How to take professional headshots

A professional headshot is a clear, current portrait made with controlled light, a clean background, and a camera at eye level. A 2x or 3x phone lens, a tripod, and a window can be enough to produce one at home. Turn your body slightly away from the camera, face the lens, relax your expression, and take several photos.

The result depends more on lighting, camera distance, background, and expression than on expensive equipment. Modern smartphones can produce suitable headshots when the setup is controlled.

Professional Headshot Setup at a Glance

Element	Recommended setup	Avoid
Camera	Rear smartphone camera or digital camera	Front-facing selfie camera where possible
Lighting	Large window, open shade, or diffused softbox	Harsh overhead sun or direct flash
Background	Plain wall or uncluttered professional setting	Clutter, bright objects, or objects behind the head
Camera height	Eye level or slightly above	Camera pointed upward from below
Position	Body slightly angled, face toward camera	Square shoulders and a stiff pose
Clothing	Solid color that contrasts with the background	Distracting patterns, tiny stripes, or large logos
Editing	Minor exposure, color, and crop adjustments	Heavy filters or changes to facial features

1. Decide What the Headshot Needs to Communicate

Start with the place where you will use the image.

• LinkedIn or a resume: Choose a clean, approachable, business-appropriate image.
• Company website: Match the background, crop, and lighting used for the other team members.
• Personal branding: Include a relevant setting, but keep the background simple.
• Acting or modeling: Follow the casting agency's requirements for crop, wardrobe, expression, and retouching.

For a professional profile, the photo should look like you now and make you easy to recognize. LinkedIn says a profile photo should show the person's likeness, not a logo, stock image, illustration, or someone else.

2. Use a Simple Camera Setup

You do not need a studio camera for a credible business headshot.

If You Are Using a Smartphone

Use:

1. The rear-facing camera.
2. A tripod, phone stand, or stable surface.
3. A timer or Bluetooth shutter remote.
4. The standard or telephoto lens, not the ultra-wide lens.
5. A clean camera lens.

If your phone has an optical 2x or 3x camera, use it and stand a few feet away. A longer focal length usually gives the face more natural proportions than a wide-angle lens held close to the subject. Adobe recommends portrait mode and a 2x or 3x focal length when available.

Portrait mode can work well, but inspect the edges around hair, glasses, and shoulders. If the blur looks artificial, switch to the normal camera mode.

If You Are Using a Digital Camera

A lens between 50mm and 85mm is a useful starting point for professional headshots. Nikon recommends standard to short-telephoto lenses for portraits, while Adobe identifies 50mm to 85mm as a useful range for headshots.

Try these settings:

• Aperture priority mode
• Around f/4 for a forgiving depth of field
• A shutter speed of at least 1/125 second
• The lowest ISO that produces a bright, sharp image
• Autofocus on the nearest eye

A wider aperture, such as f/2.8, can blur the background more. It also gives you less depth of field. At very wide apertures, one eye may be sharp while the other looks soft.

3. Find Soft Light

Lighting makes one of the biggest differences in a headshot.

The simplest indoor setup is a position beside a large window. Place the window to one side of the face instead of directly behind the subject. Sheer curtains, cloud cover, or indirect light will soften shadows and produce more even skin tones. Adobe describes cloudy window light as a beginner-friendly portrait setup.

Try this arrangement:

1. Place the subject near the window.
2. Turn the face slightly toward the light.
3. Keep the camera between the window and the subject, angled toward the face.
4. Place a white wall, foam board, or reflector opposite the window to brighten shadows.
5. Take a test photo and check the eyes, cheeks, and forehead for harsh highlights.

For outdoor photos, use open shade instead of direct midday sunlight. A shaded area near a light-colored wall can soften the light and reduce shadows under the eyes and nose.

Do not place the subject directly in front of a bright window. The background may be correctly exposed while the face becomes too dark.

4. Choose and Control the Background

The background should support the subject without competing with them.

Good options include:

• A plain light gray, white, beige, or dark wall
• An uncluttered office
• A softly blurred workplace
• A clean outdoor area in open shade
• A simple backdrop or curtain

Move the subject a few feet away from the wall when possible. This reduces hard shadows and separates the person from the background. It also gives a camera lens or portrait mode more room to create background blur.

Check the area behind the head before taking the photo. Remove:

• Door frames that appear to grow from the head
• Bright lamps or windows
• Cluttered shelves
• Signs and distracting text
• Strong lines crossing the neck or shoulders

The subject should remain the clearest point of attention.

