If you normally wear glasses when you meet someone for the first time, you should wear glasses in your headshot. This article will give you six great tips on wearing glasses in your headshot.
Glasses should be in good repair for your Headshot Session
It probably goes without saying that you should have glasses that are in good condition for your headshot. Pulling in close to look at a headshot, you can see everything wrong with a pair of glasses. Scratches on the lenses, bent frames, chips on the edges of the lenses and little chips and discoloration on plastic frames are all things we frequently see.
Pro-Tip, if you can’t afford a new pair of glasses, buy a pair of readers similar to your style. There are many low-cost readers these days that look great and ship fast. Look at Zenni Optical and eyebobs.
Make sure your glasses are clean
Just as your wardrobe should be clean and in good repair, so should your glasses. We always bring a glasses cleaning kit with clean cloths and solution to our headshot sessions. A lot of people leave their session not realizing how dirty their glass were when they arrived. Don’t forget to clean the earpieces too. Dark plastic frame glasses can show a lot of dirt, particularly back toward the ears.
Make sure your glasses fit well.
Making sure your glasses fit well is something you need to think about well before your session. If not, you can always use the reading glasses strategy mentioned above. The earpiece should run horizontally and sit comfortably around your ears only touching your head right before your ears. With properly fit frames, there should be no pain around your ear or temple area. Frames should fit straight across the face and not press into the front or sides of the head.
If you really want to maximize your look, consider your face shape and what type of frame you want. Warby Parker has a great article that mentions that there are six general face shapes – Round, Square, Diamond, Triangle, Oval and Heart. Figure out which face shape is closest to yours. Then try on frames that are recommended for your shape. But don’t just buy a pair because of their recommendation. Make sure it fits your personality as well!
Here is a quick chart with some recommendations for each face shape:
- Round Face – Rectangular, Square, Cat-Eye Glasses
- Oval Face – Any Shape. But make sure they are as wide as your face.
- Heart-shaped Face – Oval, Round, Aviator, Semi Rimless
- Square Face – Round, Oval, Wire
- Triangle-shaped Face – Brow-line glasses, Cat-eye, Round
- Diamond-shaped Face – Browline, Cat-eye
Wear multiple pairs of glasses to your headshot session
I love it when a client is into their glasses and brings multiple pairs to the shoot. Perhaps one photo shows a lot of personality with a bright pair of frames. Another might have metal frames for a more understated look. It’s fun to experiment and see what works in the photo.
Let transitions lenses clear before photography starts
Having some tint to the lenses in a headshot is distracting. A good retoucher can fix this with ease. But it is always better to let those lenses clear before your session begins. Put the glasses in a dark place, like a camera bag, while you are having your makeup done. Of course, if you are shooting outside, this is not going to help. So try to bring a pair of non-transitions glasses or use the reading glasses trick I mentioned above. When I officiated my daughter’s outdoor wedding, I brought a pair of readers that look a lot like my usual frames and you could see my eyes in all the photos.
Position your head to reduce glasses reflections from lighting strobes
Glasses reflections are a constant hazard with flash photography. I position the light a little higher to reduce reflections, but you can only go so high before the frames throw a shadow in the eyes. Round glasses frames in particular tend to cause reflections. Fortunately, the solution to this also can make you look better in your headshot anyway!
Position your head using a technique I call the Turtle. Move your head toward the camera while holding your shoulders still, like a turtle coming out of its shell (your shoulders being the shell). Then dip your chin slightly until the reflection in the glasses disappears. By moving your head out before you dip your chin, you won’t get a double chin. Read our blog post about this and other tips for looking great in your headshot.
These tips should help ensure you look great while wearing glasses in our headshot.
Remember too, if you recently have had Lasik and no longer wear your glasses, it’s a good time to come in for an updated headshot.
You can book your headshot on our website on our Book Now Page.
