Do I need to hire a professional stylist for my headshots? People often ask us this question and what we recommend in regards to makeup & styling for headshots. First of all, we let people know that it’s not necessary to hire a hair/makeup stylist for a headshot session unless they want to. What’s most important is that you present yourself as if you’re going to see your best clients (for business) or as you would when showing up for a casting call (for actors), and this can usually be done with self-styling for makeup and hair.
In both cases, it’s safe to assume that the people you’re interacting with expect that the person they have seen in your headshot will be the same person that meets them face to face. There’s a bit of a disconnect for others if you show up looking like a different person when meeting clients (due to age, weight, drastic styling changes, etc). If you’re an actor it could cost you a job. For example, a casting director looking for someone with long hair will feel you’ve wasted their time if you show up with a short haircut. For men, if you’ve shaved off that massive beard you better update your headshots before you show up with your new clean shaven look.
Here’s a few tips for self-styling your makeup & hair:
- Plan any changes to hair like cuts & coloring 1-2 weeks before your photo session is scheduled. This way you have time to adjust to your new look and if anything goes wrong you have time for fixes.
- Style your hair & makeup as you would before going to see your best client. If you want to try a new makeup look, be sure to practice and make sure you love it before the day of your headshot session.
- When in doubt keep it light & natural. Use earthy natural tones that complement skin & eyes – in retouching, we can always add more makeup, remove stray hairs, and increase hair volume.
- If you have mature skin, don’t load on foundation & powders! These products often weigh down the skin and enhance the appearance of wrinkles. We can remove blemishes, minimize under-eye bags & wrinkles in retouching.
- Avoid the sun for a few days before your head shot session! Besides being uncomfortable, sunburns & tan lines are really challenging to work with in retouching.
If you’d like to have your hair/makeup done by a professional, great! We can help connect you with some great stylists. However, if you don’t have the extra budget or just don’t feel the need for this additional service we have options for you within the retouching process as well. All of our sessions include retouching for a specified number of images OR can be added on for an additional fee. In retouching we can add the appearance of makeup while ensuring you still look natural (we try to avoid overly retouched images)! We can also remove stray hairs and add more fullness & body to the hair.
We’re happy to help you decide what options will suit your personality, profession, and brand the best, when it comes to styling and makeup. We offer consultation time via email or phone before each headshot session so we can all be prepared for a great photoshoot!