The Complete Guide to Taking Professional Headshot Photos

High-quality headshot photos form the core of any professional’s branding, whether on resumes, websites, office walls, or online profiles. An impressive headshot immediately creates positive first impressions of competence, trust, and approachability when networking or job-seeking.

However, capturing flattering, polished headshots reflecting personal brand requires expertise. From strategic styling choices to advanced posing techniques and editing mastery, professional headshot photographers employ meticulous methods for creating magazine-worthy portraits.

This guide covers crucial tips for taking the best headshots possible.

Defining Headshot Photo Goals

Organizations and individuals commission headshots for varied usage purposes. Typical scenarios include:

• Job or university applications
• Printed recruitment brochures
• Company websites and annual reports
• Professional directory listings
• Personal branding social media channels
• Display in office receptions or lobbies
• Pitch decks, conference bios, etc

The intended usage guides optimal headshot style, posing, cropping, outfit choices, and editing techniques for customized results. Photographers collaborate with clients early on usage needs.

Evaluating and Selecting Headshot Photographers

Professional photographers specializing exclusively in headshots and portraits have the artistic eye, gear, and experience to bring out clients’ best on-camera selves.

When selecting headshot photography experts, key considerations include:

Portfolio Variety: Examine sample headshots across genders, skin tones, age groups, professions, etc, shot previously. Diverse styles should be displayed based on unique client needs and contexts.

Relevant Experience: Seek photographers possessing 5+ years of expertise, specifically in headshots, corporate photography, and professional branding shoots. Niche focus creates quality.

Style Sensibilities: Certain photographers excel at black-and-white classic portraits, while others capture cheerful candids. Evaluating specialties and signature looks allows style synergy.

Custom Packages: Look for studios offering varied deliverable options across digital files, print formats, edited/unedited versions, outfit changes, etc, rather than one-size-fits-all services.

Google Reviews: Positive ratings and feedback for professionalism, creative direction, reasonable pricing, etc, add credibility to photographer shortlists.

Headshot sessions require skill blending artistry with client consultation for optimal executive portraits.

Perfecting Headshot Posture

The positioning of shoulders, face angle, and other body language elements make all the difference between an average headshot and an outstanding one, conveying the subject as confident, friendly, and approachable.

Shoulders: Turn shoulders at a slight angle rather than a square front, which looks confrontational. Open shoulders also appear more engaging.

Face View: Aim for a quarter left or right view rather than straight head-on. This adds dimension. Have the camera focus on the eye closest to it.

Chin Level: Lower the chin slightly while still keeping the head upright. This prevents tense turkey-neck photos.

Eye Contact: Maintain soft but steady eye contact directly with the camera for professionalism and warmth.

Hands Gestures: Have subjects clasp hands loosely, place a hand in the pocket, or position an arm across the waist rather than stiffly by the side for candid vibes. Subtle hand cues add personality.

Pre-Session Styling and Grooming

Photography principles like color theory, contrast levels, and aesthetic cohesion guide choices of attire, makeup, and hair styling for supremely flattering headshot outcomes.

Wardrobe: Stick to solid neutral, dark, pastel, or subtly-printed tops, allowing the face to stand out. Avoid distracting patterns. Add coordinating jackets and accessories sparingly.

Makeup: Schedule pro makeup artists for women-focused shots. For men, have bare concealer, anti-shine products, etc, on hand to control glare. Pro artists determine customized looks.

Hairstyling: Clean and style hair, adding volume if needed while ensuring strands don’t cover facial areas. Products eliminate frizz. Schedule trial styling sessions first.

Eyeglasses: Request anti-glare lens coating if possible. Have the photographer test angles, minimizing lens flare. For reputable headshots experts, this is a mastered art.

Pro styling elevates overall polish for headshots with wide usage spanning creative directing to corporate profiling.

Incorporating Visual Branding Elements

Headshot backdrops, props, and post-processing graphic inserts allow for contextually conveying personal or company brand elements. This adds relevance to specific applications.

Backgrounds: Healthcare providers may use clinical settings, while teachers can incorporate chalkboards as relevant backdrops. Or choose neutral solid color backgrounds.

Logo Integration: Position company logo signages contextually in a frame or integrate graphics digitally post-shoot to reinforce professional brand alignments.

Tattoo Masking: For formal corporate shoots, conceal exposed distracting tattoos using concealers or digital retouching if needed.

Optimizing Photo Editing and Effects

Post-production editing fine-tunes portrait technical elements to amplify visual impact. Standard professional enhancements include:

Cropping and Scaling: Strategic cropping spotlights vital facial features and recommended aspect ratios to suit various profile pictorial needs.

Retouching: Subtle airbrushing, skin smoothing, and complexion corrections ensure flawless skin without overtly artificial outcomes.

Contrast Adjustments: Varying contrast, exposure, and shadow balance spotlight defined facial structure beautifully.

Teeth Whitening: Digital teeth brightening treatments minimize discoloration and brighten smiles for approachability.

Tattoo Removal: If required, eliminate or subdue exposed body art that detracts from professional first impressions.

Backdrop Swapping: Exchanging backgrounds digitally introduces options matching diverse use contexts flexibly.

Advanced photo editing applied judiciously maintains authenticity while elevating portraiture attractiveness exponentially.

Evaluating and Selecting Final Headshot Images

With multiple outfit changes, poses, and edits from the shoot, deciding on the one frame that best conveys the desired personal or corporate brand culture requires objective analysis.

Maintain Facial Focus: Recall facial features, smile, and eye contact take priority over styling and poses when reviewing choices.

Check Lighting: Avoid selecting images with awkward shadows or contrast issues obscuring the subject.

Zoom Out: Observe thumbnails from a zoomed-out perspective rather than microscopic details for complete tight face and torso framing.

Remove Context: View images independently without backdrop or attire distractions to judge facial affect and angles solely.

Seek Opinions: Have professional mentors, peers, and photographers help advise selections based on intended usage and user responses.

Carefully processed feedback and final selections ensure best-matched context-appropriate headshots for assorted personal or organizational branding pursuits.

Showcasing Professionalism

Beyond aesthetics alone, crucial professionalism pointers include:

Punctuality: Headshot shoots run like clockwork when photographers and clients promptly uphold time commitments.

Courtesy: Personable photographers relax subjects pre-shoot while respecting any sensitivities graciously throughout.

Flexibility: Openness to client feedback during shoots enables adapting dynamics seamlessly for optimal outcomes.

Responsiveness: Expected turnaround times for final edited photo delivery and real-time shoot updates should be clearly defined.

Personalization: Though formulaic guidelines serve as core foundations, customizing sessions around individual personalities and preferences boosts engagement for natural and relevant headshots.

Blending technical portraiture mastery with courteous and prompt conduct, reputed headshot photographers deliver premium quality headshots, bolstering personal branding impactfully. Schedule your session today!