What to Bring to Your Headshot Session (A Simple Checklist)

Corporate Headshots in Clarksburg, Md

Most people spend more time worrying about this than they need to. The short answer is: bring options, not decisions. Once you get here we can through the wardrobe and decide what to shoot. If you’re not sure, we’ll shoot it and see if we like it!

That said, showing up a little prepared makes the whole session go smoother and usually means better photos. Here is what I tell every client before they come in.

Wardrobe: bring what you feel great in

This is the most important thing on your list. Bring clothes that make you feel like yourself on a good day. Not the outfit you think you should wear for a professional photo. The outfit you actually feel confident in. Make sure you feel good it in, like, it fits you well. Don’t try and squeeze into something that is too small. Clothing that is too big can look baggy and sloppy, so make sure it fits well.

Confidence shows on camera in ways that are hard to fake. If you feel uncomfortable or like you are wearing a costume, it will come through in your expression no matter how much coaching I do. So if there is a blazer that makes you feel like you own the room, bring it. If a certain color makes you feel sharp, wear it.

A few practical notes on wardrobe:

Bring two to three options. We do not have to shoot all of them but having choices means we can pick what photographs best on the day.

Have everything dry cleaned and pressed ahead of time. Wrinkles are surprisingly visible and hard to retouch. Do not pull a shirt out of the bottom of a bag five minutes before we start. Guys, I’m looking at you here!

Solid colors almost always photograph better than patterns. Busy prints pull focus away from your face which is the whole point of the photo.

For men, bring a few tie options if you wear them. We may not use all of them but it is always better to have more than not enough.

For women, bring your favorite shoes even if they will not be in the shot. This sounds strange but it is real. When you feel good from the ground up it shows in your posture and your expression.

Jewelry and accessories: keep it simple

The goal is for people to notice your face, not your accessories. A few small, clean pieces work well. Large statement earrings, chunky necklaces, and bold accessories can compete with your face in a tight headshot crop.

If you have a piece of jewelry that feels like part of who you are, bring it and we can see how it reads on camera. But when in doubt, simpler is almost always better.

The little extras that make a difference

These are easy to forget and worth having:

Lip gloss or lip balm. Lips can look dry under studio lighting and a quick touch-up between looks makes a real difference.

Your makeup bag and any hair products you normally use, especially in humid months when hair has a mind of its own. Don’t worry about flyaways, we can tame those in the retouch.

A compact mirror for quick touch-ups between looks.

Water. Stay hydrated before and during the session. It sounds basic but it genuinely affects how you look and how your skin photographs.

If you want to bring in a hair and makeup stylist, I can arrange that. It is a separate fee paid directly to the stylist and they will stay for the duration of the session to handle touch-ups and make wardrobe changes seamless. A lot of clients find it worth it, especially for branding sessions with multiple looks.

Before you arrive: the stuff that happens at home

Get a good night of sleep. This makes more difference than most people expect. Tired eyes are hard to retouch and easy to spot.

If you are getting a haircut, do it a few days before, not the morning of. Freshly cut hair can look stiff and overly styled. A few days of wear makes it look natural.

Stay out of the sun the day before if you can. A surprise sunburn or tan line is hard to work around.

Drink water the day before too. Hydrated skin photographs significantly better than skin that is not.

What you do not need to bring

You do not need to know how to pose. That is my job and I coach expression and posing throughout every session. Most people walk in nervous about this and walk out having completely forgotten they were worried about it.

You do not need a plan or a vision. If you have ideas bring them, but if you do not, that is fine too. We will figure it out together.

You do not need to enjoy being photographed. Genuinely most of my clients do not, at least not when they arrive. By the end it is a different story.

Ready to get started?

Headshot sessions are available at my studio in Clarksburg, Maryland with a Rockville location available for those closer to the beltway. Serving professionals throughout Montgomery County, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia.

Take a look at pricing and book your session directly online. No back and forth emails, no phone tag. The whole thing takes less than five minutes.