Preparing For Your Headshot
Your personal brand is more important than ever. Every person in every business can benefit from a dynamic headshot, does your current one represent the best you?
Trained by one of the industry's top headshot photographers, our team has photographed tens of thousands of professionals over the last twelve years, making Mercy Street Studio the largest, most experienced portrait studio on the Seacoast. We know how to find your best angle and bring out your best self.
Uniquely You
Headshots, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. Traditional headshots are taken chest-up in portrait orientation. Modern headshots are often more tightly cropped and can be landscape orientation. Backdrops can be solid, dynamic, or environmental.
Not sure what you want or need? Your photographer can help guide these choices.
Preparing for your headshot
Be kind to yourself, always, but especially on session day:
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Have your hair and makeup done (or do it yourself), and get roots touched up beforehand
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Get good rest and hydrate well... we know, very idealistic. How about this: just do your best, and we'll take it from there
What to wear: wear what you feel good in. If you're representing a brand, bring something in your brand color palette. Make sure clothing is ironed and fits well, and double-check your face, teeth, and lipstick before your session.
Glasses: if your lenses have a purple, green, or blue film (common anti-glare coatings), we'll see it, and so will the camera. Non-anti-reflective lenses will also catch our studio lighting. If you have an old pair of frames you can pop the lenses out of, that's your best option, in my own headshot, I'm wearing a pair of cheap readers with the lenses removed.
Avoid: too much sun exposure, self-tanners, sleeveless or low-cut tops, very bright or all-white clothing, logos, and very fine check patterns. We're happy to make cosmetic edits upon request, but please don't rely on us to "photoshop" things that can be corrected in advance, like wrinkles or roots.
Hot tip: The Crown in South Berwick offers discounted hair & makeup services to our clients.
The Session
Most sessions start with "I'm unphotogenic, I don't want to do this," and 100% of those sessions end with "that was actually kind of fun." Sessions typically take 10-30 minutes.
We'll pose you, find your best angle, and bring out your best self. You'll choose your favorites from an online gallery of unedited proofs, and once you make your selection, we'll edit and send your final images to download and use. In most cases, you'll have your new headshot in less than a week (rush service is available).
Galleries stay open for 1 week, after which there's a $25 administrative fee to reload.
Does The Whole Team Need An Update?
We also come onsite to photograph teams; invite us to your next company offsite. Group rates are available.