You’ve booked a corporate headshot session and you want to look like your best version of yourself when you sit down in front of the camera. Here’s a working photographer’s guide to preparing, the things that actually move the needle on how you’ll look in the final frame, distilled from running 90+ corporate headshot days at SF Bay Area companies over the past decade.
Wardrobe: what to wear (and what to avoid)
Solid, mid-saturation colors photograph best. Navy, charcoal, deep green, burgundy, cream, these read as professional without competing with your face. Avoid bright white shirts photographed against a white background (the camera can’t separate you from the backdrop) and pure black against a black backdrop for the same reason.
Skip busy patterns. Tight stripes, herringbone, and small geometric prints can create moiré, visible interference patterns, on camera. Loose patterns and texture are fine. Jewelry should be subtle; statement pieces date a photo quickly. Logos on clothing date a photo even faster.
Bring two options if you’re not sure. A blazer over a fitted shirt is the safest universal option for both LinkedIn and a website bio. Iron everything the night before.
The day before
Sleep. Genuinely. The single biggest difference between a great and a mediocre headshot is whether the subject is well-rested. The eyes carry the entire portrait, and exhausted eyes show. Drink water through the day, dehydration shows in the skin.
Get a haircut about a week out, not the day before. Fresh haircuts photograph as fresh haircuts for the first few days, then settle. Don’t try a new product, treatment, or skincare routine in the 48 hours before, you don’t want a reaction on camera.
On the day
Bring a lint roller, a small mirror, and a backup shirt in case you spill coffee on the way over. Don’t wear sunglasses or a hat to the session, temporary creases and indentations take longer to settle than you’d expect.
If you wear makeup, go slightly heavier than you would for a normal day, camera flattens skin tones. Powder over any shine on the forehead and chin. If you wear glasses, anti-reflective coating helps; bringing the prescription frames without lenses is another option some clients choose for the headshot, then putting them back after.
How to get a natural expression
The expression is the whole portrait. The single trick that works: don’t “hold” a smile. Hold a thought instead. A genuine memory or a funny moment from earlier in the day produces the natural, settled expression that earns trust at a glance. A held smile produces stiffness.
A good photographer will talk to you the entire time and steer you toward the version of you that you’d want to see at a thumbnail size. Trust the direction, it’s the part of the work that takes the longest to develop.
After the session
Most professional sessions deliver 5 to 7 unedited selects within a few business days. You pick one (or sometimes two), and the photographer professionally retouches and delivers final images in 3 to 5 business days. Don’t over-pick, go with the one where you look most like yourself, not the one where you look most polished. The first one almost always wins.
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On-site headshots, nationwide. Josh runs corporate headshot days across the country, including Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Chicago, Austin, Denver, and more. See the full list of cities served.