Let's talk about wardrobe for men when preparing for a personal headshot or branding session.
Tony is a successful entrepreneur and business owner in the Charleston area who is local to Isle of Palms. His business, Deep Sea Vision, offers a variety of underwater exploration and mapping services from surveying to the really cool shipwreck kind of exploration and his initial call was prompted by just needing a new headshot for an upcoming feature with the local Chamber of Commerce. As we chatted his idea developed quickly into really showing the places and things he loves, with focusing on himself as a successful CEO, and a newly single dad getting back out into the dating world. Let's explore his session from start to finish and talk about the outfit choices made and how this can apply to planning your own personal branding or headshot session.
As a last minute booking I worked him into my schedule the next day for a sunrise starting close to home, Isle of Palms. I sent out my prep guide as usual and was pleasantly surprised when Tony showed up to the beach with a heaping pile of outfits and his guitar. I think for many photographers it can be daunting to work with just one person, and even more so with a male. We sometimes feel like poses are harder to find, but with Tony I found it pretty easy with some small direction. Tony brought to the beach what I suspect is half his closet- a variety of colored shorts, long and short sleeve shirts, as well as hooded long sleeves and hats. He focused on brands he loves to rep, brands that are comfortable, and colors that he wears often. As a visual person this is my preference as we can really get an eye in the real light of what works well together and what look we want to represent. Starting with his guitar (before it got sandy) we wanted to focus on that "cozy" look with the hooded long sleeve and matching shorts to give contrast to the wood of the guitar. We started this portion of the session just as the sun was coming up to get a little of that morning blue hour and start of a golden glow.
We moved closer to the water for his next set of another hooded long sleeve and lavender shorts. These shots were definitely a bit more candid by the water, going for a more relaxed look.
sun's out, guns out.
As the sun begins to rise above the clouds we have some golden light with harsher shadows to work with. This is perfect for a tank to show of body definition if that is what you're aiming for. Paired with the perfect hat gives a casual and fun look into personality. Matching isn't as important but it's still present by bringing the green of the palm together with the green shorts. And of course this is a great time to throw on that company hat for a little self promotion plug!
This last outfit was actually a slight afterthought as we wrapped up. Tony really wanted to rock his Free Fly hat one more time and the maroon shorts actually happened to pair perfectly with the one long sleeve beige shirt we hadn't used yet by RVCA. This definitely shows off his personality as a guy who spends most of his time on the water. And this is the important takeaway to this portion of the session- represent yourself and your hobbies the best you can!
What to wear in a downtown setting for your men's branding session.
Next up, we headed to Historic Charleston to finish up Tony's session. This was the beginning of his idea with wanting to represent a more recent headshot for an upcoming meeting and to get some updates for his website and business socials. For this session he focused on a dark navy jean, loafers, and a two collared shirts from State and Liberty that worked well with and without a sport coat.
State and Liberty is a clothing brand started in 2015 by a former hockey player that focuses on athletic builds and comfort. These shirts have easy care with washing and are wrinkle resistant, which is perfect for the guy on the go. Between the two colors I really think Tony looks great in blue, but the pink was a nice contrast to show a softer side.
When you know what colors really highlight your best features I feel like it's a good idea to really lean into those colors. Next up, the teal sweater, my favorite. A good looking sweater can really elevate a look while not being too casual or too professional. It was a great look for both and really worked well with his skin tone and hair color. Look through your closet and see what well fitting options you have available. Even in the dead of summer if you're doing a branding session it's a good idea to have some winter looks to carry your content through the colder months.
The last outfit is what I would call "oh so Charleston" and a great way to cap off the session with some more casual street captures. This is wear I saw a more relaxed and more personable side of him come out. He was really comfortable in front of the camera at this point and definitely channeling his inner male model. Overall with a little guidance from my Prep Guide he was able to put together some really simple but powerful looks that well represented himself, his business, and his personality.
