We always recommend that a few days before your photoshoot to plan and organize your wardrobe.  This is the perfect time to do laundry, remove lint and press if needed. Ladies can tighten those bra straps.  My friend Diane Hanna of Diane Hanna Photography recommends that ladies take this opportunity to tighten all bra straps for some extra lift.

Polish your Jewels.  Wedding rings and other jewelry should sparkle.  Get Organized – group coordinating pieces of each ensemble together on the same hanger. Top + Bottom + Bra (Tie) + Accessories. 

A week before your session you should fit in all those little grooming tasks like waxing eyebrows, upper lip and body hair.  Definitely avoid fake tanning.  If you usually spray tan or use fake tanning lotion, take a hiatus now until after your shoot. 

And last, but not least, ladies 3-5 days before your session refresh your hair color, touching up your regrowth three days before your shoot is ideal.  Keep in mind this is not the time for drastic changes.  Gents, get a trim.  Neat, healthy hair is youthful and vibrant! Use your favorite deep conditioner at home.

Yes, we do!  For business groups of 10 or more, we will arrange a day to come to your office to photograph your employees/team members!  Like my friend Dan Hilton of Dan Hilton Photography, we always strive to be as efficient as possible to ensure that your staff’s day is disrupted as little as possible while still capturing professional headshots that will be an asset for your business. 

We’ll also work with you to create a final look that will coordinate with your website and business branding to ensure a cohesive end product.  For groups under 10, we recommend having your headshot session at our Royal Oak studio.

A good headshot can make a big difference in your career, which is why headshot photography should be an important part of marketing yourself to other people. Headshot photography may be used in various industries, and there are a few reasons why the photos need to be updated on a regular basis:

1. An updated headshot helps other people to recognize you.  My friend Pete Templin of Hire Me Headshots recommends that If you are using a photo that is 5 or 10 years old, a new client might have a hard time recognizing you because you don’t look like the picture on your website. Don’t be deceiving by posting an old photo of yourself, it is better to have current professional headshots on your website, social media profiles, and business cards so that people can quickly recognize you when they see you in the crowd. You want the headshot to look exactly like you.

2. Unprofessional headshots can hurt your career progress. When starting a career, many people are tempted to save their money instead of paying for professional headshots. They don’t realize the importance of conveying the right message to the people in their industry. So, instead of hiring a professional photographer, they ask a friend or family member for a favor. But, just because the person paid a lot of money for a nice camera, doesn’t mean that they have the professional experience to create a headshot photo that will leave a memory for the people who see it. It takes a lot more than the simple click of the camera shutter, specific strategies and techniques need to be used to be sure it is a quality, effective photo.

3. Old headshots make you look un-photogenic. Photography style and technology has improved over the years, and those techniques are especially noticeable when you are working with a professional photographer. Amateur photos often make the subject look un-photogenic, causing you to feel like you don’t look good in front of the camera. If you think that you aren’t a photogenic person, hire a professional headshot photographer and you will see that your opinion about yourself quickly changes.

4. You never know when you are going to need an updated headshot. Even though you might not have need for professional headshots on a daily basis, there are times when the need arises and you find yourself unprepared. It is quite common for people to book last-minute photo sessions, because an opportunity came up that requires a headshot. Instead of feeling stressed and rushed with the effort of trying to get a spur-of-the-moment photo session, it is better to get an updated headshot ahead of time, so that you always have a nice headshot available whenever you need it.

5. Model headshots need to be updated to keep up with current trends. If you are in the modeling industry, old headshots can quickly be recognized because styles and trends change very quickly. For example, maybe your headshot has an older style haircut, or you are wearing clothing that was trendy a few years ago. Sharing outdated headshots for potential gigs may result in the opportunity passing you by, because the person might think that you are not serious enough about your career.

6. Actor headshots should be updated to make you look alive and engaged. A boring headshot may cause your photo to get lost among the many other photos that casting directors are looking through. So, if you find yourself in the situation where you are not getting a lot of auditions, then it’s likely that your headshot photo isn’t good enough.

