WARDROBE

Wear garments that subtly enhance the look and feeling you are going for. The shirt you have on should blend in with your look without ever being distracting in any way. And keep in mind that generally midtone colors work the best.

Remember it’s a headshot session. Not a fashion shoot. It’s not about the clothes. It’s about you, and your emotions—your attitude and connection with the camera.

Don’t overdress yourself. Don’t try to wow them with the clothes you select.
Wow them with who you are!

Please take time to read this thoroughly. There are great tips here that I have learned
over the last 20 plus years about how and why to select certain colors,
styles and types of clothing to wear during your headshot session.

The color you choose, the style, even the shape of the collar can have an impact on how the person looking at your headshot will feel about you. And remember, it’s all about that feeling you should be concerning yourself with when selecting the garments for your session.

The most common question or statement I hear regarding clothing is
“I want to wear something that really makes my eyes pop!”

Let’s think about this in a different way for a moment…

Your eyes should pop because of the emotional intent you’re projecting, not the garment you have on. What you’re feeling from your “emotional bank”, that emotion that you are driving through the lens, is what should and will make your eyes pop.

Quite often someone will say to me, “I want to wear blue to make my blue eyes pop.” Interesting to note here that no one has ever said, “I have really dark brown eyes. I want to wear something really dark to make my eyes pop.” Never been said.

Much of this type of thinking is a misconception. Just because you have a particular eye color doesn’t mean you should wear a shirt that is the same color in order for your eyes to stand out. It just doesn’t work that way. If you are being real with your emotions then your eyes will pop regardless of the color of the shirt you are wearing.

Real doesn’t lie.

You never want to wear a garment that would be distracting in any way or have the potential to take attention away from your face. Clothes can be too bright, too dull, too colorful, too busy, too bulky, too tight, even too dark sometimes. Balancing the right shirt, both color and style, with the look you are going for in your session is vitally important.

You never want someone to look at your headshot and think “Wow look at that shirt! That shirt is amazing.” Does you no good. The shirt just got cast instead of you.

Now some people have more of a reflective quality to their eyes than others.
But regardless of how much natural shine your eyes have, they will pop,
providing you are really there and full of truthful emotion.

Colors and Styles to Consider

No bright colors.

Bright takes the attention away from your face and puts the focus towards the garment.
That’s a bad thing.

Understand that, as a general rule, when we look at a photograph, whether it is a printed copy that we can hold in our hand, hang on a wall, or it’s on a computer monitor, our eyes travel to the brightest part of that photo.

Headshots are generally close-up shots of our face. Some are a bit wider, mid-chest to the top of our head, but regardless of the cropping, you want to make sure your face and more importantly your eyes are the brightest part of the shot.

This will inevitably cause the person looking at your headshot to focus on your eyes and face.
Not your clothes.

As mentioned midtone colors always work the best.

Have I photographed clients in white T-shirts? Of course. Light mint green button ups? Yes. Pastel pink sweaters? Absolutely. However, this is because that particular client and I felt strongly that was the very best garment to put on that day.
That it captured the exact feel the client was going for at that time.

Remember, it’s about how you want the people looking at your headshot to FEEL about YOU!

Accessories?

Sure. They can work very well. Yet they can also be very distracting. Be careful.

Hats, scarves, even necklaces can add a new dimension to a shot and to the feel you’re going for. Those type accessories can help “sell” the look you are working towards. Even something as simple as slipping on a jacket or vest can have a great effect on one of your looks, and immediately alter the feel of how your final shots will turn out.

It is important not to get too busy with accessories though. Here a little bit goes a long way. Keep your accessories simple like your clothes. You don’t want to fall into that problem of making the look become a poor attempt at a character shot.

When you call to book your session we will go over selecting your clothes and discuss styles and colors. Everything we discuss will be focusing on what you are expecting to walk away with regarding your shots.

You are welcome to contact me anytime with any questions.

310-707-1388