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9 Business Headshot Tips to Look Your Best

Professional business headshot tips

Business headshots are a great way to make yourself look more professional in your career. Hiring a headshot photographer to come to your workplace or photograph you in their studio can give you an edge in the business world if the shots are done right.

There are times when people get their headshot done without considering important details of the shoot, such as clothes to wear, makeup, background, hairstyles, and more.

Feel free to see some of our own business headshots here for some ideas on how you’d want to look in your photoshoot.

Continue reading for some useful tips on looking great in your business headshot.

9 Business Headshot Tips To Look Your Best

Wear appropriate clothing

corporate headshot of Jeremiah Tamburrini, real estate agent in Guelph.Think about the look you are trying to convey to people who are going to see your business photo. Do you work at an insurance corporation, veterinary clinic, or are you a Realtor?  Many people dress up for their headshot like they would for a day at the office, but wearing a suit or a nice shirt is common for men who don’t normally wear one at work.

Also, be sure to iron your clothes and look for stains and pet hair before you arrive at the shoot.

If you are planning to get just the top half of your body in the photos then don’t worry too much about about your pants and shoes, but if you want a full body portrait then remember to wear nice shoes as well.

Make your hair look nice

A musician being photographed with her violin by Trina Koster, Guelph.For women, try brushing your hair right before your shoot or bringing a brush with you.  If you want it looking smooth and silky, try using some conditioner in the shower or using a leave-in conditioner the day of the shoot. It is handy to look in a mirror or a selfie camera to see how your hair is sitting right before the shoot starts.

For men, try styling your hair with some gel or putty and even a blow-dryer to give it the look you’re going for. If you have a beard, make sure to shape it with your razor, and consider combing it if it has been growing for a while.

Tell your photographer how you want to convey yourself

Creative photography for album art, done for musician Andrew McPherson.Headshot photographers are experts at bringing out certain looks in people. You may want to portray yourself as “fun and approachable”, “dedicated and serious about success”, “creative and deep-thinking”, or “goofy and unique”.

The possibilities are endless, but if you have a specific demeanor in mind then be sure to talk to your photographer about it. They can set the tone with different music and backgrounds, while using different angles and lenses to portray your custom look.

Going into a shoot without any idea of how you want to look can still result in great images, but it is then up to your photographer to come up with different poses and looks for you to try out.

Don’t worry though, that’s what business headshot photographers do best. If you’ve got a really good photographer they’ll make sure you get some amazing headshot photos regardless of whether you had a certain look in mind or not.

Know your best side

Most people don’t have perfectly symmetrical faces. Perhaps your hair looks better from one angle over another or you have an imperfection on your face that you want to hide.

There are a lot of people who know which side of their face they prefer to take a picture of.

If you don’t know you can try taking a couple of selfies from different angles and find out which you prefer.

Alternatively you could get your photographer to take pictures of you at different facing angles so you have different choices.

Relax

Mid-length photo of a fitness trainer in OntarioIt’s not hard to tell when a smile is forced or if you look tense in a photo. People often feel nervous in front of a camera, especially when they don’t get their picture taken often. You have nothing to worry about when getting your photograph taken though.

Headshot photographers are aware that people can feel nervous during photoshoots and they are experienced at helping them feel more calm. To help feel more calm at the shoot, start off with some photos of you doing goofy faces to relax the face muscles.

If you have a certain song that makes you feel confident or relaxed you can request to have the song playing. Once you are warmed up and realize that you have nothing to be nervous about then you can express yourself freely and your shoot will go smoothly!

Consider wearing makeup

Musician headshot of Jesse Bell Smith of Guelph, Ontario

It’s up to you whether you want to wear makeup for your headshot session, but it can help make you look your best for the shoot and minimize the amount of editing that the photographer does afterwards.

Makeup can be useful if you didn’t get much sleep the night before and have bags under your eyes, and also can help with covering small details like crow’s feet or blemishes.

Additionally, makeup can make people feel more confident, which results in better pictures. It’s up to you how you want to convey yourself!

Push your chin up and out

Corporate headshot for BDO Accounting captured in Waterloo, Ontario.To avoid having the double-chin effect in your headshot try pushing your chin just slightly up and forward.

This will elongate your neck and make the skin underneath your jawline tighter, which can eliminate the appearance of a double chin.

You should also roll your shoulders back and stand up straight to improve your posture and appear more confident.

Use the right background

Corporate headshots can be taken indoors or outdoors depending on the look you are going for.  As you can see here, both can look good, but they convey different first impressions.

