How should I prepare?
Not much. Sleep, drink some water, and wear what you’d wear to meet an important client. There’s a whole guide on what to wear.
What about the week before?
- Get a haircut a week out, so it’s had time to settle.
- Try on what you’re wearing, so you know it fits and it’s ironed.
- If your company’s sent a sign-up sheet, grab an early slot. You’ll be fresher.
What about the morning of?
- Bring a second top if you like options.
- Wear your glasses if you wear them every day.
- Get there a few minutes early, so you’re not walking in out of breath from the parking lot.
- Check your collar and your hair in a mirror on the way in.
What happens in front of the camera?
You can stand or sit, and a lot of people stand. I’ll talk you through small changes as we go: turn a little, chin forward, drop that shoulder. You don’t need to know how to pose before you walk in.
On a team day, it’s a few minutes, and everyone gets one retouched portrait.
What if I hate photos of myself?
Join the club. Most of the people I photograph say it before they sit down.
We’ll talk while I work, and a lot of the good ones come in between, while you’re halfway through a sentence.
On team days I set up in your office, often the lobby or next to a big window, so the portraits look like your place. More is on Portraits for teams, and the sessions I run at coworking spaces around Northern Virginia are on Recent Work.
