How to Prepare for a Headshot Session

A great headshot does something quietly powerful: before you say a single word, it tells someone who you are. It is the first handshake on your LinkedIn profile, the face on your real estate sign on El Paseo, the portrait on your law firm's website, the image that introduces you to a client you have never met. And here is the thing I tell every person who sits in front of my camera — you do not have to be photogenic to get a wonderful headshot. You just have to come prepared and let me do the rest.

I have been photographing people across Palm Desert and the Coachella Valley for many years, and most of my headshots happen in the easiest place imaginable — right in your own home, in the soft light by a big window, or at a quiet local park, garden, or shaded patio just minutes away. The sessions that go beautifully almost always start with a little thoughtful planning. So let me walk you through exactly how to prepare for headshots — what to wear, how to time things around our light, how to care for yourself the day before, and how to actually relax once the camera is up. Think of this as the conversation I would have with you over coffee before we ever pick up a lens.

First, Get Clear on What This Headshot Is For

Before we talk about clothes or timing, ask yourself one simple question: where is this image going to live, and who is going to see it?

A headshot is not one-size-fits-all. The right look for a wellness coach in Rancho Mirage is different from the right look for a financial advisor in Palm Desert, which is different again from an actor's theatrical headshot or a creative entrepreneur building a personal brand on Instagram. Knowing the destination shapes every decision we make together.

Here are the questions I ask my clients, and the ones I would love you to think through:

• What is the platform? LinkedIn, a company "team" page, a real estate broker's roster, a speaker bio, acting submissions, a book jacket, your own website.
• What impression do you want to make? Approachable and warm? Authoritative and polished? Creative and a little unexpected?
• Is there a brand to match? If your company has a color palette or a consistent style for its team photos, bring me an example or two. If you are building your own personal brand, we can develop a look that is unmistakably you.
• Do you need variety? Many of my clients want one classic, neutral headshot plus a few with more personality or a wider crop they can use on a homepage banner or an "About" page.

When you arrive with clarity on this, we stop guessing and start creating with purpose. If you are still defining your visual identity, you might find my thoughts in building a personal brand with photography helpful before your session.

What to Wear: The Single Biggest Thing You Control

If you take only one piece of advice from this whole article, let it be this — your wardrobe matters more than almost anything else you bring to a headshot session. Hair and makeup can be touched up, lighting is my job, but the clothes you choose set the entire tone. Here is how I guide my clients in the desert.

Choose solid, saturated colors

Solid colors keep the focus where it belongs — on your face and your expression. Deep jewel tones (navy, emerald, burgundy, plum), classic neutrals, and rich mid-tones photograph beautifully and read as confident and timeless. They also age well; a headshot in a solid, well-chosen color still looks current five years from now.

Be careful with patterns and logos

Tight patterns — small checks, narrow stripes, herringbone — can create a distracting shimmer on camera (we call it moiré) that pulls the eye away from you. Large or busy prints compete with your face. And visible logos date an image and can look unintentionally like an advertisement. When in doubt, simpler wins.

Mind the extremes of the value scale

Pure bright white tends to glow and steal light from your face, especially under our intense Coachella Valley sun. Solid black can flatten and "swallow" detail, particularly against a dark background. Neither is forbidden — I work with both all the time — but a slightly softer version (cream, charcoal, soft gray) is often more flattering and easier to light.

Think about fit and layers

• Fit is everything. A well-fitting jacket or top reads as polished even if it is inexpensive; an ill-fitting designer piece never does. Tailored, not tight.
• Layers add options. A blazer over a simple top gives us two distinct looks in one session — buttoned and structured, then relaxed with the layer removed.
• Necklines should be intentional. Higher necklines feel more formal and authoritative; an open collar reads warmer and more approachable. Choose to match the impression you decided on earlier.
• Sleeves over sleeveless for most professional headshots — they keep the frame clean and the focus up on your face. (For lifestyle or branding sessions, this rule relaxes.)

