There’s no singular way to create the perfect headshot. Too many people make the mistake of looking for a formula to follow, but the truth is that there is no formula — if you want your headshot to be successful, you need to consider the goals you want to reach and combine elements of your career with the most important facets of your personality.
It can be a tough balance to achieve, but when you’ve reached it, you’ll know.
Creating the headshot of your dreams is often a journey. And if you’re at the very beginning of that journey, it can be hard to know where to start. If you need some inspiration, check out the examples below. We’ve included classic, understated looks, bold and dramatic portraits, and everything in between.
1. The Dramatic, Dark-Background Shot
Whether you’re applying for jobs or hoping to attract new clients online, your headshot is often the first time an unfamiliar person sees your face. First impressions matter even when they’re not in person. And unlike in-person meetings, headshots allow you to control the background. You can choose any background color, but if you want something that’s bold and simply unforgettable, black is worth considering.
Some people might shy away from black as a background color, thinking it may make the whole portrait look sinister or ominous. However, black is a shade of many meanings and is commonly associated with luxury and sophistication. If you’re hoping to create a headshot that’s elegant, modern, and minimalist, you should seriously consider using a black background.
Often, you’ll see photography blogs recommend that when doing a headshot with a black background, you should wear light or bright colors. This is usually good advice. Lighter and brighter colors can really pop against a dark background and give your headshot a remarkable dimensionality that few headshots have.
However, as you can see in the example image, a black background can also work nicely when you’re wearing darker clothing. In the photo above, the young man’s dark sweater helps create the impression that he’s emerging from the shadows. His light skin tones contrast with his clothing, while the background immediately draws your eye to his face — and when it comes to headshots, that’s just what you want!
2. The Laid-Back Business Shot
What do you picture when you imagine a business headshot? Lots of people think of the typical, uninspired photo of a person in business garb seated in front of a white backdrop. While it’s possible to go the more typical route and still get a beautiful headshot out of it, it’s perfectly reasonable to do something a little different to help yourself stand out from the crowd.
The example above is a departure from the usual “business” headshot in a number of ways. Like many typical headshots, it uses a light background, however, instead of using a blank wall or something similarly nondescript, it uses a white stone building. Because the focus is on the subject of the photo, the background might seem like a trivial detail, but in the case of the headshot above, it lends more credibility to the man in the photo. This kind of architecture is what you’d normally see in a courthouse or a high-end bank, so it’s especially fitting for bankers and lawyers.
Instead of being your more typical head-and-shoulders photo, the example is what many photographers would call a ¾ shot or a three-quarter headshot. This is a photo of a person that is cropped close to the knees — the name comes from the fact that it shows roughly three-quarters of a person’s body. Of course, when you meet someone in person you usually see more than just their head and shoulders, so a ¾ shot may let potential employers, clients, or collaborators get a better sense of who you are.
A ¾ shot also offers more of an opportunity for you to use body language in your portrait, and the casual body language the young man in the photo exhibits — the slight lean, hands in the pockets, relaxed smile — gives the viewer the impression that he’s friendly and approachable.
3. The Personality Shot
Your headshot shouldn’t be a soulless photo you take just so you can say you’ve done it. You should include at least a bit of personality, and if you wish, you can include elements that communicate even more about who you are. The headshot above offers a great example of how to do this. The young woman’s bright smile and clear gaze make her seem friendly and alert. Her top combines a very vibrant color (yellow) with a high-energy pattern, and the result is a picture that suggests optimism and an eagerness to connect.
Headshots — like any other kind of visual art — are all about balance. The woman’s lip color and top are both bright and energetic. In any kind of visual design, too many hot colors like red and yellow can overtake the composition if you aren’t careful. This headshot does a great job of balancing out those warmer colors with a cool backdrop.
The background is a soft, blurred seafoam green whose cool undertones form a counterweight for the warmth of the rest of the picture. The background is also subtle enough that it doesn’t take away from the subject, which is essential.
