How to Prepare for Headshots: A Simple Guide

How to Prepare for Headshots

Preparing for headshots is about a lot more than picking a nice top and hoping for the best.

A strong headshot should feel intentional. It should reflect who you are, what you do, and how you want to be perceived. Whether you need a polished LinkedIn photo, a speaker bio image, a realtor profile photo, or updated website staff photos, the best results come from a little planning ahead.

If you are wondering how to prepare for headshots, here is what I want my clients to know before they step in front of the camera.

Know the Purpose of Your Headshots First

Before we ever talk about outfits, we need to know what the photo is for.

Actor headshots, business headshots, and branding photos all serve different purposes. Actor headshots are meant to catch a casting director’s attention. Business headshots are more like a visual handshake. Branding photos go a step further and start building rapport before someone has even met you.

That is why one of the first things I ask clients is what they need the photos for and how they want to be seen. Friendly, assertive, down-to-earth, polished, approachable, credible — these details matter. They help shape everything from wardrobe to posture to lighting.

A successful headshot session starts with planning.

What to Wear for Headshots

When people ask how to prepare for headshots, wardrobe is usually their first concern.

In general, solid colours photograph best. They keep the focus on your face and expression instead of competing for attention.

Blue and green tend to photograph beautifully because they feel harmonious and grounded. Light neutrals also work very well. Cream, ivory, and soft neutrals can feel clean and confident when the fit is right.

Black can work too, especially when it is paired with neutrals or when the background is not pure black or pure white. Red can be powerful and bold, but it should be used intentionally. For business headshots, red can work if it fits your brand. For actor headshots, I am much more cautious with it because it can send a very specific message.

The most important thing is not just colour. It is also fit.

A great headshot is not about wearing the trendiest thing in your closet. It is about wearing something that shapes well, feels like you, and supports the message you want the photo to send.

What Not to Wear for Headshots

Patterns are usually the first thing I tell clients to avoid.

Pinstripes and fine patterns can create visual distortion in camera, and most patterns are simply distracting. Solid colours are almost always the strongest choice unless we are intentionally creating something character-based or campaign-specific.

Baggy clothing is another one to avoid. It is much harder to make loose clothing photographed in a flattering, intentional way. Clothing that fits well always looks more polished than something oversized and shapeless.

I also recommend avoiding drastic style changes right before your session. A good headshot can last around two years, so it is best if the photo still looks like the version of you people will actually meet.

What to Bring to Your Headshot Session

A little preparation goes a long way.

I always recommend bringing:

• a backup outfit

• your eyeglasses if you wear them regularly

• any small props that are relevant to your work

• a tie if you plan to wear one

There is space at my Edmonton photo studio to change, and having a backup option is helpful if what you have brought does not photograph as expected.

If a client tells me they have nothing to wear, I usually encourage them to start with light neutrals and then build with one or two accent colours. It does not need to be complicated. Less is more. The focus should be on your face.

How to Prepare the Night Before

If you want to prepare for headshots well, the night before matters more than people think.

Sleep. Hydrate. Eat well. Protect your nervous system.

That sounds simple, but it makes a difference. Lack of sleep shows up quickly in the face, especially around the eyes. Hydration helps your skin and energy. A calm body photographs differently than a depleted one.

I also recommend:

• no alcohol before the session

• no drastic haircuts right before

• no new skincare or cosmetic experiments

• no last-minute dye jobs unless that is a look you plan to maintain

For haircuts, I usually suggest about a week before the session for both men and women. That gives enough time for things to settle naturally.

Hair, Makeup, and Grooming

Polished is great. Overdone is not.

If you wear makeup every day, a polished, natural version usually photographs beautifully. If you do not normally wear much makeup, too much can make the final photo feel inauthentic.

For men, I recommend tidying facial hair to look cohesive. If someone normally has gray hair, I do not recommend a drastic last-minute dye job unless they are prepared to keep that look up consistently.

The goal is to look like yourself when you meet your clients and/or peers.

How to Feel More Comfortable in Front of the Camera

A lot of people think they are bad at photos. Most of the time, that is not actually true. They are just uncomfortable.

