Skin Tone and Color Selection for Headshots

Are you contemplating what color(s) you should wear for your headshot session? You are not alone! One of the most time-consuming parts of preparing to be photographed is deciding on the outfit you want to be wear. Below, we have outlined how to get started with the most important part: choosing your colors.

First of all, check with your company to make sure they don’t require a certain color. It is wise to select something that will look great with your company logo. For instance, if your company is red and navy, a poor choice for your clothing is pink because it will clash. In addition, you may want to identify which skin tone category you fall into — warm, neutral, or cool.

First, take this quiz!

Then, do the vein test!  Check the veins around your wrist & palm:

  • If they appear greenish, you have warm tones
  • If they appear blue or purplish, you have cool tones
  • If they appear colorless or match the skin, you have neutral tones

Also, you can determine your skin tone by recalling the way your skin reacts to the sun:

  • If you tan easily, you have warm tones
  • If you are able to tan or burn, you have neutral tones
  • If you burn easily, you have cool tones

Complementary Colors for Warm Skin Tones

Orange, Honey, Amber, Gold, Olive, Turquoise, Cream

Avoid vibrant tones like Deep Red and Indigo. Some of these colors are quite harsh for headshot photography (bright orange) but  could look great under a jacket as a camisole for women or in a tie for men. Do not confuse the turquoise for royal blue!

Complementary Colors for Neutral Skin Tones

Light and soft colors like Rose, Jade, Gray, Sky Blue

Avoid Neons, Yellows, and Reds.

I see the above color choices as a secondary color selection under a jacket, etc. Gray is ALWAYS a better choice that white as the secondary selection. AVOID WHITE no matter what your skin tone is!

Complementary Colors for Cool Skin Tones

Emerald, Ocean Blue, Purple, Lavender, Cherry Red

Avoid Orange and Yellow. Who would want those colors anyway in a professional headshot?

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What Should I Wear for my Headshot Session?

What should I wear for my headshots?

Bring a few options to your photo shoot. We will take a look at them and help decide what will look best.

  • Always bring clothes that match your style and personality and make you feel and look professional.
  • Stay away from clothes with busy patterns. Solid colors are best. No logos. No stripes!
  • Try to stay away from black and white. If you are a person who relies heavily on black, think about branching out to some colors that flatter your natural coloring. White is one of the worst colors you can choose.
  • Any color is great for tops, but remember that very bright colors like lime green can draw away from your face, so pick something slightly more subdued. There are even colors of clothing that are so bright that a camera has trouble reproducing them and they look completely different in the final image.
  • Bring an undershirt or camisole if you are shooting in multiple outfits. It saves time to be able to change tops quickly in the studio for more headshot looks. For men, wear an undershirt with a v-neck if possible as it is less likely to show up in the photos that way.
  • In a headshot session, your lower half will not likely make it into the photos, but make sure that whatever bottoms you have are clean, pressed and match your tops. You never know what we might be able to get out of your session. If you are wearing a suit, be sure to bring the pants. In addition, more than one choice of tie would be helpful.
  • Undergarments. Make sure to include the right undergarments for the tops you bring. You might be disappointed if you bring that super cute tank top or strapless dress but you forgot a strapless bra however, WE DO NOT RECOMMEND SLEEVELESS OR STRAPLESS CLOTHING FOR MOST HEADSHOTS!
  • Make sure any clothes that you bring are clean and neatly pressed. This goes double for collared shirts and suits. Smoothing wrinkles can create a major problem in the retouching process.
  • If you want to bring jewelry, make sure that it matches. Gold earrings don’t look great with a silver necklace, etc. Bring some options that you love but keep in mind that a headshot is about your face. For entertainment, unless you are shooting specific character shots, keep jewelry to a minimum. Simple studs or hoops and simple necklaces are fine, but nothing that will take away from your expression.
  • Before you head out the door, make sure to grab a unique article of clothing or two. Do you have some cool fedoras? What about a really great leather jacket or a scarf you love? You never know what might come out of a shoot so grab that item and bring it with you. Do you play guitar? Golf? Do you kick-box or collect swords? Bring something that’s unique to you and we might just be able to fit it in to the session and create something really cool.

We are also more than happy to communicate with you about the clothes you are planning to bring. You can text us pictures of your ideas before you arrive and we will give you advice, 972-335-3686. 

Headshot Session FAQ

What does my session include?

Our headshot session is designed to accommodate the best possible combination of comfort, creativity and exceptional results. Whether you enjoy taking pictures or dread it, we will tailor the session to YOU. Here’s a brief synopsis of what to expect.

Expect for the session to take up to one hour. You session will be photographed by Kurt Nelson.

Kurt will help you decide what the best background will be for your portrait. He will also guide you in selecting clothing options.

Kurt excels in getting appropriate expression. He will take many different looks so you have options. Posing and lighting will be top priorities for helping to achieve optimal results.

As the photos are being shot, they will appear on a screen so you will know exactly what the images are looking like. This process alleviates stress because you will know if we are on the right track or if there is something you do not like such as your makeup, hair, etc.

Once a series of photos have been taken and Kurt feels like he has a good gallery for your review, he will help you decide what look you like the best by going through the photos right then and settling on your favorite(s).

The next part of the process is where the magic happens. Kurt takes your selected image(s) and retouches them as you sit beside and watch. He can so extensive retouching or just the basic. He does all of his retouching by hand. There are no filters, etc. He can smooth your skin, reduce wrinkles, slim your face and/or body, remove dark circles, remove stray hairs, etc. We never over retouch. A natural, “best version” of yourself is the goal. Our clients absolutely love the process!

Your favorite high resolution image will be digitally delivered to you before you leave the session.

