Your headshot is a modern handshake. It shows up on LinkedIn, your company site, Zoom, speaker bios, and pitches. A good one looks authentic, current, and aligned with your goals.
Preparation matters more than people think. A few smart choices about wardrobe, grooming, and logistics can lift your photo from fine to fantastic. This guide walks you through what to do before, during, and after your session so you get headshots you are proud to share.
TL;DR
- Define the job or opportunity your headshot should serve, then choose a style that fits it.
- Pick two clean outfits in solid, medium tones, pressed and lint-free. Avoid loud patterns and brand logos.
- Schedule light grooming and rest. Hydrate, tame flyaways, and bring simple touch-up items to set.
- Practice natural expressions and posture so you look friendly, confident, and like yourself.
- After the shoot, select with purpose, request light retouching, name files clearly, and export sizes you actually need.
How to Prepare for Headshots
Preparing for a professional headshot can feel overwhelming, as many people struggle to choose the right wardrobe or feel unnatural in front of the camera. Without a clear plan, it is common to worry that your final images won’t accurately reflect your personality or professional brand.
Understanding how to prepare is essential because a high-quality headshot serves as your digital first impression in an increasingly visual professional world. When you arrive feeling ready and confident, that ease translates directly into a more authentic and impactful photograph.
This guide provides a step-by-step roadmap to help you navigate everything from grooming tips to outfit selection with total ease. By following these insights, you can leverage our professional headshot services and walk away with polished, high-end images that truly capture your best self.
Set a Clear Goal for Your Headshot
Before you book, decide what your photo must do. If you are job hunting, your headshot should read approachable and competent. If you are a founder or creator, you may want a bolder portrait with more personality. A clear goal guides wardrobe, backdrop, and pose.
Think about where the image will live. Social platforms display portraits in small sizes, so your face should fill the frame. For LinkedIn, square images work best. The platform requires a minimum of 400×400 pixels and supports larger uploads, but images are displayed and compressed at smaller sizes, so a sharp, well-cropped square is more important than extreme resolution.
Pick the Right Headshot Style
Choosing a setup that matches your industry and brand helps people read you quickly. Bauman Photographers specializes in high-end, polished headshots that combine controlled studio lighting with a natural, approachable vibe. Whether you need a corporate look or a more creative portrait, we work with you to achieve the perfect balance for your professional goals.
| Style | What It Looks Like | Pros | Watch Outs | Best For |
| Studio (strobe or constant lights) | Clean backdrop, controlled light | Flattering, consistent, weather-proof | Can feel formal if overlit | Corporate, law, finance, applications |
| Natural-Light | Window or outdoor shade | Soft, fresh, approachable | Weather, time of day, squint risk | Startups, creators, therapists |
| Environmental | Your workplace or relevant setting | Adds context and personality | Background clutter, permissions | Founders, makers, hospitality, real estate |
Prepare a Wardrobe That Works on Camera
Clothes should support your face, not compete with it. We offer personalized wardrobe consultations to help you choose outfits that complement your features and the backdrop.
- Aim for solid, mid-tone colors that contrast with your background.
- Navy, charcoal, forest, burgundy, and jewel tones photograph well.
- Crisp white can blow out under bright light; pure black can swallow detail.
- If you love black or white, layer with texture or a jacket to add shape.
- Keep patterns subtle. Avoid tight stripes, moiré-prone weaves, loud plaids, and visible brand logos.
- Bring two options that feel like you on a good day. Press or steam everything. Check collars, hems, and buttons.
- If you wear glasses, clean lenses and bring a non-glare pair if you have one.
- Jewelry should be simple and quiet; anything that jingles or reflects brightly can distract.
Need help picking the perfect outfit for your shoot? Let Bauman’s experts guide you to a wardrobe that will make you shine.
Follow a Grooming and Skin Prep
Good prep is gentle and routine. Do not try new products the week of your shoot.
- 3 to 5 days before: Hydrate, sleep, and keep skincare simple. If you shape brows or shave close, do it a day or two before to reduce redness.
