Hello GAteway Rehab!

Styling and Grooming Tips

CLOTHING: Let’s keep the focus on you by avoiding overly busy patterns and keeping things subtle. Clothing should fit snugly for a slimming effect. Please come with everything ironed and without stains. Collars should be crisp. In the photos shown, everyone has a polished and put-together look about them. If your shirt or jacket has a subtle pattern, that’s ok. Just don’t pair it with more patterns. Patterned blouses look best under a jacket as the jacket cuts the busyness of the blouse and keeps the focus on you rather than on your clothing.

FACE: Make sure you have moisturized skin and your lips are free from chapping. Avoid using a moisturizer with SPF as it can cause flashbacks with the studio lights.  Your makeup should be clean and fresh.  No need to overdo it for your headshot session.  Avoid strong, hard eyeliner lines. When you outline the top and bottom with dark eyeliner, you close down your eye in photos. Give some love to your brows by filling in bare areas as well as cleaning up stray hairs.  If you wear a foundation base, please choose a shade that matches your neck. I often see people with darker faces or lines under their jawline there the shade isn’t quite right.

GLASSES: If you wear glasses, bring the pair with the anti-reflective coating or several pairs and we can see which ones create the least amount of glare

HAIR OF ALL SORTS: Hair should be clean and styled. Hair that is pulled half back often looks odd in photos since the viewer can’t see the style as a whole. Please bring a hairbrush with you. I will have hairspray for you to use if needed. If you are rocking the facial hair, keep everything groomed and trimmed appropriately.

Don’t forget about your eyebrows! Pluck stray hairs and keep them brushed. Avoid stamped-on eyebrows and sharp edges that don’t look natural. Be sure to watch for rogue nose hairs as well and get those taken care of before your session.

ACCESSORIES: If you wear glasses and have more than one pair, bring them all with you.  Different glasses will sit on your face differently and lenses react to the light differently as well.  Lenses with the anti-glare coating are preferred, or bring frames without the lenses if you don’t have the coating applied. Some glasses are difficult to shoot due to the glare they produce when using studio lighting. I will do my best to minimize or eliminate the glare, but I am at the mercy of the lenses you bring with you.

Jewelry should be kept to a minimum. If you wear a necklace, I would skip the earrings and vice versa. If you chose to wear jewelry in your headshot, choose classic pieces so you don’t date your headshot quicker than you would like. Statement pieces look great in person, but in the small space of a headshot, they can completely steal the spotlight from you.