Bring more than you think you need

I always tell clients to bring two or three complete outfits on hangers, even if we only use one. Seeing the options together, in our actual light, makes the choice obvious. Press or steam everything the night before — wrinkles are one of the few things genuinely hard to fix later, and a crisp garment instantly looks more expensive than it is.

Accessories and glasses

Keep jewelry simple and classic so it complements rather than competes. If you wear glasses every day, wear them in your headshot — that is how people recognize you — but if you can, borrow a pair of frames with anti-reflective lenses, or let me know in advance so I can light to minimize glare. A quick tip: nudge your glasses slightly down the bridge of your nose, which tips the lenses and kills most reflections.

Grooming and Self-Care in the Days Before

The desert climate is its own consideration, so let me get specific about preparing your skin, hair, and energy for our session.

Hydrate, and start early

Our air out here is dry — genuinely, persistently dry — and it shows up on skin faster than people expect. Start drinking more water two or three days before your session, not just the morning of. Well-hydrated skin photographs smoother and catches light beautifully. A little moisturizer the morning of helps too, especially in the low humidity of Palm Desert and La Quinta.

Haircuts and color: time it right

If you are getting a haircut, schedule it about a week before your session, not the day before. That gives a fresh cut time to settle and lose the "just left the salon" stiffness. Same with color — a few days of softening looks more natural on camera. Men, a beard trim two or three days out hits the sweet spot.

Makeup that reads well on camera

You want makeup that looks like a polished version of your everyday self — not a dramatic departure. A matte or satin finish helps; very dewy or shimmery products can pick up our bright light and create unwanted shine, particularly on the forehead, nose, and chin. If a professional artist does your makeup, ask for a "natural, photo-ready" look and mention it is for headshots. For those who want it, I am happy to recommend hair and makeup artists who work regularly with photographers in the valley.

A few small things that make a big difference

• Rest. A genuinely good night's sleep does more for how you look than almost any product. Tired eyes are hard to hide.
• Go easy on salt and alcohol the night before — both can leave you looking puffy, especially around the eyes.
• Bring blotting papers and a small touch-up kit. Even with great prep, our climate means a quick blot between setups keeps you looking fresh.
• Manicure your hands if there is any chance they will be in the frame — crossed arms, a hand near the chin, a relaxed lean.
• Trim and tame stray hairs the morning of. A travel-size comb and a little product to control flyaways are worth their weight, especially if there is any desert breeze.

Timing Your Session: Desert Light and Seasons

Living and working here, I plan sessions around two things our Coachella Valley clients rarely think about until they are standing in it — the light and the heat.

Window light indoors, golden hour outdoors

Most of my headshots are made indoors, and there the timing is wonderfully forgiving: a north-facing window or a room with bright, indirect daylight gives clean, even, flattering light through most of the day. I will often scout the brightest spot in your home before we start.

When we step outside to a park or garden instead, the light has a schedule of its own. The hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset give us that soft, warm glow no lamp fully replicates, while high midday sun casts hard shadows under the eyes and nose. So for any outdoor portion, I book early morning or that late-afternoon window.

Plan around the heat

From roughly June through September, our afternoons routinely climb past 110 degrees, and no one looks their best while wilting. In summer the in-home advantage really shows — we stay cool and comfortable indoors, and shine is never a factor. If you do want an outdoor look, we simply meet at a shaded park early, shortly after sunrise.

A word on booking ahead

The valley fills up in our glorious cooler months, and good slots go quickly — if there is a deadline behind your headshot, a new role, a website launch, a speaking engagement, give yourself a little runway and reach out before the calendar tightens. If you would like more on making the most of our seasonal light, I wrote about that in the best time of year for photos in the Coachella Valley.

