LA Headshots Advice – 7 Essential Tips For Picking Out Your Wardrobe

Your LA headshots are not only defined by how you look – they are also defined by what you wear. Give off the right impression and make sure that you are the center of attention in your photos by carefully selecting your wardrobe prior to the shoot. Here are 7 essential tips to help you prepare a great wardrobe.

1. Avoid shirts with patterns and logos

Patterns and logos shift focus from your face to your clothing so they should be avoided. Moreover, patterns, colors and textures are shown differently in photos. Stick with solid colored clothing with a clean, simple look. Textured clothing can also work because it adds a unique touch to photos without taking attention away from you.

2. Make sure your clothing is clean and wrinkle-free

You aren’t going to have time to iron your clothing before a shoot so make sure to do it well ahead of time. Headshot photography in Los Angeles is serious business. The way you dress in your headshots will say a lot about you to casting directors and you could lose work if you don’t present yourself well. You wouldn’t wear wrinkly clothes to a job interview, would you? Make sure your clothes are ironed before your shoot and that they are free of stains. Cameras can pick up even the slightest marks on your clothing and you may have to pay your photographer extra to retouch soiled clothes. Take a lint brush or lint roller with you to the shoot as well because lint can show up on dark clothing in photos.

3. Be careful about what colors you wear.

There are no rules set in stone about what colors you can and can’t wear to an LA headshots session but you should try to avoid colors that distract from you. There is no need to wear bright colors in an attempt to get a casting director’s attention however. Your communication with the camera and the photograph overall is what will get a casting director to notice you. I find that your favorite color suits you best. After all, it’s your favorite color for a reason!

4. Take three to six changes of clothing to your shoot.

As anyone who has experience with headshot photography in Los Angeles will tell you, it’s better to have too much clothing than too little. At the very least you should take three changes of clothing to your shoot but you can take even more if you’d like. Select a variety of shirts with different necklines and collars. V-necks tend to be flattering on most people, except for men with long, slim necks, who would be better off wearing collared shirts. Avoid turtlenecks as well as shirts that show too much skin. Revealing skin below the neck can distract from your face.

5. Make sure your clothing fits right.

Take clothing to your LA headshots session that is the right size. If an article of clothing doesn’t fit you right and makes you feel uncomfortable, that feeling of discomfort is likely to show up on camera. Only choose articles of clothing that are 100% comfortable and that fit you perfectly.

6. Select different styles of clothing for your commercial and theatrical shots.

Headshot photography in Los Angeles consists of taking both commercial and theatrical shots. In commercial shots, you should have a casual, mainstream look. Clothes from a store like Abercrombie and Fitch or The Gap would be fitting for a commercial shoot. In theatrical shots, you can let your personal sense of style show through so bring whatever articles of clothing you think suit you best and express who you are. Bright colors work well for commercial headshots while subdued colors are better for theatrical headshots.

7. Ladies, bring bras in different colors to match your clothing

Women should bring bras in different colors to match their clothing so their bras don’t show through their clothing. For example, you should bring flesh-toned bras for white clothing. Other tips just for the ladies include avoiding jewelry because it is distracting. If you are going to wear earrings, wear small studs or hoops. Women should also avoid clothing with ornaments or large buttons because again, this can distract from your face.

Follow these tips to help you get started preparing your LA headshots wardrobe. Don’t stress out too much about what you are going to wear because sometimes rules are just meant to be broken. If you have an outfit you absolutely love but it breaks one of these rules of thumb, feel free to take it to your shoot and see if your photographer would be able to accommodate it.