If someone is nervous, I do not force it. I coach them through breathing, grounding, shaking it out, stretching, or simply talking like a normal person with the camera down for a moment. I pay attention to the whole body — head, neck, shoulders, hands, fingers, feet, posture. Sometimes what needs adjusting is not the smile. It is the nervous system.

At the base, it is regulating enough to create the perfect image together.

Visualization helps too. When people can picture themselves in a real-life situation — meeting an ideal client, walking into a room with confidence, listening with intention — the expression becomes more natural.

This is not a school photo. Your photographer (aka me) is not going to make you do awkward school photo poses.

What Happens During a Headshot Session

Most of the heavy lifting is actually done in the planning.

By the time a session starts, I have already asked about the purpose of the images, wardrobe, how the client wants to be perceived, and where the photos will be used. That lets us move efficiently once the camera comes out.

Quick Refresh sessions are scheduled for 45 minutes, but the actual photographing is often only 10 to 15 minutes. The rest of the time is used for selecting images together. It is not rushed. The goal is results.

Signature sessions usually allow more variety and more time for different looks, body language, and platform-specific needs.

I direct a lot throughout the session, so clients usually do not need to ask what to do with their hands or face. I am already guiding that before it becomes a stress point.

Studio or On-Location?

I offer studio headshot sessions and on-location photo sessions, depending on what your needs are.

Some people need a clean, classic studio look. Others benefit from environmental headshots that show context. A dentist may make more sense in their office. A print professional like Stephen from RGO can benefit from being photographed on location with equipment that reinforces what he does.

The best choice depends on the person, the purpose, and the audience.

How Many Headshots Do You Really Need?

Most people do not need a huge gallery of final headshots.

In real life, 2 to 3 strong images are often enough. Many clients use them for LinkedIn, reel covers, speaker bios, realtor profiles, and website staff pages.

The key is not volume. It is having the right image for the right use.

How Retouching Works

My retouching is meant to polish, not erase.

That may include:

• light acne fixes

• softening the appearance of dark under-eye circles

• slight eye brightening

• subtle teeth brightening

• light skin smoothing

• removing some stray hairs

The retouching is not a heavily altered version of someone that no longer feels believable. Polished should still look like you.

Overdone is when the image stops feeling human and starts looking like a digitally shrunk or rewritten version of the person.

Choosing Your Final Images

One of the biggest benefits of my process is that clients choose their images right after the session. It is a guided process, which my clients love.

I load the images onto my laptop, and we go through them together. If something is almost right but needs a small adjustment, we can often retake it immediately while everything is still set up.

That is a huge advantage. It means we are not guessing later. It also means you are not waiting until another day to discover that you wish one small detail had been changed.

The process is collaborative, and your input matters.

Quick Refresh vs Signature Headshots

If you only need one strong image, Quick Refresh is often enough. It is a great fit for founders or professionals whose current photo is outdated or no longer reflects the message they want to send.

If you need more variety for LinkedIn, your website, speaker bios, Instagram, or multiple platforms, Signature is usually the better fit. Business owners often need different versions of themselves depending on where the photo is being used.

Custom sessions make sense when there is more than one location, more than one audience, or a team involved.

5 Things I Wish Every Client Knew Before Their Headshot Session

A headshot is a collaborative process.
The best images come from planning, not guessing.

You do not need to know how to pose.
That is my job.

What you wear matters, but fit matters just as much as colour.
Intentional clothing always photographs better.

It is okay to be nervous.
You do not need to arrive fully relaxed.

A good headshot is not just a nice photo.
It should support how you want to be perceived.

Final Thoughts on How to Prepare for Headshots

If you are trying to prepare for headshots, here is the simplest advice I can give:

Know your purpose.
Choose clothing intentionally.
Sleep, hydrate, and avoid last-minute experiments.
Bring a backup outfit.
Trust the process.

The best headshots do not come from trying to look perfect. They come from preparing well enough that you can stop overthinking and simply show up as yourself.

And if you are worried that you are awkward in photos, you are not alone. Most people feel that way at first. The good news is that headshots do not have to feel stiff, performative, or uncomfortable when the process is guided well.

If you are ready for updated professional headshots in Edmonton, you can inquire here and we can plan the right session based on your goals, audience, and how you want to be seen.