Wardrobe Tips for Corporate Head shots

When you have Corporate head shots taken, these are photos that you may have to look at for a very long time. Your corporate headshot might be on your business card, posted on your or your company’s website and might be used on literature and brochures that will be in use for several years. This is why you should take care in selecting a professional headshot photographer that specialized in corporate photography.

What to wear for corporate headshot – Men

For men, it’s often a no-brainer. A business suit is a good choice for a corporate head shot. If you want a more casual look, you can forgo the blazer and wear a white shirt with a tie. For blazers, grey or navies in solid colors are often a good choice for timeless portraits. You don’t want clothing or hairstyles to look too trendy as it can date the photograph and many companies will expect the corporate headshot to last a long time for the investment they are about to make.

If you are wearing a tie, try not to overdo it with the patterns. You can choose a simple pattern and a bright color if you like but avoid anything too over the top. If you prefer not to wear a shirt and tie, your photo can still look nice and professional even in a nice collared golf shirt.

What to wear for corporate headshots – Women

Wardrobe choices for corporate headshots can feel more complicated for women but choosing a classic business suit or simple blouse and skirt or pants is a great idea. Again, don’t wear anything too trendy and choose something thats for fall or winter instead of summery for your headshot photography session.

Clothing choices for your professional headshot photography

When choosing your clothing for you professional headshots avoid complex patterns like stripes or checks and opt for solid colors wherever possible. This will not only give the headshot a more classic look but will be more tolerable to look at in several years when styles and trends have changed. Horizontal lines can be difficult to look at. Varying patterns on different articles of clothing can make for a disaster of a headshot. Vertical lines in clothes should be minimal but the presence of them can have a slimming effect.

The most important wardrobe tip for professional corporate headshots is to wear something you like, that makes you feel good! Feeling like you look good with nice clothes, a polished look and a warm smile will result not only in your enjoying the outcome of your headshot but also effectiveness in meeting your goals for it as well. Its supposed to make you look confident and professional so take the time to choose something professional and classic to help you achieve desired results in your photograph.

If you cannot decide for sure what to wear or even if you think you have made the right choice but want to be safe rather than sorry, bring two different changes of clothing to the photo shoot and ask the corporate photographer for advice.

Q: What are the advantages of a digital headshot session?

There are many advantages to a digital session, including the ability to view your photos during your session. This makes it easier for us to achieve the look you want. We are not tied down to the traditional “three rolls of film”, and can take as many shots as we need. We can also edit as we shoot. This leaves you with only the headshots you love, and guarantees your satisfaction with the session. In addition, you no longer have to wait weeks for your final images. These can even be done on the same day.

Q: Is digital photography as good as traditional film?

Digital has improved unbelievably over the years, and it is virtually impossible to see a difference between digital and film. One is not better than the other, simply a different way to capture the image.

Q. What about color in digital photography?

Another advantage to digital is that everything is photographed in color. This allows you to reproduce any picture in color or B&W, what a huge advantage over film.

Q: Can I have my professional photos retouched?

I specialise in a digital photographic process that eliminates the expense and disappointment of wasted headshot sessions. After the photo shoot, my turn around time is about 1-2 days to provide you with an emailed set of contact sheets as well as all low resolution RAW proofs. From here, the client chooses his or her best 3-5 images based on composition and expression.

Q: Who should I go to for my headshot reproductions?

The majority of my clients email these to Rocket Repro for 8×10 framed custom printing.

I specialize in a digital retouching photographic process that eliminates the expense and disappointment of wasted headshot sessions. After the photo shoot, my turn around time is about 1-2 days to provide you with an emailed set of contact sheets as well as all low resolution RAW proofs. From here, the client chooses his or her best 3-5 images based on composition and expression.

The next step is retouching to remove any stray hairs, skin blemishes etc.

Once the finals have been retouched, I will provide you with a full DVD of all high res images. The majority of my clients email these to Rocket Repro for 8×10 framed custom printing.

An Executive headshot that will last

Have you ever seen a head shot of a polished looking business person on a corporate website and then met them and found they looked nothing like their photo? You aren’t the first!

Unfortunately, many people believe that their Executive head shot on their business card or corporate website has to conform to a specific image regardless of what they truly look like. A corporate makeover is not necessary for your corporate head shot and dressing and appearing unlike yourself could actually hurt you in the long run.

What to wear for your corporate headshot

Dress for your head shot like you would dress for an important client meeting. This is going to be your professional appearance and what your clients can expect. This means that anyone who meets with you who previously saw your business photo is not going to have trouble recognizing you.

It’s ok to alter your appearance slightly such as wear your hair differently that day or dress a little more professionally but it’s a good idea to simply look like a polished version of yourself. If you wear facial piercing on the weekends, it might be a good idea to take them out for your professional photo but you don’t have to dye your hair a different color or stop wearing glasses or alter your appearance drastically.

The corporate headshot session

When having your photo taken, I will try to put you at ease so that you do look like yourself at your best. A warm photo with a confident smile is probably what your photographer will work towards. It may take time to come up with the right snapshot but if you try to relax and let the photographer do their job, you will likely get great results.

This is why it’s important to hire a professional headshot photographer with experience in headshots for corporate use. The results will be much better than simply using a homemade photo or inexpensive department store portrait.

Headshot Style

Photographers shouldn’t try to alter your appearance drastically. Beyond being polished and professional looking, your head shot should personify your character in order to help you impress potential clients or employers.