Headshot prep checklist

What to do, and when

Headshot prep is small, but it is easier in order. A week out you pick the clothes. Five days out you check them by a window. The day before you iron, pack the bag and sleep. The day of you tidy up and arrive a few minutes early. The checklist above lists each step against your session date.

If you do not enter a date, it shows the steps as days before the session, so you can plan once you book. If you do, each task shows the real day, and the calendar button creates one reminder per task. The reminders are all-day events, and nothing is sent to anyone.

Choose the use first

A LinkedIn photo is seen at thumbnail size, so a tight, simple frame and a quiet color win. A bio page can carry a second look. A clinic or a firm needs one consistent look across several people, and an actor needs honest, natural frames that casting directors will recognize. A team day needs a room, a list and a schedule. The planner adds the tasks that fit.

Outfits, in a sentence each

Pick a solid, mid-tone color you already like, and plan a second look such as the same shirt with and without a jacket. Skip large logos and tight patterns. Try the outfit on in daylight, and check collar, sleeves and buttons from across the room. The headshot wardrobe guide covers color by background and by profession, and the blog post on professional headshot outfits goes further.

Hair, skin and glasses

General tip: get the haircut a week or two out so it settles. Skip any new skin or hair product for the last three days. Clean your glasses and look at the frames for scratches, because glare depends on the frame and the light. Tidy facial hair on the morning, and eat something light. None of this needs to be fussy. It only avoids surprises.

For a clinic, a firm or a team

A team day goes better with a quiet room, a plain wall, and a list of names in the order you want. Send the headcount and the room ahead of time, and your photographer confirms the plan and the date before you book. On-site team headshots are $150 per person, $1,200 for a half day and $2,200 for a full day.

Space and the schedule decide how many people fit in a day, so plan a short block per person and build in a break. The checklist adds the room, roster and schedule tasks when you pick a doctor, lawyer or team use.

If you are short on time

Not every session is booked two weeks out. If yours is in three days, do these first: pick two outfits, iron them, clean your glasses and pack the bag. Then skip any new product, drink water and sleep. Hair and the rest can wait. The checklist still shows every step against your date, so you can tick what fits and leave the rest.

If the session is tomorrow, the last section is the only one that matters. A rested face and a clean, ironed solid color photograph better than a perfect plan you did not have time to follow.

The day of the session

Arrive five to ten minutes early with the outfits on hangers. Bring a lint roller, a comb or brush and water. The Professional takes about 20 minutes with 1 to 2 looks, and The Personal Brand takes about 45 minutes with 2 to 3 outfits or backdrops. Portraits are delivered in 48 hours in a private online gallery.

After the session

Choose one photo and use it everywhere: your profile, email signature, company page and speaker bio. A consistent face builds recognition. Keep the original high-resolution file, and export copies for each use. Replace the photo when you look noticeably different, and not before.