Where we'll shoot

My signature setting is in-home, and it is the one most clients are surprised to love. Here is the range we can work with:

• In your home, by natural window light, against a clean wall or a simple backdrop I bring. It is private, comfortable, and produces a polished, timeless headshot without anyone setting foot in a studio. Most of my clients choose this.
• A nearby park, garden, or shaded patio around Palm Desert, Indian Wells, or Rancho Mirage, in golden-hour light, when you want warmth, greenery, and a little sense of place — lovely for personal brands, creatives, and agents.
• A controlled studio backdrop when a corporate team or professional roster needs a perfectly consistent neutral background across many people.

We will choose together based on where your headshot is going and the impression you want it to make.

The Day Of: How to Actually Relax in Front of the Camera

Most people, somewhere in the first few minutes, say a version of the same thing with a nervous laugh: "I'm just not photogenic. I never know what to do with my face."

I promise you, this is the easiest part, because it is my job, not yours. Being comfortable on camera is a skill, and I have spent years learning how to draw it out of people who swore they did not have it. Shooting in your own living room helps more than you would guess — there is no studio to feel watched in, just the two of us talking while I work. The whole session is built to feel like a relaxed conversation, not a performance.

Arrive with a little margin

Give yourself a buffer so you are not rushing in flushed and flustered. Coming in five or ten minutes early to settle, sip some water, and catch your breath changes everything about how the first frames feel. Eat something beforehand — a hungry, low-energy session shows on a face.

Let me coach you

You do not need to know how to pose. I will guide your chin, your shoulders, your weight, your hands, frame by frame. A few small things help on your end:

• Push your forehead slightly toward the camera and drop your chin a touch — it defines the jaw and is universally flattering. I will remind you, so do not memorize it.
• Relax your shoulders down and back. Nerves live in the shoulders; a slow exhale resets them.
• The eyes do the work. A genuine expression starts behind the eyes, which is why I will often chat with you, ask about your work or your weekend, and catch the real smile that flickers across in between. Those in-between moments are usually the keepers.

Trust the process

Some of my favorite headshots happen right after someone laughs at how stiff they thought they would be. The honest, warm, slightly-caught-off-guard expression is the one people respond to — that unguarded flicker is exactly what I am watching for, the thing that makes you look unmistakably like you. You bring yourself; I will find it.

Quick Pre-Session Checklist

If you like a simple list to glance at the night before, here it is:

• Outfits chosen, pressed or steamed, on hangers (bring two to three)
• Solid, saturated colors; well-fitting; minimal logos and tight patterns
• Haircut about a week out; beard trimmed two to three days out
• Hydrated for several days; moisturizer the morning of
• Natural, matte, photo-ready makeup
• Good night's sleep; light on salt and alcohol
• Glasses cleaned (and frames considered for glare); nails tidy
• Blotting papers, comb, and touch-up kit packed
• Arrive ten minutes early, fed and unhurried

A Few Common Questions

How many outfits will we get through? In a standard session, usually two or three looks. That is why bringing options matters — we can mix a structured, jacketed look with something softer.

What if I hate having my photo taken? You are in excellent company, and it genuinely does not matter. Most of my happiest clients started out nervous. My job is to make the experience easy and the results worth it.

Can my whole team get matching headshots? Absolutely — consistency across a team is one of my favorite projects. We set a shared background, wardrobe guidance, and lighting so everyone looks like they belong together, whether your office is in Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, or anywhere across the valley.

How soon should I book? The cooler months fill up fastest, so if you have one in mind, reach out with a few weeks to spare. For summer, we will simply work indoors, or plan around the early morning light if you want to be outside.

Let's Create Something You'll Be Proud Of

A headshot is a small investment that quietly works for you everywhere — every profile, every introduction, every first impression. With a little preparation, the session itself becomes the easy part, and the image becomes one you are genuinely glad to put your name beside.

When you are ready, tell me what you are working toward and where this headshot needs to go — and whether you would like me to come to you. From there we can pick the window light in your home or a pretty spot nearby, and plan a session that feels honest, warm, and unmistakably you. You can reach out to me here whenever the time is right.