Tips for Your Best Corporate Headshot Ever

Getting your Corporate/LinkedIn-style headshot taken can be a little intimidating. Whether it’s for your personal profiles/website or for your employer’s website (or even just your ID badge), you want to look your best. But the “assembly line” of quick photoshoots can make you feel like your back at school picture day or the DMV. The fear is that you get just one shot, and if you blow it you’re stuck with it! Thankfully that’s rarely the case for headshots, and while you don’t always have the luxury of time, a dedicated photographer will know how to help you look your best.

As one such photographer, I’ve compiled some of my general tips that will help make pretty much any headshot look significantly better. I’m confident that, if you follow these guidelines, you’ll be a lot happier with your next headshot, especially if you’re someone who doesn’t feel so confident when getting your picture taken.

What to Wear

Solid colors are your friend, avoid patterns including (especially) lines. Small vertical lines and other fine patterns tend to look “glitchy” on digital photos, and larger patterns tend to be distracting and draw attention away from your face. So, keep your outfit to solid colors. The colors don’t have to be muted, if you want to wear fuschia, wear fuschia! But leave the fuschia pinstripes at home.

Dress up. Even if you don’t work in the corporate world, your headshot is not a “dress-down” occasion. It doesn’t have to be a suit and tie (though it certainly can be!) For architects, painters, dancers etc etc, it may be an entirely different look, and that’s totally ok! Just think of your headshot as a chance to impress, and dress to do so!

Iron your clothes. Whatever you wear, wrinkles can make it look shabby, so ensure your outfit is nice and wrinkle-free!

How to Pose

Your photographer should be able to help you with this during the session, but you’ll make it easier on both of you if you keep these things in mind

• Elongate your neck, lift your chin a little higher
• Keep a bright, natural smile. Whatever feels comfortable for you. That may mean with your teeth showing or without, you just want to look comfortable, friendly and confident. Think about "smizing". Avoid straining to put on the face you think you’re supposed to make, it can look awkward and forced.
• Keep your shoulders back and down, tighten your stomach and bring your chest up.
• Position your body as a slight angle in relation to the camera, avoid the straight-on “passport photo” look. If standing, place one foot closer to the camera than the other, avoid keeping them parallel, this will make you look more natural and dynamic at the same time.
• Practice in the mirror the night before. No, seriously! Practice posing for photos during your free time, especially if you’re someone who tends to cringe when seeing photos of yourself. Learn what angles and expressions appeal to you, and you’ll get better and better at recreating them when the time comes. No more “delete delete delete”!

Hair & Makeup

Your headshot is not the time to experiment with a drastic new hairstyle or color palette. Tried and true is what to go with here. Trust me, the night before you get your picture taken is not the time to cut bangs. Keep it to what you’re used to, while of course putting in a little extra time to make sure your look is nice and spiffy. That means no nose hairs poking out, earrings on backwards, nothing in your eyelashes, nor your teeth, etc etc. Most photographers will have a mirror on hand for you to do a quick check before getting into position, but don’t count on it!

Now that you know how to prepare for your headshot session, it feels like a good time to announce that I’m offering completely FREE Corporate/LinkedIn-style headshots in my Brooklyn, NY studio between now and July 31st. With Pandemic Unemployment Insurance (PUA) coming to a halt on that date, I'd like to do what I can to help people in their search for their next career move. I’m hosting 3 FREE Corporate/LinkedIn-style headshots in my studio in BedStuy by the Gates J on:

• Friday July 10th 3-5pm
  
• Saturday July 18th 2-4pm
  
• Monday July 27th 6-8pm

Appointments are required so please email me at MJStewMedia[at]gmail.com with your name and what day/time you’d like to come to RSVP.

As always, please feel free to leave questions and comments below!