Short answer: Whatever the hell they want.

Longer answer: Read below for clothing tips for trans, non-binary, queer, and gender non-conforming individuals about to have their photo taken.

It’s a common question: do you smile in a business photo? Should I smile in my corporate headshot? For Gen Z this question might sound like a softball no-brainer question and they’d answer, “bet; you should smile this is brainrot content show your rizz.”

If you’re searching online for tips and tricks for photo posing, you’ll likely be flooded with images of Instagram influencers. Hip twisting, muscle flexing and contorting their bodies into not-quite-safe-for-work poses that look flattering for them, but aren’t the look you’re going for when you need a professional pose for your LinkedIn profile photo.

Stepping in front of a professional camera doesn’t have to feel like sitting down under a spotlight for an interrogation with the KGB. We’ve been taking professional headshots since 2005 so we’ve used our years of experience to put together ten tips to help you rock your next photoshoot with confidence.

The true goal of the art of photography is to capture moments, emotions, and memories. One of the most challenging aspects of photography is capturing that coveted natural smile that we all want to have in our photo. This is especially true for headshots, where the focus is on your facial expression and the first impression it gives.

The goal of a good headshot is to look like you on your best day. And that usually involves makeup. But how much? Where do you apply makeup for photos? Do you do your makeup yourself or hire a professional makeup artist for your headshot session?

There’s something about group photos that can make someone only 3 inches taller than the person they’re standing next to look like LeBron James standing next to Simone Biles. Have you ever noticed this in a group picture you’ve been in?

Whether you need acting headshots, business headshots, or simply a photo to update your LinkedIn profile, a great headshot can make all the difference. It's your first impression since we meet most people online before we meet them in person, and it needs to be as professional and polished as you are.

Should you tip the makeup artist? After a headshot shoot, when the makeup artist is just out of earshot, we’ve often had clients frantically whisper to us, “psst! Do I tip the makeup artist?!” Whether or not to tip your makeup artist is a complicated question. And it should start …

When we first started taking headshots in 2005, the bar was set pretty low. It wasn’t uncommon to see the same photo on your LinkedIn profile, website bio and ID badge because that’s just what a headshot was.

The first time I felt myself take a step in the aging process was in my mid-twenties. I was doing laundry and thought to myself “gee, my whites look a little dingy.” (yes, that actually made me feel old. Today I would just file that under feeling like an “adult,” …

Last month we took headshots for a woman who saw a tightly cropped photo of her head and shoulders and said her shoulders looked too “crunched in and cutesy,” so we re-took the photo and pulled her shoulders back and looking more broad.