What to Wear for a Headshot Session / Coastal summer teen actress portraits

If you’ve booked a headshot session, or are thinking of booking one, oftentimes the most stressful part of the experience can be deciding what to wear! I get you, you want to look your best! I have several tips and tricks that I pass along to my clients when they book a headshot session.

  1. Avoid tops that have busy or distracting patterns.

    As a general rule, solid color tops are best. Shirts or blouses that have a texture to them will work well, but patterns will distract from your face, and your face is the star of the show!

  2. Also, avoid shirts that have logos or graphic tees.

    For all the reasons listed in #1. Let’s move this along.

  3. For those with long hair, choose a color that contrasts with your hair color.

    Wearing dark colors if you also have dark hair can make you look one-dimensional—same if you have light hair and wear a light color. Establishing a contrast between your hair color and shirt can be more striking than you realize.

  4. Bring a couple of different tops

    There is usually time to have at least one outfit change in order to have variety in your finished gallery. But I’m also happy to offer feedback, either prior to or at your session, on the very best top for you.

  5. Bottom choices are important, but not that important

    Headshot sessions primarily focus on your….well your head, but let’s call it your stunning face. Depending on the use of your image, you’ll likely only need a tight crop of your face—meaning that it’s not super important what you wear on the bottom. If you’re curious whether you should

BONUS TIP: Make the most of your headshot session by booking yourself an appointment to have your hair and makeup done. For those local to me in Cape Ann, I have plenty of suggestions for the best stylists in the area!

2021-02-09_0001.jpg
2021-02-09_0002.jpg
2021-02-09_0003.jpg
2021-02-09_0004.jpg
2021-02-09_0005.jpg
2021-02-09_0006.jpg

Rockport High School Senior Portrait Session / Andraya

I am in the thick of senior portrait season over here, and I’m really loving it! Most of my seniors through mid-September have kept their sessions on the beach or the nearby coast, which works perfectly because beaches on Cape Ann have cleared out once the summer ends so we have plenty of space to get creative.

Surprisingly, portrait sessions during COVID-19 haven’t been terribly different. The biggest difference is that I’m wearing a mask the entire time. But other than that, I am sure to use my long lens so we can socially distance. It feels totally safe being out in the open air.

Today I’m so happy to share Andraya’s senior portrait session. I have loved reviewing all of her images again because you can just feel her joy! We split her portrait session between the rocks on the backshore of Gloucester and Good Harbor beach. Scroll through to see some of my favorites from her session and be sure to leave her some love in the comment section below!

xo

Cassie

2020-08-27_0023.jpg
2020-08-27_0021.jpg
2020-08-27_0024.jpg
2020-08-27_0025.jpg
2020-08-27_0026.jpg
2020-08-27_0027.jpg
2020-08-27_0028.jpg
2020-08-27_0029.jpg
2020-08-27_0030.jpg
2020-08-27_0031.jpg
2020-08-27_0032.jpg
2020-08-27_0033.jpg
2020-08-27_0036.jpg
2020-08-27_0037.jpg
2020-08-27_0038.jpg

Senior Portrait Session on Northshore MA / Olivia

I’ve talked on the blog before about bringing close friends and family to your senior portrait session to join in a few shots. But there are other ways to personalize your senior portrait session as well, like including items that reflect your hobbies and interests. This used to be something cheesy that people did in the 80s, but I promise, it can be done well! During Olivia’s senior pictures, she chose to wear her pointe shoes for several images to reflect her passion for ballet.

Here are some other ideas for including items to reflect your personality:

Sports:

  • Hockey skates, softball jersey, running shoes

Hobbies:

  • Music lover-headphones, Animal lover- bring your pet, avid reader- favorite book, Photographer- camera, Fashion lover- bring your best outfits!

Personality:

  • Homebody- cozy sweatshirt and leggings, Extrovert- best friend

And there are so many more possibilities! I’ve included some of my very favorite images from Olivia’s senior session. Scroll through and tell me how you will personalize your senior session in the comment section below!

2020-08-20_0001.jpg
2020-08-20_0002.jpg
2020-08-20_0003.jpg
2020-08-20_0004.jpg
2020-08-20_0005.jpg
2020-08-20_0006.jpg
2020-08-20_0007.jpg
2020-08-20_0008.jpg
2020-08-20_0009.jpg
2020-08-20_0010.jpg
2020-08-20_0011.jpg
2020-08-20_0013.jpg
2020-08-20_0014.jpg
2020-08-20_0015.jpg
2020-08-20_0016.jpg
2020-08-20_0017.jpg
2020-08-20_0018.jpg
2020-08-20_0020.jpg

Cousins Make the Best Friends / Portrait Session at Lake Quannapowitt, Wakefield MA

It’s taken me some time, but I am so excited to finally share Allie, Delanie, and Taylor’s portrait session. A while back, their mom’s decided to schedule a portrait session for the three girls to surprise their parents (the girls’ grandparents) with pictures. There are so many reasons why Taylor, Delanie, and Allie’s portrait session is one of my absolute favorites!

  • That cousin/sibling/best friend bond

    Cousins make the best friends, am i right? That was certainly true when I was a kid, and now as a thirty-something, my cousins are still near and dear to my heart! It’s something incredibly special that deserves documenting and celebrating!

  • Capture a moment in time

    Nothing earth shattering over here in my telling you that photographs capture a moment in time, but it bears repeating. Just think about it. Your child’s age, that they’ll never be again. Their precious relationship with their cousins and best friends. You’ll never tire of going back and looking at these images and I promise you, they will only get sweeter with time.

  • Grandparent gifts

    Prints from this session were given to grandparents as their anniversary gift. Isn’t that incredibly sweet? Grandparents can never get enough of their grandchildren and love to show off pictures of them to all of their friends.

Take a stroll through some of my very favorites from their portrait session at Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield, MA. This area can tend to be overcrowded, but we found all the right spots to capture that glowy sunset, those spring flowers, and that post sunset hue.

Be sure to leave some love for the girls in the comment section below!

xo

Cassie

2020-05-20_0001.jpg
2020-05-20_0002.jpg
2020-05-20_0003.jpg
2020-05-20_0004.jpg
2020-05-20_0005.jpg
2020-05-20_0006.jpg
2020-05-20_0007.jpg
2020-05-20_0008.jpg
2020-05-20_0009.jpg
2020-05-20_0010.jpg
2020-05-20_0011.jpg
2020-05-20_0012.jpg