Fundamental to your personal branding, female business headshots are a key element of creating a professional website. Follow these top tips to make sure you get it right from the very first impression.
Why it’s Important to Nail Your Female Business Headshots
It’s a great opportunity to showcase your business persona and the culture of your company.
While I’d love for it not to be the case, the sad truth is that inequality in business still exists for women. That’s why setting ourselves up for success from the outset is so important.
Part of that success lies in showing ourselves in the best light, ie. having female headshots that are both professional and communicate credibility.
But it’s also a great opportunity – and equally important way – to showcase your business persona and the culture of your company.
Accurately representing your company values is vital and should be a priority for successful business owners.
For example, while a very corporate woman headshot conveys absolute professionalism, a more informal shot might suggest an edgy or playful vibe, perfect for those in a creative field.
Neither is right or wrong – but accurately representing your company values is vital and should be a priority for your business.
I’ve consulted with my professional lifestyle photographer sister-in-law at Marshmallow Photography, to bring you these tips for creating expert female headshots for your business.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know about what to wear for a professional headshot, along with some example headshots to inspire you.
How Professional Business Headshots Can Influence Your Success
If you’re a shrewd businesswoman it will form an integral element of your business goals.
One of the most important aspects of any organisation is not only attracting potential clients, but having the added benefit of attracting the right ones. The wrong potential clients will either not convert, or you’ll find you’re not a good fit for one another, and that can become detrimental.
When you attract the right clients, they will more likely:
- Appreciate what you do and how it can benefit them
- Have a good experience with you / your company
- Have positive feedback about hiring you
That positive feedback is highly valuable, and if you’re a shrewd businesswoman it will also form an integral element of your business goals:
Positive reputation and word of mouth are powerful tools for any successful business.
And one compelling method of achieving all of the above is to create a trustworthy brand across your website, socials, and anywhere else you may have a presence.
How?
With professional and consistent personal branding (which can be accomplished in part through expert corporate headshots).
Professional Headshot Tips For the Best Business Portraits
Okay, so how to you ensure you achieve a professional image which matches your company ethos and branding? There’s much more to the process than simply natural light and well-pressed clothes!
Here are some top tips to help you nail that headshot and empower yourself as a successful woman…
1. Invest in a Professional Photoshoot For Your Female Professional Headshots
Portrait photographers will also be able to help advise further.
Hiring a professional experienced in women’s business headshots may be the single most significant thing you can do to help you to achieve the best quality photos possible for your business headshots.
While taking ‘selfies’ may be acceptable in some cases for social media pages, they are not ideal for company websites which should include professional portraits, even if they’re deliberately informal.
Not only will a professional photographer have the best equipment in order to accomplish the best results, portrait photographers will also be able to help advise further on each of the following points.
Think carefully about your personal branding.
Plus, of course, once you have your executive headshots, they can also be used for business cards, press releases, and if you have an online presence, also for your social media profile photos too.
2. Personal Branding
The first thing to do is think carefully about your personal branding. We’ve looked already at why this is important, but in order to implement the idea, the first step is to consider what image you want to project.
Depending on your business, it might be most important to you to project knowledge, trust, and authority in your field to potential clients. On the other hand, you may wish to communicate a sense of fun and contemporary creativity.
Again, there’ no right or wrong here – unless the headshot photos on your website conflict with the message you want to convey.
3. Preparation
One of best ways to prepare for your headshot session with a professional photographer is to… be prepared!
A few worthwhile things you can do in advance of your portrait session include getting sufficient sleep, spending some time thinking about the image you want to portray, and planning out your outfit.
4. What to Wear For a Headshot
When it comes to what to wear for professional headshots, getting your clothing choices right is fundamental to the outcome of your professional portrait.
Here are some things to keep in mind about the types of clothing you select for your headshot outfits…
Choosing Between Different Colors
Black which can be dull or austere.
The best colors to wear are ones that are flattering, and will help your headshots stand out on the page.
You’ll want to avoid pastel tones which can blend into a light background or make your skin tone look washed-out, and pure black which can be dull or austere.
The general rule of thumb is that natural rich, darker colors such as navy, chocolate, forest green, and dark brown are universally flattering colours; likewise jewel tones like sapphire, emerald, and ruby.
Plain vs Patterns
For the best headshots, it’s a good idea to avoid a bold pattern or fussy clothing, opting for solid colors or very subtle patterns instead.
The focus of the portrait should be your facial expressions and conveying the right message, so don’t allow your clothing to distract and dilute those things.
Neckline
In a tightly cropped portrait it can give an ‘implied nude’ impression!
Before you can choose the best neckline for your headshot, you’ll first need to think about where you will sit within the frame of the photograph. A tight crop will give a different impression than a mid-length shot, and this should inform your choice of neckline.
