What to Wear for Headshots: Styling Tips for Branding Photos
A branding photo shoot is a fantastic investment for your business. Having professional, polished, on-brand photos means that every single piece of marketing you use, every social media post, every ad, and every page of your website is more effective. But booking that photo shoot is just the first step. As you’re preparing for your session, one of the first things you might wonder is what you should wear.
As a branding photographer, I work with every client personally to not only understand their brand and plan a custom photo shoot but also to give them individual styling advice based on the look they want to create. I’ll do the same for you when you book your session with my Mercer Island photo studio, but in the meantime, I’m happy to share a few styling tips.
Aim for the Middle for Necklines
Most people already know that it’s not advisable to wear an especially low neckline in branding photos because you want to feel comfortable and professional, and you don’t want to pull attention away from your face. But it’s also not great to wear too high a neckline. A turtleneck, for example, can make your neck look nonexistent, and as beautiful as it might look in person, it doesn’t always translate well in photos. Split the difference and opt for a neckline that flatters you.
Stick to Simplicity
You might look fantastic in a nice print or stripes day to day, but the camera is something different. In branding photos, it’s easy for even seemingly small amounts of detail in your outfit to be visually overwhelming and draw attention away from you.
Instead, opt for solid colors. Busy textures like tweed can have that effect too. The same goes for jewelry - a dainty piece or two may be perfect, but keep it toned down so that the star of the photos is you, not what you’re wearing.
Take Advantage of Color Psychology
Did you know that different colors can evoke certain emotions or ideas? The colors you choose to wear for your branding photos can help to make your audience feel a particular way about you, so choose colors that align with how you want your brand to make people feel. For example:
Red creates feelings of energy, passion, and strength
Yellow communicates joy and enthusiasm
Blue sends messages of trust, serenity, and wisdom
Green is associated with nature, health, growth, and harmony
Bring a Few Layers to Try
Layers can be fantastic for photos. They allow you to vary your look a bit for some shots, and they create dimension in a way that’s often flattering. When you incorporate layers into your branding photo shoot outfit, it gives you multiple options for color variations, styles, and looks, all built in.
Putting Together Your Branding Photo Shoot
All of these tips can help you look polished and on-brand as your best self for your branding photos and headshots. But the best part is that you don’t have to apply these tips yourself. I take a hands-on approach and work with my clients directly to plan every part of the session, including your wardrobe. Book with Jaimié Birtel Photography and let’s dive in!