How to Look Natural in Headshots (Even If You Hate Being Photographed)

So, you’ve booked a headshot session. And now, all of the “what-ifs” appear. A headshot session is supposed to attract people to your business, talent, or what you offer. What if they don’t do that? Scared of looking awkward, stiff, or forced into a pose? Well I’m here to tell you that headshot sessions can be, and should be FUN! Your personality should shine through, and you should leave our session feeling confident that you got the images you need. As well as preparing for your shoot, here are some things that you can do (and not do!)

Looking Like You!

Make sure your outfit choices reflect your personality, and what to hope to achieve with you photos. Want to look like the ingenue of a Broadway show set in the 1970s? Maybe a bold pattern is the way to go? What you should not do? Tease your hair and put on the most unnatural smokey eye known to man. We can change your look based on your expressions, background colors, and outfit choices. DO NOT attempt to change how you look everyday. The purpose of these pictures IS to capture how you look everyday!

Trusting Your Photographer

A huge part of feeling prepared for a session is trust and preparedness. If you take a look at my "what to wear for my Professional headshots" blog post, you'll get a bunch of tips on how to prepare for a session. Some things sound silly, but I'm asking you to trust me! The thought of getting headshots can sound uncomfortable, but I am here to make it as easy and pain free as possible. Getting those real emotions out of you is what I'm here for, so as long as you know that i've got you and will not lead you in a direction that you do not want to go, we will have a successful session!

Prepare!

This tip might be self explanatory, but the more you prepare for your shoot, the more it'll show in your photos! Try on all of your outfits the week of your session to make sure everything fits the way you want it to, so you can make changes if needed! I reccommend a "test day", where you try to do your hair and your makeup to see if everything "looks right". Sometimes we have messy hair days - and we've gotta know how to deal with those! Pack some extra hairspray, bobby pins, and other just-in-case items. Bring any makeup that might need touching up. When in doubt - bring it anyways! it's way better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

Breathe in... and out...

#1 tip of all time... make sure you're breathing during your session!!! I would hope that you wouldn't need to think about this one, but if you're suuuper concentrated on looking good, you might stiffen up and forget to breathe. If I notice you're not breathing, I might ask you to shake it out (A good old theatre kid trick). Either way, I'm here to help you no matter how you're feeling during our session!

Maddie <3