A business headshot taken in Guelph.

Professional business headshot taken for BDO Accounting in Waterloo, Ontario.

Indoor headshots with white or mono coloured backgrounds are best for the formal business appeal. It looks professional and can be used for business cards or any other promotional material easily.  

Outdoor headshots give a more casual look, but they allow for more creativity and unique portrayals of your personality.

Smile

Smiling makes you look more open and inviting and can also show off your facial features better. People like to work with happy, confident professionals so don’t be afraid to show off your smile. 

If you aren’t comfortable with how you teeth look you can still smile with your lips closed. Smiling activates chemicals in your brain that make you feel better, allowing a more positive side of you to shine in the images. 

Some people may choose not to smile in their picture because they want to portray a more serious look. Everyone is different, but in most cases smiling is the best option!

Consider these tips prior to getting your business headshot done and you’ll be much happier with the photos. It’s an opportunity to look your best and have a professional photographer show you off, so make sure to get it done right.

If you liked this article consider checking out 5 Ways To Look More Photogenic In Portraits or 5 Tips On What To Wear For Fall Family Portraits.

 

Looking for a Business Headshot Photographer in Ontario?

If you live around Southwestern Ontario we invite you to come to our Guelph studio and get some professional pictures taken. We can also travel to your location!

Create a powerful first impression with your headshot  – Contact us today

Portraits at Lake Huron

portrait photography at lake huron's grand bend beachThis portrait was taken at the Grand Bend Beach connecting to Lake Huron.

Trina loves this location because the lake is so large it looks like an ocean, it has beautiful light, is right on the water, and there’s usually a breeze blowing through people’s hair.

See more of our portraits.

It’s a very flattering look for photos when there’s fresh air blowing on you with a beautiful background, and this location has certainly got that.

Beaches can provide an amazing location for photo shoots, which is why weddings on beaches provide such great photography opportunities.

If you want some great photos of your dog we suggest taking some shots of them at a beach.

They’re likely to be having a lot of fun and it makes for a lot of cute and memorable photos.

If you’re looking to get a portrait of you and your friends or family, contact Trina Koster or see our portrait rates and packages.

 

Company Headshots at Your Location

Corporate staff portrait taken in Waterloo, Ontario for BDO accounting firm.This staff portrait was taken at BDO Canada in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. BDO Canada provides assurance, accounting, tax, and advisory services to clients in Canada.

It was a pleasure to do a photo shoot at the BDO building because it has a really interesting architecture and it provided plenty of different areas to take photos.

Company headshot days are convenient, economical, and also a great staff bonding event. See our on-location headshots here.

Companies we’ve worked with loved how fast the process went, allowing them to be in and out within a couple of minutes and get on with the rest of their busy day.

Getting headshots done for the whole company at once is also useful because the headshots all look consistent with the same background and lighting.

We’ve done work with companies such as Linamar, Compusense, Meducom, and Investors Group, providing professional headshots that portray the right look for each company.

We also love to work with personal trainers and can come to your gym to photograph everyone at once.

If you’re looking to get headshots for your company in Southwestern Ontario, contact Trina today.

Be sure to check out our business headshot tips so you look your best in the photos!

Langdon Hall Wedding Photography Review

Langdon Hall wedding photography, CambridgeLangdon Hall of Cambridge, Ontario is a stunning place for wedding photography. We’re delighted every time we shoot a wedding there.

Beautiful no matter what season, when you enter through the gate and drive through the pine forest, it doesn’t feel like you’re in Cambridge anymore, it’s almost like you’re in your own world.

To get an idea of the kind of photos you’ll get from a wedding there, check out our Langdon Hall wedding gallery.

Langdon Hall is perfect for small and large weddings.

We’ve photographed weddings with only 4 people (bride, groom and friends) to large parties of 120 people. No matter what the size it always feels very intimate.

As Langdon Hall’s top referred wedding photographers, we’ve had the pleasure of photographing weddings in every season, with each season bringing its own special look to the wedding photos.

There are so many fantastic locations in Langdon Hall to take wedding photos. The Orchard Garden offers a beautiful backdrop for pictures you’ll never forget, and the croquet lawn is great for photographing groups of friends and family.

If you are looking for a wedding photographer experienced in getting amazing wedding photos at Langdon Hall in Cambridge, Ontario, contact Trina Koster.

You can also view our wedding packages for pricing details.

