Before jumping in and doing a headshot, read over these five ideas and this can help in making the best results on your final product.

 1 The psychology of the headshot.

"Should I smile in my headshot?" or "Should I look serious?" That would totally depend on whether one is doing a headshot for social media, a dating app, a job and what type of job they are working. If one is a bank president, and one has a job with some importance, one would not want a big cheesecake smile. A more dignified content, demure look could be more appropriate. Yet, a realtor, whom will be looking at a customer's credit report would need a smile and portrait that has a very high likability factor.

 2 What should one wear?

For people in business, suit and ties for gentlemen are most appropriate. Women should have blazers, jackets that are dark and solid. A light shell underneath works best and pearls are always suitable. Women should always avoid sleeve less shirts. People in the tech industry can get away with a more causal look.

 3 Choose a background.

Making sure the right color background is paramount. Checking with the marketing department is crucial to make sure that background of the headshot matches the rest of the staff. Also, the pose should reflect and compliment and add continuity to the staff's images.

 4 Hair & Make Up.

While one would  want to keep their makeup application as close as possible to their everyday appearance, there are some exceptions to make a note of. Certain types of makeup application are particularly unflattering in headshots, even though they might look good in-person. Some things to keep in mind are heavy eyeliner can add years in photography. Shimmering make up is a no no. It can reflect the flash.  Keeping it simple and natural can produce the best result.

 5 Wearing glasses or not.

If the subject always wears glasses then by all means, wear the glasses. A professional photographer should not have any problems adjusting the light to make sure there is no reflection in the glass. Even if there is a tad, the professional can remove the flash in post production.