How to Take a Great Head Shot
Head shots are used as a representation of yourself to a potential employer. They can be professional business shots for a corporate job such as a realty firm, fashion shots for a modeling agency, commercial or theatrical agents or television producers -- and pageant shots for a beauty pageant or talent show. It's important to look good in your head shot because this is often the first impression someone has of you. Follow a few guidelines to assure your photograph comes out looking good.
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Instructions
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Determine the look you want to portray with your head shot. For a business head shot, you want to look professional and clean-cut. For a modeling head shot, you want to look fashionable and stylish. For a commercial head shot, you'll want to look nice and friendly.
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Choose clothing that fits the style you've decided upon and compliments your look. Dark-colored clothing looks best with lighter hair and light-colored clothing looks best with darker hair. Your outfit should be appropriate for the head shot. For a business head shot, wear a professional outfit such as a suit and tie or dress. Hair should be neatly groomed and presentable. Avoid patterns or clothing that will be distracting -- you want the focus to be your face and not your outfit.
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Apply makeup to look your best. Women should wear foundation, neutral-colored lipstick, mascara and eyeliner for business casual. For fashion shots, they can wear brighter colors such as red or pink lipstick and green and blue eye shadows, along with thicker eyeliner and heavier mascara. Men should wear foundation and powder to cover up any skin imperfections and avoid looking oily or shiny.
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Choose a background that is color-neutral and simple. Avoid a color that matches your outfit. You don't want to blend into the background. You should also avoid backgrounds with patterns. It's generally safe to stick with grey and brown tones. Brick or concrete walls, bodies of water and the sky generally make good backgrounds.
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Shoot your photographs outside. Natural light always looks better and you're more likely to be relaxed in an outdoor environment. Choose a location that has a nice backdrop, such as a clean wall or simply the blue sky. The background of the photo needs to be far away so it will be somewhat blurry and not the main focus of the picture. You should hardly be able to tell what the background is -- you should just see a nice color.
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Smile casually in your photograph. You want to look approachable and friendly, without appearing overly happy or fake. Confidently hold your head high and make eye contact with the camera.
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Tips & Warnings
Hire a professional photographer for the best-quality head shots.
References
- Photo Credit the man image by Andrey Andreev from Fotolia.com