4. The Casual Shot
Most people think of a headshot as a photo that features them wearing their best clothes in a formal setting. And in many industries, that’s accurate. However, if you’re taking modeling or acting headshots, author photos, or headshots for a generally laid-back industry, you often don’t have to worry about wearing formal clothing. You can create a memorable headshot wearing a hoodie in your backyard if you want!
The headshot above is just one example of how a very casual look can still be an effective (and appropriate) way to market yourself in certain industries The woman in the photo is just wearing a t-shirt and standing against the wall of a building, but the quality camera work and excellent lighting make it a wonderfully effective and strong look.
Casual headshots like these can be a good choice if you want to seem relatable. For example, if you’re a camp counselor and you need a headshot for the camp’s website, a photo of you in a t-shirt is going to be more effective than a picture of you in formal wear.
One word of warning if you go this route: casual headshots often aren’t quite as casual as they appear. For instance, the woman in the picture above looks like she’s wearing little makeup. Minimalist makeup is fine for a shoot like this, but because bright lighting can wash out your features, you may need mascara and eyeliner to help. If your skin is on the oily side or if you sweat easily, you might need to keep blotting paper on hand or reapply powder throughout the shoot to make sure your face doesn’t start to look shiny.
In some cases, you might be able to enhance your features and reduce shine through retouching, but it is generally best to do as much as you can to improve the appearance of your headshot before retouching. Touching up a photo isn’t always as easy as it sounds and some photo editors are much better at it than others.
5. The Character Shot
What makes a TV character memorable? There’s a lot that goes into crafting the characters on your favorite shows, but a given character’s clothing and the items they carry can go a long way toward helping you understand their essence before you hear them speak a word.
Some kinds of headshots can do the same. Take a look at the picture above — you can see a young man wearing a hat and glasses, carrying a cell phone, and wearing a blazer over a t-shirt that bears the name of an iconic skate-shoe brand. Based on that, you could reasonably gather that the subject is someone who’s a bit offbeat but still in tune with current technology and culture. If the headshot is on a company website, you might guess that he does something related to technology. The fact that the photo is in black and white suggests that he’s someone who tends to lean toward a minimalist aesthetic.
In some industries, using your headshot to capture elements of your personality in this way can be a great tool to connect with your audience. This headshot wouldn’t be out of place on a digital designer’s website.
With all that said, the fact that you can include many facets of your personality in a headshot doesn’t always mean you should. For example, many lawyers wear business attire and make direct eye contact with the camera in their headshots to communicate professionalism and trustworthiness.
6. The Classic Business Shot
Getting creative with a headshot is exciting, and it’s admirable for someone to be able to design and execute a unique headshot. There’s also something to be said though for doing a traditional headshot — and doing it in a way that doesn’t seem dull or cliche. The headshot above is an example of a classic business headshot done well.
To many people, the most readily identifiable headshot is one where the subject is wearing a blazer or a suit and positioned in front of a white background. This headshot takes the usual white background and adds more interest and variation. As you can see, the background is primarily white, but you can see windows. The picture itself was likely taken in the atrium of a building with a lot of natural light.
In this example, the natural light adds some highlights and shading to the man in the picture, creating depth, dimensionality, and enhancing the overall realism.
Some headshots seem unnatural because it’s abundantly clear that the subject is in a photo studio (and you aren’t likely to run into your next banker or financial adviser in a photo studio). The natural light here however and the surroundings make it easy to imagine that you could be standing with the subject outside a bustling office discussing how best to optimize your investment portfolio.
7. The Artistic Shot
Depending on the field you’re in and what you need a headshot for, you might have a little more creative freedom. If you’re a talented photographer with an artistic bent (or you know someone that fits that description!), you might consider a headshot that both showcases your personality and almost serves as an artistic calling card.
The photo above is a great example, having some unique elements that make it close to being a work of art as opposed to an ordinary headshot. Notably, this includes the net-like shadow cast over the model’s face and arm which is noticeable enough to make the picture a departure from your more typical headshot photographs, but not so intrusive that it obscures her face or takes the focus off of her as a subject.