5. Frame the Headshot Correctly

For a standard professional headshot, frame the image from the upper chest or shoulders upward. Leave a small amount of space above the head, but not so much that the face looks small.

Keep the camera near eye level. A low angle can make the face and jaw look heavier. A camera placed too high can make the forehead look larger.

Focus on the eyes. They are usually the visual anchor of a headshot, and portrait guidance recommends keeping them sharp.

Take both versions:

• A tighter head-and-shoulders crop
• A slightly wider image with space around the shoulders

The wider version gives you more options for website banners, profile crops, and social media layouts.

6. Use a Natural Pose

Aim for a relaxed pose rather than a rigid one.

1. Turn the torso slightly away from the camera.
2. Keep the face directed toward the lens.
3. Lower the shoulders and relax the hands.
4. Move the chin slightly forward and down.
5. Look directly at the camera.
6. Use a small smile or a calm, neutral expression.

Angling the body creates more shape than facing the camera squarely. Keeping the face toward the lens maintains a direct connection and suits most professional profiles. Adobe and The Muse recommend a slightly angled body with the face directed toward the camera.

Do not force a dramatic pose. Ask the subject to take a breath, relax the mouth, and think about speaking with a client or colleague. A natural expression usually looks better than an exaggerated smile.

7. Choose Clothing That Supports the Image

Wear clothing that suits your industry and contrasts with the background.

Reliable choices include:

• Solid colors
• A structured jacket or cardigan
• A simple shirt, blouse, or sweater
• Minimal jewelry and accessories
• Clothing that fits comfortably and does not need constant adjustment

Avoid very small patterns, reflective fabrics, prominent logos, and colors that blend into the background. LinkedIn's professional profile guidance recommends solid colors as a dependable choice for camera work.

Prepare an alternative layer if you want both a formal and a more approachable version. Take both photos in the same lighting and position so they remain visually consistent.

8. Take Multiple Variations

Do not rely on one photograph. Take a series while changing one detail at a time:

• Smile and neutral expression
• Head angle
• Body angle
• Distance from the camera
• Jacket or no jacket
• Background position
• Tighter or wider framing

Review the images at full size. A photo that looks good as a thumbnail may reveal blinking, soft focus, awkward shadows, or uneven clothing when enlarged.

Choose the image that looks most like you in a normal professional setting. A headshot should help people recognize you, not create an unrealistic version of your appearance.

9. Edit the Photo Lightly

Editing should polish the photograph without changing your identity.

Useful adjustments include:

• Correcting exposure
• Reducing excessive highlights
• Lifting deep shadows
• Correcting white balance
• Adjusting the crop and straightening
• Removing temporary blemishes or dust
• Applying modest sharpening

Avoid heavy skin smoothing, extreme teeth whitening, face reshaping, or artificial backgrounds that make the photo look generated. The final image should remain recognizably you, especially when it appears on LinkedIn, in a company directory, or in client-facing work.

Save the original file, then export a high-quality JPEG for uploading. Create separate crops for LinkedIn, a personal website, an email signature, and other platforms instead of forcing one crop to fit every use.

Common Mistakes That Make Headshots Look Amateur

• Using a close-up selfie with a wide-angle lens
• Shooting under harsh overhead lighting
• Standing directly against a wall
• Using a cluttered or distracting background
• Pointing the camera upward
• Taking the photo with the eyes out of focus
• Using a stiff smile or tense shoulders
• Wearing colors that disappear into the background
• Applying strong filters
• Using an old photo that no longer represents your appearance

When to Hire a Professional Photographer

DIY headshots work well for LinkedIn, internal profiles, freelance websites, and quick profile updates. Hire a photographer when you need:

• Consistent portraits for an entire team
• Executive or media-quality images
• Actor, model, or agency submissions
• Multiple lighting styles and wardrobe changes
• A controlled studio background
• Images for a major website, book, campaign, or press kit

A photographer can control the lighting, direct the pose, keep the composition consistent, and handle retouching. For one online profile, careful window light, a stable camera, and a clean background may be enough without a studio.

Final Checklist

Before choosing the final image, confirm that:

• Your eyes are sharp and visible.
• Your face is evenly lit.
• The background is clean.
• Your expression looks natural.
• Your clothing suits the intended use.
• The photo resembles your current appearance.
• The crop works at both thumbnail and full size.
• Editing has improved the image without making it look artificial.