How to Prepare for Your Headshot Session | Houston Headshot Photographer

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX.  Tara Flannery Photography specializes in corporate headshots.  See more headshots in the gallery.  Contact me to book your professional headshot today!

How to Prepare for Your Headshot Session

Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing for your upcoming headshot session.  These preparation steps are necessary and will ensure a smooth and successful session.

  1. Plan your wardrobe.  Start with what you normally wear to work.  Or if you’re hoping for the next step up in your career, dress for that next position.  “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.”
  2. Bring multiple wardrobe options.  Please bring several options for wardrobe to your headshot session.  Perhaps a more formal look and a casual look.  Bring a solid dark jacket (black, grey, navy) and then also bring something with more color (solid blue or red, for example).
  3. Plan for hair and makeup.  Whether you do your own or my HMU artist does the hair and makeup, plan accordingly.  Start with what you wear on a daily basis and then add a touch more (especially lip color, cheek color, and powder for shine).
  4. Think about pose and expression.  It’s important to know what type of “look” you’d like to achieve with your headshot.  Depending on your occupation, you may want to appear confident and strong or friendly and outgoing.  Just think about that and have the conversation with your photographer.

Headshots for JoEllen, Sage Business Coaching and Consulting

JoEllen needed an updated headshot for her business website.  As an executive coach, JoEllen wanted to have a certain look for her headshots.  Since she works with many businesses and specifically C-level executives, she wanted to appear confident and competent.  Through pose and expression, we were able to give her that look.

Sage is “a Management Consulting firm helping organizations reach their maximum potential in growth, strategy, leadership and talent. We specialize in Mergers and Acquisitions, providing cultural integration planning and facilitation. We also offer business advisory services in the areas of Leadership Development, Team Effectiveness, Cultural Transformation, and Strategic Planning.”  Sage Business Coaching and Consulting

How to Prepare for Your Headshot SessionHow to Prepare for Your Headshot Session

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX.  Tara Flannery Photography specializes in corporate headshots.  See more headshots in the gallery.  Contact me to book your professional headshot today!

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@taraflanneryphotography

I put together a Guide to Photography Gear for those of you who need some help deciding what is actually worth investing in (and what's not). The link is in my bio!

Lighting is one of those things that feels complicated when you’re starting out… but it doesn’t have to be.

At the end of the day—light is light.

You don’t need the most expensive setup to get good results. What matters more is having something reliable that you understand how to use.

Especially if you’re shooting outside… the last thing you want is a $2,000 light going down in the wind.

Start simple.
Focus on gear you can trust.
And build from there.

Curious—what lighting setup are you using right now?
My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you’re trying to figure out what’s actually worth investing in when you’re first starting out.

Because the truth is—you don’t need everything right away.

When you’re new, it’s easy to feel like you need all the gear… but really, it comes down to a few key pieces.

A solid camera body and a really good lens will take you further than a full bag of equipment you don’t know how to use yet.

If you’re deciding where to spend your money, start there.

A 24–70mm or 70–200mm lens will cover more than you think—and give you the flexibility to shoot a wide range of sessions without overcomplicating things.

Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?
‼️ No clients (or videographers) were harmed in the making of this video 🤣

(For the record—this is very much a joke.)

But if you are a photographer, you know the real challenge isn’t getting someone in front of the camera… it’s knowing how to guide them once they’re there.

Small adjustments = big difference in how confident and natural someone looks.

And having a go-to posing flow makes everything feel easier—for you and your client. (so you don't resort to violence 😉)

➡️ I put together a Headshot Posing Flow Cheat Sheet to help with exactly that—link in bio.
A quick look at the people and brands I had the chance to photograph this month 👇🏻

Grateful for every person and team that trusted me to capture this season of their business.

Each session is different, but the goal is always the same—to create images that actually represent you well and support where you’re going next.

If you’ve been thinking about updating your headshot or branding photos, now is a great time to get it scheduled before things get busy later in the year.

📩 You can book your session through the link in my bio.

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Serving the Greater Houston, Texas Area

tara@taraflannery.com

713-412-5437

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Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers of America PPA.
Tara is a Certified Professional Photographer.
Tara is a member of TPPA Texas Professional Photographer's Association.
Tara has earned her Master of Photography degree.
Tara has earned her Photographic Craftsman certification.
Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston PPGH.