How to prepare for a headshot.

1. Know what the photo is for

Start with where the headshot is going, because that decides almost everything else.

• Acting and casting: casting directors want to see you as you'll walk into the room. Natural hair, light makeup, no heavy retouching. Many actors use two looks: one lighter and more commercial, one more serious and dramatic.
• LinkedIn and company websites: approachable and professional. If your company already has staff photos, send me a couple so yours can match.
• Your own business or socials: a bit more personality is fine. Think about what your clients should feel when they see it.

2. What to wear

Clothes should frame your face, not compete with it.

• Solid colours work best. Mid-tones and colours that suit your skin and eyes are the safest choice. Very bright white and very dark black can lose detail.
• Avoid busy patterns, big logos and fine stripes. Small checks and thin stripes can shimmer strangely on camera.
• Fit matters more than brand. Clothes that fit well around the neck and shoulders look sharper than anything expensive that doesn't.
• Think about necklines. Crew necks, V-necks, open collars and simple jackets all work well in a head-and-shoulders crop.
• Bring two or three options. It's easy to change between looks, and it gives you more variety to choose from.
• Steam or iron everything and bring it on hangers. Creases show up more than you'd expect.

3. Hair, makeup and grooming

• Wear your hair the way you usually do. Especially for acting headshots: the photo needs to look like you on an ordinary day.
• Get a haircut a week or so before, not the day before, so it has time to settle.
• Keep makeup natural and matte. A little powder helps with shine under lights. Skip anything very glossy or shimmery.
• Beards and stubble: decide in advance. If you're unsure, come with stubble: you can shave partway through for a second look, but you can't grow it back.
• Glasses: if you wear them every day, bring them. We can take some with and some without.
• Avoid new skincare treatments, fake tan or strong sun in the days before. Now isn't the time to try something new.

4. The day before and the day of

• Get a good night's sleep and drink plenty of water. It really does show around the eyes.
• Go easy on salty food and alcohol the night before, which can leave your face puffy.
• Give yourself time. Rushing in stressed is the quickest way to a tense expression.
• Bring a small kit: comb or brush, lip balm, powder, a lint roller and your clothes on hangers.

5. During the session

You don't need to know how to pose. Hardly anyone does, and it's my job to guide you through it. I'll help with posture, angles and expression as we go, and we'll check how things look along the way.

Most people find the first few minutes awkward and then relax, which is when the best photos tend to happen. So don't worry if you feel stiff at the start. That's normal, and it passes.

6. Afterwards

Choose photos that look like you, not the one where you look most unlike yourself. That's especially true for actors: a headshot that doesn't match you on the day doesn't help anyone.

Update your headshot every couple of years, or sooner if your look changes: a new haircut, a beard, glasses, a big change in weight.