chat! But if not… it’s time for you to do your wardrobe-picking and headshot session styling. It’s not always easy, but as a baseline, try to choose clothes that communicate what you want whoever is going to see these photos to learn about you! If you’re going to use them for a business, and you need to communicate that you’re a professional, a suit or a dress or a blazer might be the way to go. If you’re using these for something more like updating a dating profile, and you want to communicate (for example) that you’re easy-going and fun, then… well, you’ll want to pick something easy-going and fun!
If your headshot session is going to include more than just you, as in, it may include your staff as well, then this is also the time to remind THEM about selecting their clothes, and making sure that they have the relevant travel details (if any) for the big day.
This means your one-to-two-week list is:
- Choose your clothes
- Make sure anyone ELSE involved is choosing their clothes
- Communicate travel details to your employees/staff/team (if anyone else is involved)
3-5 Days Before Your Headshot Session
Once you get to the 3-5 day lead up point, you’re in the home stretch!! There are a few things you need to think about in those few days. The first one to tell you, is now is the time to stop using any self-tanner or tanning lotion you usually use, or that you’ve been using up to now. I know it’s tempting to top things up, but fresh tanning solutions end up adding a super weird orange glow to your images, and there’s nothing much we can do about that after the fact – so it’s better to avoid them altogether!
Aside from avoiding turning yourself orange by accident, this is time to do a last try-on of your clothes (for everyone involved in your session!) and make sure that you also have any accessories picked out that you’re going to wear. If you’re doing your own nails, this is the time to do them! That way they’ll be fresh for your session. There’s some amount of adjustment that can be done when the images are post-processed, but keeping that to a minimum is the best case scenario, we want to capture what you ACTUALLY look like, after all!
Make sure you’re happy with how your outfit looks in real life!
You’ll also want to make sure you’re happy with the way things like bra straps and panty lines show in the outfit you’ve chosen, as well as undershirt lines for men who might be coming with you. These are also on the list of things that are way better to handle in real life!
This is also the point where you should pay a little extra attention to eating right and drinking enough water. That might sound like a weird detail before a headshot session, but it’s a good rule for ANY photo session! You want to look your best, especially since updating headshot photos doesn’t come around super often. So it’s likely that these are going to be in use for a hot minute!
Then of course, there’s more excitement to build!! Make sure you’re reminding your people about what’s coming.
3-5 Days before your headshot session, you should:
- Stay away from the spray tan, despite how tempting I know it is
- Try on all the clothes you’re going to wear, and make sure nothing has tags on it still
- Make sure you’re happy with your accessories, and that there are no bra/panty/undershirt lines you’re going to want removed
- Hydrate!!
- Remind anyone accompanying you about the travel details
- Ask to check in with anyone accompanying you about their outfits
1-2 Days Before Your Session
At this point, you’ve already sorted out your hair and nails, and you’ve got all of your clothing picked out, and you’ve done a last minute try on… but there’s a tiny bit more!
The first one is a final check on the clothes you’re going to be wearing, and if you’re bringing multiple changes of clothing, making sure they’re all packed for your session day. I know it’s tempting to leave it to the last minute, but packing it all ahead of time makes things easier, I promise!
This is also when you do the FINAL check in with everyone else, if you have team/staff/employees coming with you. You’ll want to ensure they’ve got all of their clothes sorted out, it all works well with the overall branding for your company/project, and that everyone is prepared when it comes to travel details.
Basically, this is the “final checks” stage!
That makes your final pre-session checklist look like this:
- Double check all the clothing things
- Drink more water
- Double check anyone coming with you has their clothes in order
- Double check anyone coming with you has the travel details
To bring it all together, let’s look at the Headshot Session prep list in full!
What all this leads us to, is a list that looks like this:
Booking
- Choose a photographer you love
- Ask them the questions you have
- Talk about locations
- Get booked
Up to a Month Before
- Schedule hair, nail, or makeup appointments
One to Two Weeks Before
- Choose your clothes
- Get your humans excited (if humans are coming with you!)
3-5 Days Before
- Stay away from the spray tan, despite how tempting I know it is
- Try on all the clothes you’re going to wear, and make sure nothing has tags on it still
- Make sure you’re happy with your accessories, and that there are no bra/panty/undershirt lines you’re going to want removed
- Hydrate!!
- Remind anyone accompanying you about the travel details
- Ask to check in with anyone accompanying you about their outfits
1-2 Days Before
- Double check all the clothing things
- Drink more water
- Double check anyone coming with you has their clothes in order
- Double check anyone coming with you has the travel details
If you’ve got questions, ask them all!
Prepping for a headshot session might feel like it’s a lot of pressure, especially if the images are going to be in use for a while. Or, if you’re updating them for things like your LinkedIn profile if you’re actively SEEKING a position somewhere right now. But if you follow what I’ve outlined here, you should be totally prepared ahead of time, and have nothing to worry about.
And of course, if you have questions, just reach out! I would be more than happy to help you get prepared, and make sure you know what steps to follow. Or, if you’re ready to book a headshot session with Jessica Strobel Photography and you don’t already have one on the calendar… you can book YOURSELF in, at my convenient self-booking link!
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