You've booked the session. Now comes the part that trips up almost everyone: figuring out what to wear.

Here's the truth -- wardrobe is one of the biggest variables in whether a portrait feels like you or just feels like a photograph. It's not about being fashionable. It's about making intentional choices that keep the attention exactly where it belongs: on your face.

Here's what I tell every client before their portrait session at Draper Studios.

Every time someone asks me for a headshot, I gently push back. Not because I won't shoot one — I will — but because what most people actually need is something different. They've been told they need a headshot. What they actually need is a portrait. And yes, there is a real distinction between the two.

A headshot records what you look like. It fills the circle on LinkedIn. It satisfies the HR request for the company directory. It's utility — a passable likeness, evenly lit, inoffensive, interchangeable.