Actor Headshots

Actor headshot of Stephen GraybillIf you are an actor and trying to build a reputation for yourself, having a proper headshot taken is a must.

It can be tough to compete with thousands of other actors in a city when you don’t stand out from the crowd. As an actor, headshots should be an investment in your future, which means you should spend the money to get it done professionally so that your investment pays off.

We’ve been doing actor photography for many years in Guelph, Ontario, which you can see on our headshots page.

Stephen Graybill, pictured here, is one of many actors we’ve photographed at our studio.  He’s starred in the critically acclaimed TV show Big Little Lies with Reese Witherspoon, and also in Law and Order: SVU and The Wire.

When having your headshot taken you need to make sure you look your best so that you can showcase the headshot proudly for years to come. Think about what you want to wear and how you want to portray yourself to the world.  Good headshot photographers will be able to offer their opinion on what looks good for you so be sure to ask them when getting your photoshoot done.

Its generally a good idea to bring a couple of different outfits to a photoshoot so that you have choices on which look you like best afterwards.  For actors it is usually best to dress casual with a nice non-wrinkled shirt. Actor headshots can also be done outside for a unique look.

The point of getting your headshot done is to show off your true personality to the world in an photograph.  That means you should relax and just be yourself. Smile or don’t smile, its up to you, depending on how you want to portray yourself.

If you live in Ontario and want your headshot done, contact our studio to book an appointment at our Guelph studio.

Be sure to review our article 9 business headshots tips to look your best before getting your headshot done!

Cookbook Photography

Cookbook commercial photography.Who doesn’t love a homecooked Italian meal?! Here in Guelph we are lucky enough to have Natalina Bombino Campagnolo, a local chef and instructor, specializing in Italian food: http://italiancookingschoolguelph.com/

When Natalina contacted the studio to help her create some images for her new cookbook, we were thrilled!

Noelle O’Brien spent a few hours at Natalina’s cooking school while she whipped up some delicious meals and shared some of her secrets.

We love the fun and candid vibe Noelle captured in the image that Natalina chose for the cover of her cookbook and the intimate photos of her with her family that she chose to use throughout the book.

She certainly has a passion for her what she does, and that comes through in the photos.

Way to go Natalina- we loved working with you!

See more of our commercial photography.

Professional Headshot Tips

business headshot tipsHeadshots are a challenge to get right.  There are many factors that come into play when taking the perfect headshot and it is important that you know what you are doing before deciding to become a professional headshot photographer.

How your headshot looks can have a huge impact on your chance of finding a job, so getting the right photographer for the job is crucial.

For examples of professional headshots, see Trina’s Guelph headshots gallery page. To get some tips on becoming a better headshot photographer, read on.

Tips for a Professional Headshot

  • Get the right equipment for professional headshots

Being a professional headshot photographer is an investment.  The equipment required to take crisp and high-quality indoor studio headshots requires thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment. A camera capable of capturing every detail for a headshot could cost you between $1000 – $7000 depending on the level of quality you’re going for. You’ll also need a proper lighting kit and a backdrop to pull off the perfect headshot.

  • Know what look you are going for

Depending on how you want to portray yourself, different lighting, props, and outfits can be used.  If you are an actor or model, indoor headshots and outdoor headshots can be equally effective in their own way. Studio lighting can make your good features stand out more, and provides even lighting across your whole face.  This is typical for business professionals who want a formal look. Natural light from outdoor headshots gives you a more creative look and can come across as more casual.

  • Find the client’s best side

Nobody really has a perfectly symmetrical face and hairline. When taking a headshot of your client be sure to get them to turn their heads slightly to different angles so you can get an idea of which side of their face should get more exposure to the camera.  Understanding each person’s most attractive angles will allow you to get the most flattering headshot.  You will also have to adjust the lighting according to which parts of the face you want to accentuate the most, and which features you want to conceal.

  • Make the client feel comfortable

If the client isn’t feeling comfortable during your professional headshot session, it is going to show in the photos.  Some people are naturally skilled at getting their photo taken and enjoy the shoot. Many others will feel nervous or uncomfortable with the process of getting a photoshoot done and you must learn how to put these clients at ease.  Engaging the clients in conversation and putting them at ease is a skill that you develop over time when doing professional headshot sessions.

Following these tips will help you to improve headshot photography!  If you live near Guelph, Ontario and need your headshot done or want private lessons in learning how to use you camera better, contact Trina Koster.

Part 2 of professional headshot tips coming soon!