As a business owner, you are the face of your business. That’s why having a professional headshot is so essential. But it’s not just up to the photographer to capture your unique personality and deliver headshots that will help you attract your ideal clients. Below, I’ve listed 6 things you can do before your headshot photo shoot that can help you be prepared on the day of your shoot, and get the perfect headshot(s) that will help you attract your ideal clients.

1. Know Your ‘Why’

Why do you do what you do? What inspires you in your work? Getting really specific on your ‘why’ sends a clear message into the universe and into your energy field that will help attract people who resonate with your ‘why’. It will also help you feel and look more confident in your pictures because you’ll have a clear focus and intention for why you do what you do.

2. Know who Your ideal client is

Knowing who your ideal client is really helps you understand a little bit more about how to market your products and services. But when you get your headshots taken, its also important to know who your ideal client is and here’s why. You have to think of the camera as being your ideal client, and you just met them for the first time. This helps you look and feel more natural in your photos because your mind isn’t focused on you getting your picture taken. Instead you’re focused on your client and creating a great first impression. This translates really well in your photos!

3. Prepare for your shoot

If you’ve scheduled a photo shoot, it’s important to prepare yourself in the weeks and days ahead. Remember, this headshot will (in most cases) be your client’s first impression of you and your business, and it will be so for the next year or until you update your headshots again. If you want to look thinner, plan on a specific diet for the week of your photoshoot. If you feel puffy or bloated on the day of your shoot, drink some hot water and tumeric a couple hours before your shoot.  This helps lessen inflammation in your body and puffiness in your face.

Make sure your hair is the way you want it to look.  If you need to color your roots or remove gray, do it a couple days before your shoot. Don’t just assume your photographer will remove your grays or color your roots for you. It can take a long time to do that in the editing process, and those touch ups may end up costing you a lot more in the end.

Also, don’t schedule any meetings or appointments that could cause you to become stressed before your shoot.  The last thing you want to do is look rushed or stressed out in your images.

4. Pick out the right clothes

Picking out the right clothes for your headshot is extremely important. Look for items that complement your body type. You don’t want clothes that don’t fit. For the most part, avoid ruffles, logos, and busy patterns; they are distracting in a headshot. Find a color that complements your eyes, since they will be the focus of your headshots. Also, be mindful of the neckline on the shirt. For women, in most cases you’ll want to cover your shoulders and not have a shirt with a low neckline. If it helps, stand in front of a mirror with your shirt or blouse on and use your hands to cover up your shirt from mid-chest on down. If you see more skin than the shirt or blouse, you’ll want to find a different one.

5. center yourself

When it comes time to take your shots, take a few moments right before you begin your shoot to center yourself.  Follow these simple steps:

1. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths
2. Visualize yourself growing energy roots down into the earth and energy branches into the universe like a tree.
3. Then, focus on your ‘why’ and on your ideal client (see above).

This will enable your true essence to be captured in your photos. You will appear more focused, grounded, and neutral in your shots and this is what attracts your ideal clients.

6. Find the right photographer

Finally, one of the biggest mistakes business owners make when getting headshots is they choose the wrong photographer. Anyone can buy a camera, set up a website, and call themselves a photographer, but that doesn’t make them a good headshot photographer. Charging a lot for headshots, or using the same photographer your friend used for her wedding also doesn’t automatically make them the right choice for you. You need to make sure to find the perfect photographer that understands your needs, your business, and your intention, and that you resonate with them and their work.