A great portrait has many components to make it pop. Excellent lighting, proper posing, and more than anything it’s that connection with the camera, it’s that sparkle in the eye, the mystery you feel when you look at your portrait. But when preparing for your portrait session, I have a few tips…

Women:

-Higher necklines are recommended, remember that a business headshot will likely be cropped right below your sternum, so make sure you’re comfortable with the neckline.

-Stick with simple jewelry. Your face should be the hero of your portrait!

-Avoid super loose fitting tops.  I’m always lifting arms away from the body to create space to create a "triangle of space”. A super loose fitting top won’t allow me to do that. The camera can’t tell what’s your body and what’s fabric, so the goal is to reduce bulk for a slimmer silhouette.

-Keep make up matte, shiny cheeks and overdone highlighter does not photograph well.

- Avoid sleeveless tops, bare arms highlight the contrast between the tone and colour of your arms with your face. We also don’t want to risk showing armpits, not the best in most cases. 

Men:

- If you have a lighter complexion, I recommend  avoiding black suits. The high contrast is not as flattering on lighter skin. Greys (dark or light), navy, subtle patterns can work great. 

-Avoid loose undershirts, we don’t want them to show when a button is undone.

-Solid colours (for shirts) often turn out the most flattering. Muted colours are my preference and always look great and it will compliment the background well too. If you’re going for patterns, keep them understated, and don’t double up pattern-on-pattern.

For everyone!

-Hydrate and get enough sleep the night before the shoot.

- Make sure that your clothes are neatly ironed and pressed before the shoot. If your top is wrinkled in real life, it will appear wrinkled in the photo. 

-If you wear glasses all the time, I suggest wearing them for your headshot. Clean them well beforehand any fingerprints or dust will show up in the final image.

If you wear glasses at your desk but won’t be wearing them for your portrait , take them off at least half a half hour before the shoot. No red marks on the nose please ;)