Professional Headshots in DC

We suggest clients bring a minimum of 2-3 outfits with them to their photo session just to be sure we have outfit variety. If you’re having second thoughts on what to wear, here are some helpful tips:

• Pick clothes you feel confident and comfortable in. This will help you relax while we’re shooting. The better a piece of clothing makes you feel, the more confidence you’ll exude while posing. 

• Avoid bulky clothes that “wear YOU.” Bulky blazers are ‘in’ fashion-wise currently, but when it comes to picking outfits for a photo session, the clothes shouldn’t upstage the wearer. When people bring blazers in a bulky cut, Kristina clamps them in the back so they appear slimmer. The bigger the blazer looks on you, the heavier you’ll look in your photos. Kristina usually suggests choosing snug fitting clothes as opposed to baggy ones. 

• Neckline matters. Kristina tries to elongate client’s necks while shooting portraits. There are two easy ways to do this. You can pick a “V neck” neckline, or you can opt for a shell with a cardigan or slim fitting blazer on top. This creates two vertical lines along the chest which photographers refer to as “leading lines.” Not only do these elongate the neck, but they also lead the viewers eye straight up to the face. Avoiding boat neck cuts is usually recommended during your session. 

• Bold isn’t always beautiful. Bold patterns (and sometimes intricate ones) on clothing should be avoided when choosing outfits for your session. Bold patterns will immediately divert the viewers eye away from the face in the headshot. And that’s exactly the opposite of what Kristina is trying to achieve. One smart way to incorporate a bold pattern into your photo is by wearing it under a solid colored blazer or cardigan. This gives a touch of excitement while avoiding too much distraction. Small prints too can sometimes cause a problem in photos, because once you scale down the size of the portrait, the detailed patterns can sometimes cause a visual effect called “moiré.” An experienced photographer like Kristina will know exactly how to avoid this, but not all portrait photographers are created equal. You can still bring small prints with you, and Kristina will work her Photoshop magic to make sure there isn’t any moiré effect visible in your final images. 

• “What colors should I wear during my headshot session?” Kristina usually recommends earth tones darker than your skin tone. One well known rule about how viewers interpret images is that the eye goes to the brightest, most saturated, sharpest, and most contrasty part of the photograph. So one of our objectives is to make sure your face in the portrait meets as many of those qualifications as possible. This facilitates an immediate connection between the person in the photo and the person viewing it. 

• “Should I avoid wearing black?” That depends on if you’re hiring an experienced photographer or not. Inexperienced photographers without proper training on how to light professional headshots will forget to separate the subject from a dark background. Resulting in the dark clothing and the dark background blending together so you can’t see the edge between the two. This is usually done with a rim light. Kristina will always add a rim light when her clients are wearing black on a dark backgrounds.

• Posture is ‘king.’ Kristina jokes with her clients saying “it’s is rule 1, 2 and 3” when it comes to getting the best headshot. Make sure you elongate your spine and create space between each spinal vertebrae.

• Use camera distortion to your advantage. The camera has this super special trick which you can take advantage of while posing for your headshots. Whatever is closest to the camera will appear bigger. And whatever is farther away appears smaller. Often times Kristina will pose her clients so they are slightly hinging at the hips so the head is the closest thing to the camera, making the body appear smaller (in comparison) in the headshot photo.

• Channel your inner “turtle.” If any of Kristina’s headshot clients are concerned about double chins or smiles causing their faces to appear wider than they are, she will usually share the this posing tip. Push your head forward on your neck like a turtle. This will stretch out the sides of the face and chin so the jawline appears tighter. 

• Don’t be afraid of “crazy eyes.” In order to capture a genuine smile but still have eyes wide enough to make a connection with the viewer, Kristina will recommend subtly widening your eyes from the bottom which helps to open the eyes while you’re smiling with a big smile. You’ll definitely FEEL like you look like a crazy person, but Kristina has used this headshot posing tip enough to know it only FEELS strange, but actually gives a realistic, lovely smile expression and can result in your all time greatest headshot. 

• Add mystery to your expression. A fun way to add intrigue to your expression is to slightly raise the bottom eye lids. Almost as if you’re trying to read a street sign that’s just a little blurry. This creates the illusion of intrigue and mystery to your headshot facial expression. But when you look at the portrait, it relays a message of confidence and capability. 

• Kristina recommends her clients try and drink a lot of water the days leading up to your professional photo session. It’s also good to avoid foods that tend to make you retain water or make your face puffy, like excessive salt for example. 

• We also recommend upcoming clients try to take extra care of your skin. But PLEASE don’t be concerned if you have a blemish. We can remove that with retouching in less than one second. Many of Kristina’s headshot clients in DC become overly concerned if a blemish appears the night before the photoshoot, but rest assured this will not be a problem whatsoever, during your DC headshot session.

• Make sure to prepare your clothing/looks. Being prepared is a great way to ensure a seamless shoot. Steam and hang your outfits so they’re ready to go for the next day. If you don’t own a steamer, we have one at our photo studio. Kristina will steam any wrinkled items before the session. 

• Don’t wash your hair. If you are getting makeup and hair done before your professional DC headshot, our fabulous makeup artist prefers to work with hair that is not freshly washed. 

• If you are applying your own makeup, do it before you arrive at our photography studio near Washington DC. Kristina tells anyone doing makeup themselves, to apply 35% more makeup than normal. Also, avoid any products with SPF in them. They tend to ‘reflect’ light which can cause you to look shiny in your business headshots. The photo studio also has a makeup station where you can touch up makeup and apply the last bit of makeup right before we start.

• If you are hiring a makeup artist, arrive at the appointment start time. We have adjusted our schedule to make sure we have enough time for your professional makeup application and the photography portion. 

• Don’t forget to bring your confidence! Professional headshots will completely fail if you don’t show off your confidence and professionalism. No one wants to hire someone who looks unsure of themselves. Kristina is well aware that being in front of the camera isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do. She will happily listen to your reservations and explain ways to achieve your best headshots during your session. She will also continually coach you as she photographs you to ensure the best poses and expressions.