7. Commercial headshots should catch the attention on social media profiles and websites. If you have a sub-par quality headshot for your corporate image, then it might have a negative effect on your career progression. It is common for hiring managers to use social media websites and other online platforms to research the candidates for a potential job. If the potential employer sees an amateurish photo of you, then they many not remember your face as they are sorting through hundreds of resumes. On the other hand, if you have a professional headshot posted on your social media accounts, then the image may stand out in the person’s mind, which might lead to a higher possibility of an in-person interview.

Choosing your outfit for your headshot photography session can make a big impact on the way the photos turn out, and you want to make sure to select clothing that will be comfortable and attractive at the same time. The goal with the headshot is to make you appear confident, and emphasize your face and your eyes instead of the clothing.

Sometimes, people get too caught up by choosing cute and trendy clothing, and it causes the picture to look unprofessional or amateur because of the clothing choices. Claudia Hoag of  Claudia Hoag Headshots of Los Angeles   makes a great point when she says that making poor clothing choices can actually detract from your face, and have a negative impact on the effectiveness of your headshot photo. So, it is a good idea to read through these guidelines before you choose your clothing for the photo shoot, and also talk with your photographer to select the best outfit for your session.

With any headshot photo shoot, you want to make sure that the clothes are clean and wrinkle free before you begin. Also, pay attention to the way your clothing fits, because the wrong fit can look funny in the photo. One of the most common fitting problems happens when people wear clothing that is too small. So, if you have an older outfit that you love, you might need to choose different clothing if you have recently gained weight.

Avoid wrinkled or bulky clothing, because it can look unprofessional in the photo. When you are wearing overly bulky sweaters or clothing, they can look rumpled and make you look fatter than you are in reality.

If you prefer to wear glasses in your pictures, it is usually a good idea to prepare an empty frame without lenses. This avoids problems related to the optics (eyes look smaller/larger, or your face edges look distorted through the glasses, etc.) as well as the reflection.

Justin Berrington of Justin Berrington Photography recommends that people wearing glasses of strong diopters are more problematic with the distortion. I’m raising this matter upfront so that there is no surprise, and you have an option to do something about it, but not many people recognize the problem until examples shown (and usually don’t care). Most other photographers don’t bother to mention, either.

Either way, please do bring your functional glasses or contact lenses, so that you can see the pictures for review and editing purposes.

It’s totally up to you, but Richard Waine of  Richart Waine Photography recommends allowing yourself to be pampered and leaving it in the professionals hands. We work with a wonderful make up artist:  Stephanie Stearnes of Stephanie Stearnes Artistry.  We are happy to book Stephanie to come to our studio for your session.  Stephanie specializes in headshot photography and she will talk to you about your everyday look and apply makeup to look natural, but more camera-ready than the regular/daily makeup. We especially recommend getting a makeup artist if you never wear much makeup or haven’t liked the way your self-applied makeup has looked in past photos, or if you tend to have a lot of redness or rosacea that needs to be color-corrected with makeup for a photo. Stephanie’s fee is $180 for both hair and make up and this is paid directly to her the day of the session via credit card, check or cash.

Yes and yes! You will be coached into several different poses and smiles from different angles to make sure we’ve got some great photos and lots of options. Mary Denman pf Mary Denman Photography recommends that you always choose a photographer that won't drop you in front of the camera and be expected to “perform.” We'll make sure you will be given LOTS of helpful direction.

The studio is a retail studio in Royal Oak, Michigan. The space is large, open, and with lots of light and comforts like free coffee, tea, snacks, and a full bathroom. There is plenty of parking on the side and rear of the building.  Our friend Richard Shinn of Richard Shinn Photography stopped by a few weeks ago and commented on how incredibly easy it was to located the studio and found ample parking!

Yes! The look of a headshot for an entertainer is going to be different from a corporate portrait/business headshot. Check out tips by my friend    Seshu of Connecticut Headshots for both looks, and tell us in advance what you need the headshot for so we can best design a photo look for you.