- The day before: Avoid heavy alcohol and salty foods that cause puffiness. Wash and fully dry hair; loose flyaways are easier to tame than limp strands.
- Day of: Moisturize. Matte or sheer lip balm helps. Light powder on the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) cuts shine. Bring a comb or brush, blotting papers, lip balm, and a small tissue pack.
- Facial hair: Trim evenly and check the neckline. If clean-shaven, shave slowly with a fresh blade and soothing aftershave to limit irritation.
Makeup should look like you. Even skin tone, defined brows and eyes, a natural lip color, and minimal shimmer. We offer makeup services to ensure your skin tone is even, your brows and eyes are defined, and your lips have a natural pop of color.
Practice Posing, Expression, and Body Language
Small adjustments make a big difference. Angle your body slightly, then bring your face back to the camera. Drop your shoulders, lengthen your neck, and imagine a string lifting the crown of your head. Think of someone you like and breathe out as the shutter clicks to soften your expression.
Ask your photographer for a catchlight, the reflection of the light in your eyes. It brings life to a portrait. If you are shooting solo, face a window for soft, even light. Most photographers will avoid harsh overhead lights that create deep shadows.
Our professional headshot photographers will guide you through every pose to make sure you look your best. We know how to make you feel comfortable and confident, bringing out natural expressions that make your headshot stand out.
Set the Logistics: Booking, Timing, and What To Bring
Choose a photographer whose portfolio feels like the result you want. Bauman Photographers offers a seamless booking process, and we’ll schedule a pre-shoot consultation to discuss your goals, preferred headshot style, and the overall vibe you’re looking for.
We guarantee that every detail is tailored to meet your needs. Confirm what is included:
- Number of looks
- Backdrops
- Retouched final photos
- Turnaround time
- Licensing terms
Most photographers can give you a checklist or a guide. However, you can generally bring:
- Two outfits plus layers, lint roller, and backup undershirt.
- Hairbrush, lip balm, powder or blotting papers, and a small mirror.
- Water and a snack if your session is longer than an hour.
- Minimal and clean props relevant to an environmental portrait.
- Smartwatch, if it suits your brand.
Weekday morning sessions often give you fresh energy and better skin. Arrive a few minutes early to settle in and review the plan.
After the Shoot: Selection, Retouching, and Files
Choose images with purpose. Favor photos where your expression feels genuine, and your eyes look engaged. Give your photographer context on how you will use each file so cropping and color can be tuned accordingly.
We believe in natural retouching that enhances your features without changing them. We’ll ensure that your headshot captures the best version of you, whether it’s smoothing flyaways, reducing temporary blemishes, or evening out skin tone, while maintaining authenticity. The goal is a well-rested version of you: tidy flyaways, reduce temporary blemishes, even out stray lint or glare, and maintain skin texture. Heavy blurring looks dated.
Mind your rights and names. In the U.S., photographers typically own the copyright in their images by default. Your agreement should spell out how you can use the files for business or personal branding. Here are other things you need to check with your photographer:
- If your image will be used to promote a product or service, a model release is commonly used to document permission for that commercial use, and laws vary by state.
- Save files with clear names like Firstname-Lastname-Headshot-2026-LinkedIn.jpg.
- Embed metadata using IPTC fields such as Creator and Copyright Notice so authorship and usage information travel with the image. Note that metadata does not change legal ownership; it documents attribution and rights as defined in your agreement.
- Export the sizes you need. For LinkedIn, a sharp square works well; the platform accepts profile photos starting at 400×400 pixels, PNG or JPG. Also export a high-res master for print and a web version in sRGB color for general online use.
When it comes to file management, we deliver high-resolution files that are ready for any platform, including optimized versions for LinkedIn, print, and personal branding.
Examples
These examples demonstrate how strategic choices in lighting, wardrobe, and file formats result in versatile images that meet the practical needs of various platforms.
