preparing for your Headshots w/
Porter Wright
LOCATION
In studio: 1910 11th St NW, Washington DC 20009
Please call when you arrive and I will come down to get you.
Courtney - 410-413-0530
TIME
Session time is 20 minutes or less. You'll select your image during your session.
headshots
Your Porter Wright headshot image for the website capture's 3/4 of the body and full body images.
Clothes & accessories
Set aside your clothing options and accessories to wear during your session at least a week before, so you're not stressing the day of.
You want to wake up feeling relaxed and prepared, so plan these details out early.
Make sure clothes are ironed and pressed before the session.
Consider:
A navy, blue or black suit.
A solid colored or simple patterned shirt
A simple shirt/blouse with a solid blazer.
Simple jewelry - earring studs, nose ring stud
Shoes - will not be photographed
Refer to the "People" section of https://www.porterwright.com/ for guidance.
Avoid: (unless it's your personal/professional aesthetic).
Shirts with busy patterns, words or images, because it distracts from the face.
Turtlenecks , because it adds bulk and shortens the neck.
Also avoid clothing with large logos., because it can be distracting.
Consider avoiding head to toe black or white attire, as it wash out your skin tone.
Skin & Make-up
Don’t do any extreme beauty regimens right before your session, like facial peels, tanning or extensive exfoliating. Your skin can look very irritated. Avoid prolonged sun exposure, which can leave your skin irritated and with uneven tan lines.
If you can, drink plenty of water in the week prior to your session, as this will keep your skin hydrated. Try to avoid fried and salty foods which causes bloating and water retention. The night before brush your lips with your toothbrush to help get rid of any dead skin. Get plenty of sleep to look refreshed and feel your best!
Bring lip balm or lip gloss with you to help keep lips looking soft.
For lipstick changes, we'll start out with lighter colors and can add darker lipstick later in the session.
Try not to use matte styles of makeup. It will dry out your skin.
Bring your makeup and moisturizer with you to the session in case your skin does get dry or you need touchups.
It's a good idea to bring some oil absorbing sheets to remove oil and sweat during your session.
Leave your colored contacts at home and bring clear contacts with you. Colored contacts ALWAYS look fake in images. Bring eyedrops.
Hair & facial hair
Wigs and Weaves need to be on point. Matting, tangling and lifted hairlines require an additional retouching fee.
Bring a comb/brush, some hair product (gel/hairspray) and bobby pins with you to the session to help calm fly-aways.
Start with your hair down/out and towards the end of the session put it up in a ponytail for a more casual look.
Prepare facial hair by trimming, plucking and/or choosing a style for facial hair days in advance. Knowing that plucking can leave red marks, and bleaching can irritate skin, be sure to do these things prior to your session. Remove unwanted hair a few days before your session. Don't forget to clean up brows and upper lip hair
Teeth, Nails & Hands
Brush before your session to remove any food or particles. And avoid anything that may stain your teeth on the day of your session. If your teeth are noticeably yellowed or stained, consider an at home whitening kit and/or a professional cleaning and whitening, but don't worry if you don't have the time or money, we can easily get the same result with retouching.
Your hands may end up in some of our shots, a manicure is recommended. Unless your style is bright nails, choose a neutral, skin tone polish, or a clear coat, so as not to distract from your face; and/or a clean trim is enough. Lotion up those hands! Tip: lotion mixed with a bit of dab of olive or coconut oil works wonders the night before.
Peace Of Mind
For peace of mind write down all the details for your session and add it to your clothing bag: helpful info to include would be time, location, directions, and any instructions provided. It's also a good idea to have my number saved into your phone in case you need to contact me on the way. If you are working with your own hair stylist or make-up artist, make sure to send them all these details too.
For a lot of people having their photograph taken is stressful, so set yourself up to minimize your stress. Be sure to GPS the location in advance and allow yourself plenty of time to get there. Map your route in advance and consider what the traffic conditions will be on the day of your session. Give yourself at least two hours to spend at the studio. It's important that we get at a comfortable pace and not feel rushed.
FULL PHOTO SESSION
If you're interested in booking a full headshot session, with multiple looks, please let me know.