Power Dressing for Your Business Headshot

Photography is important to everyone. It’s used to tell stories, evoke thoughts, even define personality, and that’s no different when it comes to business headshots.

Some of the biggest companies in the world find those shots important enough to feature them on their websites with top-level CEOs like Satya Nadella of Microsoft. Nadella, who became the CEO of the software giant in 2014, clearly takes his headshot seriously. His clothing matches that relaxed but intelligent style he can be seen in during all the company’s big reveals. It evokes a feeling of confidence while giving him an approachable look and as Microsoft look to connect people with their software makes sense. With Nadella, it seems to come easy; he’s often seen in a suit jacket and an open shirt. But while most men do not find what to wear a problem, it is different for women. A poll by Gala Spins suggests that it is the second most difficult decision women make on a daily basis, but for men it isn’t in the top five. That applies to headshots as well, even though much of the outfit is not on show. How can you dress for power when only your shoulders and maybe a little more can be seen?

Let’s look at some of the options that women can take to make their business headshots as impactful as possible.

Pattern

Having an outfit that is a little busy or has a very different pattern isn’t the best idea for a professional headshot. Remember, the reason for the image is you. Whilst the clothing is important, something that takes the eye away from the subject isn’t recommended. You’re either selling yourself or the image of your business, so you’re the centre of attention. It’s critical that your outfit isn’t raising more eyebrows than it needs to. Think about plain colours that don’t draw attention, rather than bold. Understated reds, greens and blues are fine, whilst bright, garish colours are not, The headshot is about you, the clothing is merely there to accentuate, not dominate.

Keeping things covered

It can be tempting to wear a sleeveless shirt, especially in summer, for your business headshot, but we’d recommend that not be the case. Most of us have a different contrast in colour between our face, neck and the tops of our arms. That’s why we would recommend against this; it’s preferable to wear a long-sleeved shirt or jacket to avoid unnecessary attention.

Accessorise

We’ll start with glasses, and if you normally wear them, then we’d recommend that you do so to the shoot. They need to be spotless though, as the images are so sharp with the most modern cameras that remnants could bring any dust or smears to light in the picture. Should you want to have a couple of alternative images to rotate your business headshot, how about bringing along a scarf to offset your image, conveying a sense of the seasons or adding a different slant on the traditional headshot photography.

It’s not always easy to know Who Needs A Headshot? Or what style to adopt? But it’s critical to find someone who will take the time and use their expertise to get the look that best suits your business goals.