Career Switcher Updating a LinkedIn Profile
A project manager moving into product ops books a 45-minute studio session. She brings a navy blouse and a light gray blazer. The photographer positions her near a large window with a neutral backdrop and adds a small reflector for bright eyes. They shoot half smiling and half neutral to capture different tones.
She chooses two finals, requests gentle retouching on flyaways, and uploads a centered 400×400 JPG to LinkedIn. She begins appearing in top-tier search results, leading to three interview invitations from companies she hadn’t even applied to yet.
Founder Needing Press-Ready Images
A startup founder needs portraits for media kits and speaking pages. He selects an environmental session at his workspace with a tidy backdrop and one studio-light setup as backup. Wardrobe is a fitted charcoal jacket over a slate tee to avoid glare and logos.
The photographer composes one tight headshot and one wider portrait with context. Files are delivered as a high-res TIFF for print, a 4:5 crop for speaker bios, and a 400×400 PNG for platforms. The set covers interviews, the company site, and investor updates without reshoots.
Actionable Steps / Checklist
By following these specific steps, you can arrive at your shoot feeling organized and confident, which directly translates into more natural and professional images.
- Define your audience and where the photo will live.
- Book a photographer whose style matches your goal and confirm deliverables and usage.
- Choose two solid-color outfits, pressed and lint-free, with simple accessories.
- Plan light grooming; sleep, hydrate, and avoid new products.
- Pack a small kit with a brush, lip balm, blotting papers, a lint roller, water, and backup layers.
- Practice three expressions in a mirror: a friendly smile, a soft smile, and a focused neutral.
- On set, keep your shoulders low, lengthen your neck, and face the good light.
- Afterward, select intentionally, ask for natural retouching, embed IPTC metadata, and export platform-ready sizes.
Glossary
Mastering this vocabulary ensures you are well-informed about the post-processing and licensing aspects of your headshots, helping you avoid any friction or technical issues during final delivery.
- Aspect Ratio: The width-to-height shape of an image, such as square 1:1 or vertical 4:5.
- Catchlight: The small reflection of a light source in the eyes that makes them look lively.
- Color Temperature: A measure of light color that affects how warm or cool a photo looks; set by the camera’s white balance.
- Environmental Portrait: A headshot made in a real setting that adds context about your work or personality.
- IPTC Metadata: Standard fields embedded in image files for creator, copyright, and caption information.
- Model Release: A written permission from the person photographed that allows specified uses, commonly required for commercial promotion.
- Retouching: Post-processing to refine an image, such as taming flyaways or reducing a temporary blemish without altering your features.
- T-zone: The forehead, nose, and chin area that often looks shiny on camera.
FAQ
Q: How recent should my headshot be?
A: Aim to update your headshots every 2 to 3 years, or sooner if your appearance changes noticeably, so people recognize you in meetings and at events.
Q: Do I need professional makeup?
A: You don’t necessarily need professional makeup. Even skin tone, tamed shine, and tidy hair usually beat a heavy makeup look. However, many photographers can recommend a professional focused on a clean, minimal aesthetic if you want help.
Q: Can I use my headshot commercially without extra paperwork?
A: If an image of you will promote a product, service, or brand, a model release is commonly used to document permission. Rules vary by state, so check your agreement.
Q: What file types should I request?
A: Ask for a high-resolution master for print, a web-optimized JPG or PNG in sRGB, and platform-ready crops like a centered 1:1 square.
Q: What if I wear glasses?
A: If you need to wear glasses, prepare clean lenses, tilt slightly to avoid glare, and consider an anti-reflective pair. Our photographers can adjust the light height and angle to reduce reflections.
Final Thoughts
Preparation doesn’t have to be complicated, especially with the help of Bauman Photographers. Define your goal, keep your wardrobe and grooming simple, and let our team guide you through the entire process. With personalized advice and a professional photographer dedicated to capturing your best self, your headshot will look natural, polished, and ready to shine across every platform.
Ready to get started? Book your headshot session with Bauman Photographers today and let us help you create an image that makes an impact.
