How to Prepare for Your Corporate Headshot Session

Emily Frampton
5 days ago
3 min read

A good headshot does a lot of quiet work. It's the first thing a client sees on your LinkedIn, the photo next to your name on the "About Us" page, the image that has to say credible and approachable in the half-second before anyone reads a word of your bio. Fifteen minutes of prep beforehand is the difference between a photo that just exists and one that actually works for you.

Here's what I have every client, solo or full team, do before we shoot.

Book with intention, not last-minute

Corporate headshots have a shelf life. If you're job-hunting, rebranding, or onboarding a new hire, book the session as soon as you know the need is coming rather than the week before a launch. It gives you room to reschedule around weather or a breakout on your chin, and it means the photos are ready before you actually need them, not scrambling to catch up.

If you're scheduling a full team, block the whole group in one sitting where possible. Consistent lighting and a consistent backdrop across everyone's photos are what make a leadership page look intentional instead of assembled from five different photo shoots over three years.

What to wear for your corporate headshots

The goal is clothing that reads as you, one week from now, in the role you're actually in.

Solid colours photograph best. Busy patterns, fine stripes, and small checks can create a distracting moiré effect in photos and pull focus from your face.
Stick to your brand or industry norm. A lawyer and a creative director can both wear a blazer, but the tone should match what your clients expect to see.
Bring a backup top. A second option in a different colour gives us flexibility if the first doesn't photograph the way you expect, or if you need one version for a formal bio page and one for a more casual social profile.
Iron or steam everything the night before. Wrinkles show up more than you'd think, especially in a tight crop.

Skin, hair, and the small stuff

Sleep and hydration matter more than makeup. A good night's sleep and drinking water the day before does more for how you photograph than most last-minute fixes.
Book hair and makeup for the same day, not two days prior. You want it fresh, not "grown out."
Matte over shine. A little translucent powder goes a long way under studio or on-location lighting; skip heavy, dewy products for this specific session.
Trim, don't experiment. This isn't the week to try a new beard shape or a fringe you've never had. Go with what your clients already recognize.

What to expect on the day

Plan for the session to take less time than you think. A well-run headshot session, even for a full team, moves quickly once the lighting is set. Here's the general flow:

Quick chat first. I'll ask how you plan to use the photos (website, LinkedIn, press, a mix) so I can shoot with the right crop and orientation in mind.
A few test shots. We check the lighting and framing together before the "real" shots start, so there are no surprises.
Several expressions, not just one. We'll shoot a genuine smile, a more neutral/approachable look, and a couple of options in between; you'll have real variety to choose from, not one photo you're stuck with.
A look at a few frames along the way. If something's not landing, we adjust on the spot rather than finding out after the fact.

After the shoot

You'll get a full gallery to choose from, with the final images delivered high-resolution and pre-sized for web and print use, so you're not resizing or cropping them yourself before they go live.