It’s easy to get lost in the thought of having your picture taken, let alone professionally. There are many questions that may continually emerge in your mind up until (and throughout) your corporate headshot session. What should I wear? How do I make my face look pristine the day of the session? What can I do to ease my mind? Beneath all of the questions you have probably lies some degree of nervousness, anxiety or confusion. The key to eliminating the underlying fear of getting your picture taken is preparation, and it’s much easier than you may think. Let’s talk about picking the right outfit…

Many of you may be thinking, “How hard can it be to pick out some clothes?” Well, there are a few important things to keep in mind when putting an outfit together. What would you wear if you were meeting a client in person for the first time? Regardless of meeting someone in person or seeing a picture online, it takes less than five seconds to make a first impression; your outfit is a tremendously powerful and persuasive asset to your headshot. Crisp and pressed clothing is a must to ensure a proper impression. Imagine meeting a prospective client in a wrinkled, jumbled mess of an outfit. How can they trust that your work won’t emulate your clothes? They can’t, and they’ll simply move on. Make sure the suit is dry-cleaned and the shirt and tie are pressed. And don’t forget to use the good old lint roller!

You want the viewer to focus on you and only you. Not the jewelry, not the blouse, not the jacket, and certainly not that wacky holiday tie. A great piece of advice I can offer here is to steer clear of patterned clothing, excessive jewelry and anything that will divert the attention away from your face. Keep it simple: solid shirts and low-key accessories. While it’s not always necessary, if some of you are still having trouble deciding what to wear, it may be a good idea to sport colors that reflect your company brand. Like I said, keep it simple and subtle. It could be a tie, a blouse, a pocket square or as simple as a piece of jewelry. Matching or complementary colors are almost always more aesthetically appealing than those that clash. Be sure you are the center of attention, but a hint of color could be an indirect way of showing your creativity. Remember, you want yourself and your business to look sharp, put together and professional.

You may have learned a lot about the importance of your outfit in creating an outstanding headshot, but it’s only a piece of the puzzle! Please tune in next week when I’ll be addressing the topic of grooming properly for professional corporate headshots.