Planning for Professional Headshots

Headshots are a great way to capture the best images of your business or yourself. Whether you want to showcase your talent in front of a camera or you want to look your best for a business meeting or interview, professional headshots can help you achieve these goals. The best way to get those photos is by booking a professional headshot photographer. In this post I’m providing tips on planning for professional headshots.

Table of Contents 

• Separating Good vs. Great Headshots
• Where Do You Start? 
• Selecting Your Photographer
• Next Steps
  
• The Headshot Session
• After Your Session
• Conclusion

A “good” versus “great” headshot

A good headshot is one that will make you look your best. It’s a picture of you that is flattering and attractive. A great headshot is one that tells the story of who you are and what you do. It’s a picture that captures the essence of who you are and shows your personality.

Where to start? 

The best way to plan the best professional headshots photo session is to contact a professional photographer. A Houston headshot photographer like myself will be able to

• give you tips on how to prepare for your headshots,
• help you choose the best location for your photos.

For example, depending on your brand and specialty, an outdoor headshot may be better than a studio headshot session. 

If you’re wanting traditional studio headshots, we’ll discuss the  best colors for headshots. On the other hand, outdoor or on-location sessions can be a general area (like a high rise or tech building), and even your company headquarters. 

Selecting your professional headshot photographer

The next step is hire a professional photographer. To be frank, headshot photographers are a dime a dozen. You should do some research on the photographer you want to hire. Ask friends, family, and your professional network for recommendations. And since every photographer is different, it’s important to check their web site to see if they have any experience with your type of shoot. 

You can check out the photographer’s portfolio to see if he or she has done similar shoots before. You should also ask for references or check reviews. Make sure that the photographer you hire is someone you can trust to deliver and communicate effectively.

Level of Service:

The level of service you require has a lot to do with how much you can expect to invest on your professional headshots. Regardless of what the service level may be, you and your photographer should both be on the same page in terms of expectation or you might end up unhappy with the results. 

Experience:

Does he or she have any previous experience with photographing headshots? Do you want the photographer to be flexible? Are you looking for someone who will take great pictures? Photography is very intimate. It’s important that you are both comfortable with one another. 

Why My Clients Choose Me

While you can find any photographer in Houston to do your headshots, it’s important to hire one who will work with you to get what your brand needs. Some factors to look for are: availability, level of service, communication, professionalism, and more. 

Clients choose me, because they trust me to get the best photos for them and their brand. They know I’m taking the time to learn more about their business goals and target audience. I ask questions about your business, shoot vision, and find out if we’re a great fit. We then create professional headshots that correspond with your brand and marketing. Following that, I use my experience and talent to frame you in the right way. 

Whatever you decide, it’s crucial that you choose a professional photographer who will help get the results you want. Don’t settle for just any photographer. Find one who can help you achieve your goals.

Next Steps

Scheduling

Now it’s time to schedule your session. You should have a specific day of the week or date and time in mind. Taking into account how soon you may need your headshots for marketing materials is incredibly important. 

Outfits and Wardrobe 

The next thing you should do is to have a few outfits for the photographer to choose from. You can wear a plain t-shirt and jeans. Or you can wear a suit. Wear something that will represent your brand and that you feel comfortable in. When you’re uncomfortable, it shows. If you’re not sure where to start, you can always start with your profession, or industry standard, or uniform.

For example:

• Nurses or others in the medical field wear scrubs.
• Legal and financial service professionals typically wear suits.
• Chefs, their uniforms.  

Whether you’re feeling out an online questionnaire or completing a discovery call, it helps to give your photographer an idea of what you’ll be wearing. Based on your wardrobe and background color preferences, I may offer wardrobe selections or a change in the background color. If it helps, you can also give me (or your photographer) a list of problem areas or colors you would like to avoid.

Taking your professional headshots

I can’t really speak to what or how your headshots will go since each photographer is different. Although, I can tell you what happens when clients book me. 

Aleshia said, 

I couldn’t be more pleased with the service and quality Niesha displayed. She was amazing! I was immediately put at ease upon entering the Studio. It all started with a lovely makeup session, which was amazing. Niesha’s fun personality made me feel happy and beautiful. She truly captured my branding photo shoot vision. Thank you for an amazing experience!!

I always tell my clients to relax –you’re in good hands. Comfortability and confidence in portraits are what I do best. 

After your Headshots are done

Following your portrait session, you’ll choose your favorite image or images. Most clients purchase at least two headshots. Plus, it’s important to note that not most headshot photographers will have you purchase per image. In rare instances though, you might have the chance to book a session where at least one image is included in the session fee. Additionally, while some photographers do light retouching work, removing stray hairs and wrinkles is normally an additional charge.

Conclusion 

I know we’ve covered a lot of ground here. To recap, a lot goes into planning for headshots and branding photos. And selecting the right professional headshot photographer is no small task. These images will be the face of you and your brand for the next 1-3 years. 

As always, I hope you found this post helpful. What are some factors you considered when planning for your own headshots? Sound off in the comments below or click here to give me a shout.

I’m Niesha Fuentes, a Houston headshot photographer who helps clients like you feel comfortable in portraits you can proudly display.

When you’re ready to book your headshots in Houston, I’d love to be there for you. Simply click the button below to get started now.