What to wear to your professional shoot
They say the clothes make the man, in this case we should say clothes make the brand. If you have done a lot of brand development, you know your voice and your audience. If you haven’t thought about your brands identity or the image you wish to portray, lets start now. Here are the tips for what to wear to your professional shoot.
Head shot or personal branding
What is the purpose of your shoot? Is it for a head shot or is it a personal branding exercise?
Head shot you say! Well who’s attention are you trying to grab? Is this for internal comms, is it for potential future employers? Do you need a professional or smart casual look? While you are going to the trouble of planning a shoot, ask yourself is there anyway you can maximise your session. Does your face appear anywhere else? Articles, Blogs, Podcasts, internal and external communications. If you do require a head shot for multiple platforms, plan for a few different looks through posing and outfit changes.
What is personal branding, I hear you ask. The aim is to bring in more of yours and your brands personality. This can take place in the studio, in your office or on location. Plan your whole outfit from head to toe for some 3/4 and full length options. Firstly think about everywhere you will use your images. Websites, emails, business updates, internal and external comms, interviews, web banners, social media. We want your image and what you wear to suit the environment your image is pictured in.
Keep it simple
Steer away from logos, slogan or patterns. All these take away from you and your message. Is the purpose of your image to be friendly, approachable, dependable, artistic, strong? Think of the clothes that portray that mood.
Colour
If your brand is elegant, a softer colour may be a safer option. If you are artistic, perhaps you are looking to wear something more vibrant, that of course doesn’t clash with your brand colours.
Does your colour choice make you feel like a million buck? If it makes your face look a little pasty, keep looking.
Will there be a group shot? If so discuss a colour palette with everyone involved. You don’t want one personal in a loud shirt, unless you want all the focus on that person. A group shot should be about harmony. It’s about the team and the relationships.
Dress for your body
A good fit is so important. Make sure that the cut of your clothes suit your body shape. You should feel confident. This also applies to your under garments. Choose the colour and fit to help your clothes fit perfectly.
Presentation
Your clothes should be clean, pressed and in new condition. It’s all about making your feel more confident.
Planning
Lay your outfit out and see how it works. Look at everything from the clothes, to shoes and accessories. Even with headshots, if you think about the whole outfit, you’ll feel more comfortable in front of the camera. It will also give you more flexibility, if you do want to have an image that shows more of you. For personal branding, try to bring 3 outfits to the shoot to give you multiple options and different looks. You may have the perfect look in your wardrobe it might be time to hit the shops.
Hair and makeup
If you are due to see your hairdresser, plan it for the night before or the morning of the shoot. You may also want a hair and makeup artist included in the shoot.
Gentleman, don’t tune out. If your skin is prone to shininess, redness or uneven tones. A light foundation is worth considering. It works for TV presenters and movie stars.
If you aren’t confident applying your own makeup, we can discuss options. Your make up should be to enhance your features. Unless you are an artistic brand, opt for a natural glow look.
Consultation
You are not alone in choosing your perfect outfit. Once you have booked your session with me we will organise a pre shoot consultation. We will discuss purpose of your shoot and you are welcome to send through outfit images or take me on a Zoom call walk through your wardrobe or outfit choices.
So, whether head shot or personal branding, it is clear that planning your wardrobe is the best step to a successful shoot. Now you’ve decided, what to wear to your professional shoot, check out how we can help elevate your business imagery.
