Headshot prep guide
How to prep for a professional headshot session.
The photo lives on LinkedIn for five years. Two hours of prep gets you a photo that does its job.
01
Why most headshots look the same. and bad
Open LinkedIn and scroll. Most headshots look identical because most people prepared identically: navy or black, polished smile, neutral background. The result is invisible. Headshots that work do two things average headshots don't: they signal a specific category (you read instantly as 'senior consultant' or 'creative director' or 'engineer') and they preserve the person enough that meeting you in real life isn't a surprise. The prep needs to deliver both.
02
The wardrobe rules photographers wish you knew
What helps a photographer make your photo work, instead of fighting it:
- Solid colors in mid-tones. Not pure black (eats detail), not bright white (blows out). Charcoal, navy, deep olive, soft cream, burgundy all photograph excellently.
- Texture beats pattern. A fine-gauge knit, a heathered wool, a soft chambray reads richer in the camera than a printed shirt or a striped one.
- Bring two outfits. Photographers usually offer two looks in a session; arrive prepared instead of improvising.
- Fit at the shoulders is the photo's job. Tailor the shoulder seam if you have one weekend. It's the single biggest readable line in a headshot.
03
Grooming timeline working backwards from the session
Hair settles 48-72 hours after a cut. Skin recovers from extraction or peel in roughly 5-7 days. Plan accordingly:
- T-10 days: Haircut. Light trim only. this is not the time for a new shape.
- T-7 days: If you have a skincare routine, hit it every day. If you don't, start one (cleanser → moisturizer → SPF). Don't introduce new products inside this window.
- T-3 days: Brow cleanup if needed. No new beauty experiments.
- T-1 day: Hydrate aggressively. 3L of water. No alcohol. Sleep eight hours.
- Morning of: Cool water on face after wake, no salty breakfast, no coffee on empty stomach.
04
The expression coaching nobody gives you
Most people freeze in front of a camera and the freeze reads. The fix is mechanical:
- Soften the eyes. pretend you're recognizing a friend across a room. Watch how your eyes change. That's the expression you want.
- Closed-mouth smile usually reads warmer than a teeth smile in professional contexts. Try both.
- Drop the shoulders, lengthen the neck, push the chin slightly forward and down. This single move trims visual softness around the jaw.
- Breathe out as the shutter fires. Tension in the breath shows in the face.
05
What Fix Style gives you
Tell us your industry, the headshot context, and your style direction. The Event Pack returns two outfit choices specific to the headshot context, a grooming timeline backed up from the session date, a 'do not make this about' line, posture and expression cues for the chair, a day-of checklist from morning to arrival, and six identity-preserving photos of you in both looks. The nine photos are the most useful part. Bring them to the photographer as reference.
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