Preparing for your Portrait or Headshot Photo

Clothes

The simpler the better.

Solid colors generally work best.
If you want to rock a pattern, keep it simple. Say no to houndstooth, herringbone, nailshead, birdseye, sharkskin, shepherd’s check, barleycorn. Pinstripe, wider pattern florals, and plaid might be OK. Choose responsibly.
Build your outfit from the basics. Begin with the simple shirt or blouse and add layers, stopping with the accessories well before reaching for T-Pain level chains.
Make sure that all clothes are ironed and pressed before the shoot. Wrinkles in clothes are difficult to remove in editing, even with the latest Photoshop.
Bring a lint brush or roller with you.
Don’t worry about your shoes. Just wear a comfortable pair.
Dress how you want to be seen, but don’t compromise you and your own unique look in the process.
Bring a change of clothes to the shoot, just in case.

Bring a brush or comb and your favorite hair stabilizing product to help tame fly-aways and frizz.
Have long hair and you plan to show it? Don’t arrive up with it up. You’ll have waves and textures that won’t relax before shooting. Start with your hair down or in the do. Towards the end of the shoot you can put your hair up for a more casual look.

Less is more.

What works for phone selfies and Instagram doesn’t necessarily work for high-res cameras.
Aspire to look natural with makeup. Apply it lightly, anticipating daytime visibility, and really just enough to cover up any blemishes.
You can always apply more makeup while at the shoot, after you view a photo or two.
If adding more makeup, go incrementally, saving the darkest eyeshadows and lipsticks for last.
Try not to use matte styles of makeup. It can easily dry out your skin and end up looking cakey
Bring your makeup and moisturizer with you to the shoot in case your skin does get dry or you need touchups.
Bring lip balm with you to help keep lips looking soft. Lip gloss can work, but may be overly shiny.
The night before brush your lips with your toothbrush to help get rid of any dead skin.
Don’t go through any extreme beauty regimens like facial peels, tanning or exfoliating for 48 hours before your shoot. Your skin may appear very red and irritated in the photos
Get rid of any unwanted hair a few days before your shoot. Wait too long and irritated folicles may be visible.

If your look is clean shaven, shave at least 4 hours before you leave for a shoot. A 5 o clock shadow can’t be Photoshopped easily. Shaving right before the shoot may leave you red and blotchy. Use cooling gel or aftershave to help with skin irritation.
If you have a beard, comb it. Maybe even oil it.

Arrive at least 15 minutes early so you can cool off or warm up and get back your normal look.
Bring some soft oil-absorbing cosmetic sheets to soak up any oil or sweat that might build up during the shoot. Some great sheets are the Clean and Clear: Oil Absorbing Sheets. You can find them at Duane Reede. Tissues can leave lint behind and paper towels can irritate the skin.
If you normally wear glasses but don’t want to wear them for your photo, take ‘em off at least 15 minutes before the shoot so your skin readjusts.
Colored contacts can look very fake in photographs, so leave your colored contacts at home. Bring clear contacts with you. Bring eyedrops with you.

Almost everybody’s practiced their look in the social media era. In case you haven’t got it down, before the shoot look at your face in the mirror and see what side you like better. Almost everyone has a good side, so try to find yours. Remember that a mirror will flip your face and the camera won’t, so the final image may look a different than your expectation.
If you have one eye that is smaller than the other, bring that side of your face towards the camera. It will help reduce the apparent difference between the two.
Try different expressions in the mirror. Do you look better stoic or perky? Which is your most natural look? What look do you want to represent you?