How to Prepare for a Professional
Headshot in Seattle
Preparing for a professional headshot helps ensure you look confident, polished, and natural in your final image.
This guide explains what to wear, grooming tips, and how to prepare
for a professional headshot session in Seattle so your image represents you at your best.
Before Your Headshot Session
1. Define How Your Headshot Will Be Used
Think about where your image will appear. Most professionals use their headshot for:
• LinkedIn profiles
• Company websites
• Speaker bios and press features
• Author pages or professional publications
Understanding the purpose helps guide the tone of the image whether it should feel approachable, authoritative, creative, or executive. During your Seattle headshot session, we refine posture, expression, and presence to match how you want to be perceived professionally.
Choose Your Outfit Carefully
Clothing should support your face NOT distract from it.
Wear clothing that makes you feel comfortable and amazing!
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Colors: Don't wear loud clothing - Solid, neutral colors like navy, black, gray, charcoal,
or soft tones like cream or pastel blue work best.
Avoid loud patterns, logos, and neon colors, as they distract from your face.
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Fit: Wear something that fits you well and is comfortable. Ill-fitting clothes (too tight or too baggy) will look unprofessional.
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Layers: Consider a blazer, jacket, or cardigan. Layers add depth and a professional touch.
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Iron Everything: Wrinkles are very noticeable in high-resolution photos.
Grooming Details Matter
Small grooming details make a big difference in a professional headshot.
Before your session:
• Trim facial hair neatly
• Check nose hair, eyebrow hair, neck hair, and ear hair
• Style your hair as you would for an important professional meeting
• If getting a haircut, do so about a week before the session so it settles naturally
Your skin should look clean and natural. Please avoid picking at blemishes before your session.
Most skin blemishes can be easily removed during the professional retouching process.
Trying to cover blemishes with heavy makeup especially without a professional hair and makeup artist
can often make them more noticeable in high-resolution photography.
Also try to:
• Get good sleep for a couple nights before the shoot
• Drink water to stay hydrated
• Avoid new skincare products right before your session
Skin Preparation
Practice Your Expression
You don’t need to know how to pose that’s part of the guided process.
However, it can help to spend a few minutes in front of a mirror practicing:
• A relaxed smile
• A natural neutral expression
• A confident, approachable look
Think about something positive or someone you enjoy talking
to this often creates a natural expression in your eyes.