What should I wear to my headshot session?

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It’s something everyone needs to know - what should I wear for my acting headshot? What should I bring to my headshots shoot?

As with many questions relating to headshot photography, this is important, and because it’s important, it might trick you into thinking it’s complicated. But it doesn’t have to be!

In this video I cover the basics on what you need to take to your headshot session. Here’s a summary if you can’t actually watch the video right now:

— Edit - Gonna jump in and point out that this video and this post is about actors’ headshots. I’ll do one soon that covers “what should I wear for my professional headshot” for other professions!

Clothing

(Just tops for actors headshots. Wear whatever’s comfy on your legs.)

Clothes you feel great in, that represent you at your best.

Think about what you like to wear day to day. Your headshots, first and foremost, need to represent you. Casting Directors say time and again that one of the main things they want is for the person who walks into the audition to look like the photo they’ve seen, so that is number 1 priority!

Clothes that lean towards your casting types.

Think about the broad character types you audition for, would like to be auditioning for, or are told you could audition for. What do they look like? Then, bring it right back to something really subtle. Just a subtle suggestion of character, i.e. not a costume. Something you would wear anyway that brings out that aspect of your own personality.

What colours should I wear in my headshot? What colours work well?

Unlike some other photographers who have quite specific guidelines on what to wear so that it matches their style, my approach is that you are the most important thing, not the colour of my background, and whether or not that matches your top. I use a neutral grey/white background, which works with all different colours and textures. It all comes back to the main thing about headshots, they represent you. Bring the colours you like to wear and you look good in.

How many outfits should I bring to my headshot session?

In a standard session, we will aim to shoot between 6-8 different outfits. This gives you loads of choice when deciding which images you want to use, and means you can a look out without fear of it not working and wasting one of your options. Remember, you can change your looks up with layering as well as changing base layers.

Styling

Hair Styling

Depending on what you do with your hair, you probably want to have made a good start on this before you arrive, but do bring whatever styling stuff you need so that you can make last minute touch ups!

Make up

If you wear it, do bring it. It’s best to only have a minimal layer on when you arrive, as the guidance from casting directors is that they prefer to see a natural look. You can always put more on later if you want to show a more made-up look as well.

If you want to have a Make Up Artist for your shoot, let me know and I can accommodate that, and even make some recommendations!

Extras!

Music!

I hate a dry silent atmosphere when shooting. Bring a playlist to get your energy going. You can even try different genres for different looks.

More clothing tips…

Check what you’re bringing a couple of days in advance. If you find your favourite top at the bottom of the laundry pile with a lasagne stain on it an hour before you wanted to leave to get here, that’s no good!

Ironing! It makes such a difference. Honestly! And then don’t scrunch your clothes up in your bag on the way over...

The actor in this video is the lovely Alia Jay, who you can find at @alia_jay_. She is represented by Mark Jermin Management.