How to Prepare for a Professional Headshot: A Toronto Photographer’s Complete Guide
A great headshot does a lot of quiet work. It’s the first thing a potential client sees on LinkedIn, the face on your company’s “About Us” page, the image that shows up next to your byline or your speaker bio. As a Toronto headshot photographer, we’ve shot thousands of executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals — and the sessions that go best almost always have one thing in common: the person showed up prepared.
The good news is that preparation isn’t complicated. Below is everything we walk our clients through before they ever step in front of the camera at Exposures Photography.
Confident business headshot with glasses on a dark studio background
A well-fitted suit and relaxed expression go a long way.
1. What to Wear for Your Headshot
Wardrobe is the single biggest factor people ask us about, and for good reason — it’s the first thing viewers notice.
Stick to solid colours. Busy patterns, fine pinstripes, and bold logos tend to distract from your face and can create odd visual effects (moiré patterning) in photographs. Solid navy, charcoal, black, and jewel tones photograph beautifully and age well — meaning your headshot won’t look dated in two years.
Choose clothing that fits the way you actually wear it. A blazer that’s freshly pressed and properly fitted will read as polished in photos in a way that an ill-fitting one simply can’t fix in post-production. If you’re not sure, bring two or three options to your session.
Think about contrast. If your studio’s backdrop is dark, lighter clothing tends to help you stand out; against a light backdrop, darker clothing creates a similar separation. We’ll guide you through this on the day, but having a couple of choices in different tones gives us flexibility.
Keep accessories simple. A classic watch, simple earrings, or an understated necklace can add personality without competing with your face. Save statement jewelry for another occasion.
Smiling business portrait with neutral background
Solid colours and simple accessories keep the focus on you.
2. Skin, Hair, and Grooming Prep
Sleep matters more than makeup. Aim for a solid night’s sleep before your session — it shows in your eyes more than almost anything else.
Hydrate the day before. Well-hydrated skin photographs more evenly under studio lighting, which means less retouching needed later.
Get your haircut a few days ahead, not the morning of. Fresh-from-the-barber or fresh-from-the-salon can sometimes look a little too crisp on camera. A few days lets everything settle into its natural shape.
For makeup, aim for “polished you,” not a dramatic look. Matte finishes generally photograph better than heavy shimmer or shine, since studio lighting can pick up shine and exaggerate it. If you’d like, we can also recommend a hair and makeup artist who specializes in prepping clients for headshot sessions.
Men: if you shave regularly, do it the morning of or the night before — same logic as the haircut timing.
LinkedIn-style headshot with bright, clean studio lighting
Bright, even lighting and a natural finish work well for LinkedIn profiles.
3. Bring Options, Not Just One Outfit
We always recommend bringing two to three outfit changes, even if you only end up using one. Different platforms call for slightly different energy:
LinkedIn and corporate bios tend to favour classic, structured pieces like blazers or tailored jackets.
Team or “about us” pages sometimes allow a touch more personality — a great blouse, a well-fitted sweater, a signature colour.
Speaker or media headshots often benefit from a slightly more editorial, expressive choice.
Having options means we can adapt mid-session if something isn’t working, rather than being stuck with a single outfit for the whole shoot.
Polished professional headshot against a soft white backdrop
A second outfit option gives us flexibility if the first look isn’t quite right.
4. What to Expect During the Session
A typical session at our studio runs about 30–45 minutes, though this varies depending on the package. Here’s the general flow:
A quick consultation. We’ll talk about how you plan to use the photos (LinkedIn, website, press, etc.), which shapes our lighting and posing choices.
A few test shots. We adjust lighting and check focus before the “real” shooting begins — this is also a great moment to settle any nerves.
Posing guidance throughout. You will not be left to figure out what to do with your hands. We direct subtle shifts in angle, chin position, and expression so you look natural rather than stiff — even if posing for a camera isn’t your usual comfort zone.
Outfit changes between sets, if you’ve brought more than one look.
A quick review. Before we wrap, we’ll often show you a few shots on screen so you can see how things are coming together.
Warm, approachable corporate headshot in a tailored blazer
Good posing guidance helps even camera-shy clients look relaxed and natural.
5. After the Shoot: Choosing and Using Your Images
Once your images are edited, you’ll typically receive a gallery to choose from, along with guidance on which shots tend to perform best for specific platforms. A headshot for a formal annual report and one for a casual team page don’t always need to be the same image — and that’s perfectly normal.
Ready to Book Your Headshot Session?