HEADSHOT TIPS

Don’t forget your LIPS!

 

Guys especially seem to over look this detail in day to day life, and it makes a big difference in a headshot; lips are one of the hardest things to retouch and keep it looking natural, and severely chapped lips can ruin a headshot session. If you have chapped lips, you’ll want to try and take care of that before your headshot session. A great last minute trick before a shoot, I learned from reading one of the the late, great Kevin Aucoin’s books on makeup:

-Cover your chapped lips liberally with Vaseline
-let them sit for 15-30 minutes and then
-gently brush them with a tooth brush.

-repeat if necessary

It sounds weird, but the Vaseline will soften the dry, dead skin and then the “brushing” will exfoliate them leaving behind fresh new, photogenic lips.  Don't over do it though, you don't want to exfoliate too much skin.

Even better: before it gets to this point put a little Vaseline or some other lip protection that works for you on your lips every night before bed and then as needed through out the day.  This will help make sure that when it’s time for your headshot session, your lips are as ready as the rest of you.

by Taylor Hooper, Professional Headshot Photographer NYC