Look Your Best: Tips from the Dallas Headshot Photography Trade

I see it all the time… in email newsletters, at business offices, on hospital hallway walls, on social media pages and the list goes on and on. Bad headshots. Oh man, it’s a sad scene. And when I see a bad headshot, all I can think is… I wish they would have come to us at JWCannon Creative, the best in Dallas headshot photography.

A headshot should make you look great. Isn’t that the entire point!? It should capture you in all the right ways, in all the right lights, in all the right angles.  Everyone should see it and think… wow! Sadly, often times headshots are mediocre, out of focus, poorly lit and the subject looks sad and out of date.

Want to look good? We can help. Here are our tips on looking your best in a headshot:

1.       Hire right. For the sweet love of Pete – hire the right person! Beware! A nice camera and a social media page does not make for an expert photographer. Great Dallas headshot photography doesn’t come from amateur hour. Hiring a specialty headshot photographer is critical if you want a headshot that shines. Look at the photographer’s work. Evaluate how the people look in the images in their portfolio. No portfolio of headshots? Run like the wind, my friends!

2.       Be YOU. A headshot is meant to capture you as a person. So don’t try to be or look like someone else - they’ve cornered that market, after all!

3.       Communicate! There is a beautiful feedback loop that is meant to happen between a client and a Dallas headshot photographer. Consider this – if you’re at the dentist and you’ve got a wretched tooth ache, you don’t leave without telling the dentist about your problem. You communicate your pain and discomfort. Consider us the same (minus the horrible drilling noise, laughing gas and plaque removal). Communicate with your photographer. And they should communicate with you as well! Got an angle of yourself you don’t particularly love? Tell them ahead of time! Wondering if you should rock the glasses or go glasses-free? Ask! You should feel free to stop mid-session and check-in with how you’re sitting/standing/posing. Communication is key for a great headshot outcome.

4.       Clothing matters. You’re meant to be the star in your own headshot, not your clothes. Clothing compliments. Everybody say it with me now… clothing compliments! Don’t choose a pattern that will detract from you. Choose clothing that adds interest but doesn’t distract. Still not sure what to wear? I recommend looking through your photographer’s portfolio to see what other people wear. Check out JWCannon’s Dallas headshot photography portfolio for example. You’ll see a variety of clothing in a variety of colors, textures and shapes. But you’ll notice the common theme of complimenting the person and the image as a whole. Headshot photography isn’t fashion photography. Meaning… we want to see YOU and not be focused on what you’re wearing.

5.       Smile the way you smile. Teeth smiler? Then smile with your teeth. Non-teeth smiler? Then don’t show your teeth. Smile lines? Show them off! They make your face alive and joyful. Your smile is unique to you. Show it off!

Looking your best in a headshot is a walk in the park when you hire JWCannon for your headshots. Contact us today, and let’s get this show on the road!