How to Prepare for Your Photoshoot
Thank you for registering for a photoshoot with Mike Higdon Photography.
Below is a guide to prepare for your portrait session. Mike will coach you on all of the below during the shoot, but preparation will help you to feel more comfortable and will also allow you an opportunity to see what you think looks best for you while also making suggestions for a more collaborative experience.
See examples to the right or below (on mobile). I look forward to taking your photo!
Style guide recommendations
Wear something that makes you feel good and confident.
When choosing your outfit(s), you want to wear something elevated but not so fancy that you would not wear it with clients or at work. For example, avoid gowns or party clothing unless that is part of the theme.
Clients are either standing or seated on a stool. The background will be dark grey, so avoid wearing black if you can. When practicing at home, consider how the items bunch or straighten while standing or seated.
Colors:
If we are shooting photographs for a brand or new executive position, consider color combinations that would work well with your branding or logo. If we’ve discussed branded colors for your background, you will either want to match or create clear contrast with those colors.
An example is Kylie Rowe choosing a yellow dress to match with the branding of Truckee Meadows Tomorrow while using a green background to contrast.
If there is no brand matching needed, then consider your best colors that go with your hair and eyes.
Color schemes that work well are triadic, complementary and monochromatic. There are several phone apps that will help you discover those colors. Many of you have a natural eye for what works with your style, so don’t second-guess too much.
Structure:
More structured clothing can create more professional look, such as suits, structured dresses, stiff blazers, or similar items. Loose fitting clothing can work for some body types but can create folds and falling shapes that are unflattering while also appearing unprofessional. Layering a softer top with a rigid blazer can help here, for example, especially with satin blouses and blazers, or stiff-collared polo shirts.
If you selected a hair and makeup package, you still want to prepared with a light amount of work like you might use on a regular day to the office so that the artist can enhance your hair and makeup for the shoot.
Modern cameras capture people with sharp details (like Ultra HD TV sharpness), so avoid heavy makeup, as it can show up more than you might expect. Keep your make-up natural or slightly more elevated than your daily look. Avoid heavy contouring and heavy application of products that might cause a thick powdered look or create a line of separation on your neck.
Eye and lip makeup are encouraged. The studio’s ambient lighting will be very dark, so be mindful of where you apply your make-up, particularly the kind of lights and how you blend your face and neck. Makeup should look natural in daylight color (white) NOT tungsten (yellowish), which is more common in home bathrooms. If you have a mirror near a window, that’s better than a bathroom unless you have designated daylight vanity lights.
Feel free to bring makeup, hairspray, brushes, wipes, or other cosmetics for your personal needs, and take extra time in the bathroom for touch up, or our hair and makeup artist will take care of you.
This applies to men and women but more often men.
Modern cameras capture people with sharp details (like Ultra HD TV sharpness), so people should shave that morning and use any shaving products that help reduce redness or razor bumps. After shave balms are particularly good at making skin more plump and even the same day of a fresh shave, while also eliminating redness.
Exfoliating and moisturizing is extremely helpful to avoid flakey skin, which can sometimes be seen on camera and requires touch up. Hydrating in various forms also helps plump up skin and look nice and full and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Glycolic acid face washes or face scrubs to great for this application.
Hair and makeup artist is helpful for adding powder and touchup for men in order to reduce redness, shiny skin or wrinkles and is available for packages with men.
Waxing or other chemical hair removal should be done several days before to avoid redness or swelling.
Any plans to dye beards or hair or get haircuts should be done in advance. Day-of haircuts can sometimes appear more obvious or unnatural before a first wash.
Hair styling should be tip top and I highly recommend hairspray to help with frizz even if you don’t normally use it. Frizzy hair of any kind becomes very obvious with studio lighting and often requires touch up, so the more you can manage, the better, which may require more product than usual.
Conditioning hair or beards and applying clays, oils, or hairsprays are all encouraged to help eliminate frizz and flyaways that can be reflected in the light.
Our hair and makeup artist will also help with hair styling but a good base is helpful.
Posing guides
In general we want body and face to be turned in some fashion or even opposed to each other to create dimension, show off body and face lines. We try to avoid straight on standing or facing to the camera. Recommend practicing poses in the mirror and/or with friends/family.
Headshot poses will differ from portrait poses. You are often seated in a stool and the shot is tight from chest up. Headshot poses will look like the first two examples on this page, often with a power pose (folded arms with fingers showing) or a simple pose with good posture and shoulders rolled back, while turned to the left or right with head facing the camera. We will work together on expressions, whether smiling or serious, or both, depending on your goal.
Portrait poses can differ significantly and might include a full body, with open or closed arms, different facial expressions and additional outfits. These poses work for men and women with differences in body language. I may send you additional posing guides in advance to practice.
See below.
Examples
Color selection: Kylie’s dress matches her organization’s colors. The green background contrasts nicely, allowing her to “pop,” creating dimensions.
Hair and outfit selection: Sarah’s hair is well managed. We will often pull long hair to one side to open up your face. Her rigid blazer and soft blouse create a professional look.
Outfit and posing: Jordan is an attorney, so a suit gives him a professional look. The pose is more casual and open, with a thoughtful expression. The in-home location softens the look and makes him approachable. This photo is not used as his professional headshot at work.
Poses
