Taking Your Own Headshot Photographs
Take your own professional headshot by Corporate Imagery
Ok it may seem a bit strange, a professional corporate photographer offering advice on taking your own photo… but we’re nice like that!
Furthermore we also offer a virtual headshot service which means that once you have your shot we’ll enhance it even further to make it absolutely perfect for LinkedIn profile pictures, social media and many other professional uses.
So here are the things that you need to consider:
Your Camera
At Corporate Imagery we use high end Canon cameras and lenses, this enables us to get perfectly focussed and sharp images in very high resolution meaning they can be used for all purposes and printed to huge sizes. You don’t necessarily need that, the camera you use needs to be of decent quality but not necessarily professional grade. Many modern smartphones can create great images suitable for viewing on the web, they may not be suitable for printing anything too large but they can do the trick.
Similarly consumer point and shoot cameras can work well too as long as you know how to use them. Just don’t use your webcam, they tend to be of low quality in general.
The Lighting
This is the most important thing so pay attention. Good quality lighting is the key to getting a great photo of yourself. Do look for areas that have lots of natural light, window light is great but make sure its not direct sunlight. Let the light fall evenly on your face (you should be facing the window/light source), anything that can diffuse the light will help too - clouds, a sheet, shade, etc. Avoid on camera flash as this tends not to flatter.
At Corporate Imagery we use multiple off camera lights with large flattering diffusers to create beautiful consistent lighting. Most flashes on camera will do just the opposite. And don’t shoot in a room that’s too dark as this will create grainy noise in the photo as your camera tries to compensate. Also avoid fluorescent lighting as NOBODY looks good under that!
The Background
The photo is about you so make sure that what goes on in the background is not a distraction. There’s a reason why most of my business headshots are taken against a plain white/grey/black background and that’s because it pulls all of the focus in to the person being photographed. So make sure that what you are shooting against is not too busy or distracting. A plain wall will normally do the trick, you could even hang up a sheet or something to create that, just stand well away from it.
If you don’t want a plain background you could go for that office type natural background. Just be aware that most smartphones will have everything in focus in the background unless you’re using ‘portrait’ mode or similar.
Your Clothing
“Dress for the job you want not the job you have”. Yes I know that many jobs these days do not require a suit and tie and thats a god thing. But just because you work in tech, media or other hipster friendly industries doesn’t mean you have to dress like a school kid. Wear something smart that fits well and importantly something that you look and feel good in. Avoid bold patterns, slogans on T-shirts, ripped clothing or indeed anything thats going to be out of fashion by the time you next wash it. I have a whole article on what to wear here, and here’s also some are tips on what to do with your hair and make-up.
Poses and Expressions
This is the toughest one to coach from a distance. Everyone is different, some angles flatter some people more than others. Some people look better with a big smile than with a more subtle one. My main tip here though is don’t do a selfie. The camera will be too close to your face and proportions will be all out of whack, get someone to take a photo for you or use a tripod, zoom in from a distance to get a more flattering focal length (this may affect images quality on cheaper cameras however). Angling yourself away from the camera will make you appear slimmer (between 30 and 45 degrees). Leaning in towards the camera will do the same. Keep the chin down but not tucked in. Look straight into the lens. Smile naturally, everyone can spot a fake smile. The smile makes you look more approachable whilst your eyes make you look more confident (don’t stare wildly!). Oh, and make sure your ‘Good Side’ is the one nearest the camera. And definitely NO DUCK FACES, pouting looks ridiculous, don’t do it!
Its a lot to think about I know, it’s what we professionals do all the time with our clients. My best tip would be to practice in front of the mirror or ask a friend for some objective advice.
Getting Your Photo Ready To Publish
Most phones have decent post production abilities (you may know them as filters) use these smartly and you’ll be doing OK. Just make sure that your face is exposed properly ie not too bright and not too dark. There are apps and software that can go the next step in removing spots and wrinkles . We do use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to process all of our final images, the goal is to achieve a natural look whilst obtaining maximum awesomeness. In the hands of an amateur these tools can be abused however and you want to bear in mind that this photo still needs to bear a likeness to the real you!
So there you have it, this is how you can get a DIY headshot and if you follow all these steps you will have some thinking that is perfectly usable on LinkedIn/ Tinder. Once you have your chosen image and you still think it needs a bit more work, or a different background, or a face full of acne removed. then please contact us about our virtual headshot service we’ve been doing these for people all over the world (read this case study from one of our clients in the U.S)
Of course for perfect results the best option for you is to get a professional headshot taken. At Corporate Imagery we provide the best headshots in Sydney from our studio in Ryde and prices start at just $200. We can also offer full hair and make-up services through our partners at Faces. (additional costs)