Depending on where you look, you’ll find advice on recommended necklines (and those to avoid) – however more important is the crop of the photo and how the neckline appears within the frame.
For example, while an open neckline can be a gorgeous, flattering choice, in a tightly cropped portrait it can give an ‘implied nude’ impression, which is (presumably) not the professional image you’re going for!
Leave a couple of buttons open for a slightly less formal appearance.
That said, while there are no hard and fast rules, there are a couple of guidelines I’d personally stick to:
- Avoid low-cut tops and spaghetti straps which are less corporate and can be distracting.
- Generally, you’re better off steering away from very high necklines like a turtle neck, since these can give off a closed or uptight mood, similar to folded arms.
But otherwise, so long as you remain conscious of the frame of the shot, a v-neck, scoop, boat neck, and crew neck can all work well, with the former two choices giving the effect of elongating the neck.
A well-chosen colour can help to provide a strong contrast.
If you’re unsure, you can’t go wrong with a well cut white shirt to achieve a beautifully flattering neckline, leaving a couple of buttons open at the collar for a slightly less formal look.
Short Sleeves or Long Sleeves?
Sleeveless tops or those with a short sleeve which show bare arms do not always translate well, and therefore are best avoided.
On the other hand, a long sleeve in a well-chosen colour can help to provide a strong contrast with your smiling face.
Jacket or Blazer
A business jacket is a good opportunity to attain a variety of different looks from your professional headshot session:
- Wearing a suit jacket will produce a more corporate headshot photography style with an air of formality,
- Going without will achieve a more casual look.
A great look can be a pairing bright colors with a black jacket, as this can create a beautiful pop of color without being too overwhelming.
5. Hair Style
Try not to go for a dramatic look too dissimilar to your natural one.
If budget allows, taking a hair stylist to the photography studios to create a professional hair style is a great idea! That way, you can confidently vary your look throughout the shoot if you wish.
A few things to note:
- Tying your hair up can give the appearance of slimming the face and neck;
- If you tie your hair back, adding some volume can prevent it from looking too severe;
- While you want to look your best, try not to go for a dramatic look too dissimilar to your natural real life one – you should be recognisable in person.
6. Cosmetics
As with hair, a makeup artist can be a great addition for sessions with professional headshot photographers.
If you want a professional look for your make up, keeping it relatively natural and close to your usual daily style is a great choice. You want to feel natural in front of the camera, and the best way to achieve this is by feeling comfortable in yourself.
Avoid shimmery products, and try a translucent powder to help reduce shine on your skin, which can become problematic under warm studio lights!
7. Background
Depending on the vibe you’re going for with your headshot, you could choose either a studio background of solid colour (typically white, but could be other neutral colours), or a natural one.
Showcase your personality or hint at your expertise with a natural background.
Ideal for creating clean headshots with no distractions, white backgrounds are possibly the most common.
To add a little more interest, try a grey background, or for a more artistic or moody look, go for black.
If you are keen to showcase your personality or hint at your expertise, a natural background can work well. For example, if you’re a musician you could include instruments in the background, or if you’re a landscaper you could have manicured gardens behind you.
Remember good posture!
If you opt for a natural background, a professional photographer can help you choose the perfect backdrop and create a blurred effect so that it does’t overpower your headshot.
8. Headshot Options For Posing
Posing can be one of the most awkward aspects of your headshot photo session, yet it’s pivotal to the overall impression your headshot will convey.
Ask your photographer to direct you.
Regardless of the pose you choose, a really important thing to remember is good posture. Your photographer will help with this, but if you’re wanting to give off an air of confidence, then standing tall is vital.
Adopt a natural stance, sideways on to the camera, with one shoulder slightly forward. Alternatively, you can have a more obvious sideways stance where you look over your shoulder to the camera.
Lightly hold your fingers together at your waist, or fold your arms. Be aware that crossed arms must be balanced with a smile to avoid making you appear uptight or unapproachable.
A strong air of confidence can be hugely influential.
If you’re struggling to feel comfortable, consider holding a prop, such as a pair of glasses for a corporate shot, or a mug of coffee for a more casual corporate headshots with an informal vibe.
Alternatively, another great option can be to have your photographer shoot you while you work, so that you don’t have to look directly into the camera – a combination of both looks great!
If you’re worried about getting the best shot, just ask your photographer to direct you – with their years of experience it’s their job to find the best angle.
Final Thoughts on Achieving the Best Female Corporate Headshots
It can be daunting for female entrepreneurs to compete with the gender inequality of the corporate world, but a strong air of confidence can be enormously influential.
Whether you are company executive of your own small business, or one of the senior executives of a large corporation, these tips should help you to successfully express the impression you want to communicate.
I hope this short article has answered some of the most common questions about taking a great professional headshot for your website, linkedin profile, or any other requirement you may have within the business world! Now all that remains is to wish you luck with your headshot photoshoot!
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