Avoiding Common Mistakes when Getting a Headshot Taken

1.     Don’t wear distracting clothing

The first thing that needs to be taken into account is what you wear when you go to get your headshot taken. Your attire should bring attention to your face and not take away from it. Professionals suggest staying away from bright colors or clothes with large prints on them because they might draw the eye. In fact, except for light prints, it’s best to avoid wearing patterns at all.

The best kind of clothing you can wear for a headshot is simply plain. Go for solid colors; ones that you feel complement you well.

You must have often heard about dressing for the job you want. Well, it may seem clichéd but it works pretty well in this case. If you want to be taken seriously as a business professional, dressing in a full-length shirt and tie will work out perfectly in your favor.

If you would rather not be too dressy, or if your headshot is meant for a different industry, you can even consider wearing a suit jacket on top of a plain t-shirt.

2.     Don’t over accessorize

Like bright clothing, accessories have the potential to either add to or take away from your look. Gold or silver hoops may add to the zest usually, but since it’s your face that is the main focus of a headshot, big earrings can be distracting. Go for studs, or earrings that don’t dangle. You will thank yourself later.

Before heading out to the studio, try taking a selfie. This will give you an idea whether the end result of the shots will conform to your vision.

3.     Choose your best side

We all have a good side and a bad side of our face, don’t we? The difference is not imaginary either; it is a fact that human faces are not perfectly symmetrical, and so one side can be more photogenic than the other.

If you don’t know which side of your face photographs better, ask the photographer you have hired to take a few shots from different angles. You can decide which angle accents you best and would yield great results.

4.     Don’t have irregular lighting

If you are attempting to take your headshot at home, there is a high chance that the lighting you need for an even, striking picture will not be available. If the lighting is irregular, your skin will appear blotchy and uneven as well. A professional photographer will have a studio and you can be a hundred percent sure that the lighting there will be specially optimized to evade this problem.