Where Does My Session Take Place?

Most of our headshot sessions take place in our studio. It’s located within the Stonebridge Ranch area of McKinney, TX. The physical address is 2209 Cypress Point Drive. We are a home based studio complete with a camera room, dressing room and outdoor shooting areas specifically for photography. There is a separate entrance to the photography studio. We ask our clients to park by the curb, walk up the driveway and enter the studio through the door on the left beside the gray bench. You will see a floor mat under the door that says “Innovative Images Photography.”

In addition to our studio, we do offer “on location” shoots as an upgrade. We will need to collaborate on those sessions to make sure the location will work and will give you the results you desire.

How do I schedule an appointment?

Many people want to talk with us personally to set up a session. That is awesome, and we are happy to talk you through any questions you may have. Our headshot sessions are $150. and include one professionally retouched image. We do have an online booking system for those of you ready to BOOK NOW

 If your company is paying for your headshot, please use this link: BOOK NOW/COMPANY PAY

What happens if I need to reschedule or cancel?

We understand that life can get in the way. Built into our online scheduling system is the ability to change your appointment if you need to. If you need to reschedule your session and did not book it on our online software, simply text or call us @ 972-335-3686. Like most businesses, we deeply appreciate you letting us know of any changes because we often cannot rebook the time you were scheduled for.

Please check back to our blog in the coming weeks for more information including answers to questions about hair, make up, clothing!

Hudson

Hudson is a 2024 Senior at McKinney Boyd. He is a two sport athlete, playing both basketball and baseball for the Broncos. The highlight of his high school years have been reaching the playoffs in both sports.

Hudson has unbelievable blue eyes that absolutely shine in his photos. He is very tall and you might be surprised to know that he wears a size 16 shoe!

We love photographing Hudson and have no doubt that his future is very bright.

Marissa

Marissa is the second in her family to do senior portraits with Innovative Images. She has an older brother, Caleb, and a younger brother, Josh. Marissa’s pets include two bulldogs named Rocky & Ellie.

We absolutely love photographing Marissa. She has an instinctive photogenic way about her and her eyes are completely stunning. Marissa has an exotic look and she absolutely lights up the camera. Take a look at a few of our favs!

Daylin

Sometimes during a photo session we realize that the subject is truly “PHOTOGENIC.” Daylin was a complete natural in front of the camera and could pull off both fun and dramatic looks. Take a look at some of my favorites! There are so MANY more amazing pics of her – too many to share! A good portion of these were taken at our home studio in McKinney, TX in the month of June.

This is Us

Every year around Christmas, we do family portraits to put on our cards. This was a weird year and we waited too long to get our grown kids together, so we did our own thing and had a blast doing it.

We fretted about what to do. It was Tana’s spur of the moment idea to capture our love of golf and photography by doing a nostalgic golf session. Believe it or not, we already had the clothes in our closet to pull this off. We went across the street to the Stonebridge Golf Course at 8:00 AM to pull this off. No one was with us. Armed with a self timer and awareness of what we wanted the results to look like, we embarked upon taking these photos. We had so much fun together and loved the results. Not only did we do our Christmas cards with these photos, we printed a cool portrait and collage for our home so we can enjoy them year round. Here’s to 2023 and teeing up lots more joy! Kurt & Tana

Karsen, Senior 2022

Personality +++++ describes Karsen perfectly! I asked her to tell me about her style and she said, “New York high fashion.” I love it!

Her goal after high school is to become a “Big Hollywood actress.” I can envision it easily. She is charming, kind and ambitious. It was a blast photographing her and seeing the many looks she has.

Her inspirations are Marilyn Monroe, Margot Robbie and Judy Garland. Her favorite movie is “Starwars Empire Strikes Back.” I can see her starring in this type of movie!

Karsen enjoys hanging out with her friends, shopping and riding the jet ski at the lake.

Her sweet side!

We hope your dreams come true!!!!

Hudson, Senior 2021

Meet McKinney Christian senior, Hudson Cross. We have known Hudson since he was a toddler and it was a treat to do his senior portraits. He is the perfect handsome blend of his Mom and Dad and is the youngest of three boys in the Cross family.

Hudson is a one of our SENIOR MODELS this year and he did an absolute great job during his session. He can pull off both the perfect smile and a serious looks alike.

I love Hudson’s style!! He looks awesome in his suit and shoes!!!! WOW!

Hudson loves sports and you can find him playing golf in his spare time. He also loves dogs especially his 13 year old Springer Spaniel, Tex, and his 9 year old Lab. He plans to buy an English Bulldog in the future.

An inspirational scripture that Hudson leans on is, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

When God is for you, who can be against? GO HUDSON!!!

Rebecca, Senior 2021

As you can see, Rebecca has serious style. She loves to dress sporty but she also enjoys a feminine look. Her clothes were so cool and different that it made creating these images tons of fun!

When asked what her favorite part of her senior session was, she responded, “I liked dressing up in all my different outfits and getting to pose dramatically. It was fun seeing Adriatica Village. The scenery was beautiful.”

In her spare time she enjoys watching movies, reading books, listening to music and exercising. She is a member of the cross country team at Wylie High School . She is a self described “romantic” and would love to watch Pride and Prejudice for the first time again! She is academically determined and plans to attend college and major in cognitive neuroscience or behavioral science. Her plans include attending medical school and becoming a surgeon!

Rebecca’s dream is to finish school and move somewhere in Europe. Possibly Portugal because of its beautiful views and beach.

A mantra that Rebecca lives by is a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

No doubt that Rebecca is an inspiration and will do amazing things in her life. We wish her a great senior year and lots of interesting adventures ahead!

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your senior pics!