How to Get Ready for a Headshot
Headshots are important components of the actor's or model's portfolio. Quality headshots that flatter the subject can mean the difference between getting hired and being overlooked. Adequate preparation ensures the best turnout -- receiving a set of professional photographs that you will be proud to show prospective employers and agents.
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Instructions
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Study your face to check for blemishes, stray hairs or dark circles two to three days before your headshots are taken. Treat any existing blemishes and pluck, tweeze, wax or depilate errant hairs on your chin, eyebrows and above your top lip.
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Apply a fast-acting whitening treatment to your teeth if you do not regularly whiten them. Drinking coffee and tea can stain teeth slightly yellow over time, but you can undo some of the damage with adhesive teeth-whitening strips that work in as little as two days.
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Trim and clean your fingernails in case your hands make it into your headshots. If you opt for a manicure before your photo shoot, keep it simple with a classic look, such as a French manicure in light pink or beige and white.
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Eat a healthy diet during the days leading up to your photo shoot. Avoid greasy foods, deep-fried foods and any foods with lots of sodium. These foods can make your skin look dull and cause water retention, leading to bloating and swelling. Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, lean and vegetable protein and complex carbohydrates. Drink plenty of water, too.
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Wear plain, unadorned clothing in neutral colors to wear for your headshots. Professional headshots for actors and models are frequently taken in black and white, so any bright colors you select to stand out from the crowd might not even be included in the final result. Avoid anything with appliqués, baubles, glitter or sequins, and wear trousers or a modest skirt instead of jeans. Make sure your clothes are clean and free of lint and pet hair.
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Get a good night's sleep before the day of your photo shoot. Go to bed at a reasonable hour and make sure you wash your face, brush and floss your teeth and use a mouth rinse before going to sleep. Wear an eye mask overnight if you frequently get puffy or swollen skin under your eyes in the morning.
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Tips & Warnings
Check your makeup kit to ensure you have all the beauty products you will need on the day of your photo shoot if you are doing your own makeup. Consider hiring a makeup artist for the day of the shoot, and bring your own products with you to make sure the artist uses shades that flatter you as well as to prevent contamination from used makeup products.
Bring water and snacks with you to the location of your photo shoot. The process may take longer than you initially planned, and you will get better results if you are photographed while you feel energized, well-nourished and hydrated.
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
