- A.Sajdler
How to prepare for your Business Portrait
What to wear
First impressions count and in today’s world of communications your business portrait is most likely going to form that initial impression. Think about how you want to portray yourself as a brand, for most of us this will be smart business attire but this is not always be the case, if you work in the tech or creative fields maybe something more relaxed might be appropriate. Either way, be it a suit or a simple T-shirt there are a few rules to follow;
Make sure your clothes are clean and ironed, don’t wear something that creases easily if you have to travel to your shoot
Stick to plain simple colours, avoid strips and patterns especially anything animal print (this is never appropriate)
Get your hair trimmed a few days before to make it look healthy and neat, do not get any drastic style changes or you may just feel uncomfortable during the photo shoot
Women should keep their hair and makeup simple, it is a good idea to being a comb or brush along with some extra touch up make up to the shoot with you so you can refresh your look just before
If you wear glasses on a day to day basis you should wear them for your business portrait as it will be a true representation of you. If you have a couple of different glasses bring them with you to the shoot so the photographer can see what looks best on camera.
Communication
Think about how the final images are going to be used and communicate this to your photographer before the scheduled photo shoot. If you just need a business portrait for your linkedin profile then a simple headshot on grey is perfect. If you are needing images for PR purposes then you will need an array of styles to suit a variety of topics, the most common would be one serious and one more relaxed portrait. Do you want your business portrait to be in a studio or a more lifestyle type image in your office environment? Does your company have a specific brand colour which could be used as the backdrop? If in doubt ask your photographer for advice, they can always supply a portfolio of work for you to see various examples of styles to choose from.
Most importantly relax and try and enjoy yourself, a genuine smile will always look the best.