The focus though is still very much on the subject of the photo, so it still does a good job of introducing the woman pictured. In addition, because she’s looking straight into the camera, the subject is also forming a connection with the viewer.
Some photographers believe that great headshots capture moments of motion, and this one also fits that category. As you can see, the model is holding her arm and hand differently than most people would in a headshot, a deliberately unusual pose to add some interest (and a little mystery).
Ultimately, it will be up to you to decide whether or not it’s an element you want to incorporate in your own headshot.
8. The Action Shot
Speaking of adding motion to your headshot, action shots are a great option for some fields. The example picture shows a racecar driver in uniform and engaged with someone at the track. This photo is more memorable than a more traditional headshot would be, and in this situation, it doesn’t seem contrived — it just shows the driver doing something he’d typically do on the job.
If you’re someone whose work mostly involves being behind a desk, you might find that this option doesn’t work well for you (a photo of someone typing might technically be an action shot, but it’s not a particularly exciting one!). However, if you work outdoors, are a professional athlete, work with animals, or do something else that’s particularly unusual and/or physical, this option will probably be a good choice to show you in situ.
Not everyone is going to be a professional athlete or sports coach of course, and there’s nothing wrong with going the traditional route. Even for those jobs that do involve a deal of physical activity, a classic headshot may still be your best option.
9. The Outdoor Shot
Often, professional photographers suggest using a plain, neutral backdrop for a headshot background. While beautiful and engaging backgrounds might be a good thing for most pictures, when it comes to headshots, they run the risk of being distracting. After all, if your headshot includes a beautiful Caribbean beach in the background, viewers might focus more on the beach than on you!
Fortunately, when you work with a knowledgeable photographer, it’s entirely possible for you to have a natural background that doesn’t look distracting. A photographer can blur a background — even very slightly — and make sure it doesn’t distract from your photo.
The example headshot above also has another great element, which is that the woman in the photo is a nurse wearing a white coat. If you have industry-specific clothing like this, it can really help you stand out and add credibility to your headshot. It’s also important because, depending on what you’re wearing, an outdoor headshot can sometimes run the risk of looking like someone just snapped a casual photo of you while out for a walk.
10. The Close-Up
Last on our list is a somewhat unusual choice. You might not think of a headshot as being an extreme close-up portrait, and you would be right. But as you can see in the photo above, taking a headshot where the camera is very zoomed in on your face is a way to quickly form a close connection with the viewer. Someone who sees your portrait might feel almost as though they’re standing with you and looking you in the eye.
With that being said, close-up headshots do have some obvious disadvantages. Because they’re so focused on your face, they don’t give you much of an opportunity to include body language in your headshot. In addition, if you have skin and/or teeth with a lot of imperfections, a close-up headshot might not be something that you feel completely comfortable with.
However, if you’re confident in your appearance, are in a more relaxed or artistic field that gives you some freedom when it comes to headshots, and want to easily connect with people, a close-up headshot might be the best way to go.
Quick Tips: Designing Your Headshot
Ultimately, choosing the right headshot comes down to knowing yourself and your audience. Looking at examples like those above can help you understand the various options you have, but we also understand that having so many choices can be slightly overwhelming.
With that in mind, here are a few basic tips for planning your headshot and making sure you look great in it!
- If you don’t already, learn your best features and what angles emphasize them, so you can be more photogenic. Because many people tend to have trouble seeing themselves objectively (and might think things that are barely perceptible to others are their worst flaws), it’s a good idea to ask friends and family what they think.
- To learn what types of posing/styles of headshots are most appropriate for your career, look at several headshots of people in your field who you admire. While there will be some variation, many industries have a particular aesthetic when it comes to headshots.
- If you’re booking a session with a professional photographer, ask for their advice. Photographers know — probably better than anyone — what kinds of photos work best for different industries.
- Think about what you want to communicate with your photo and let that be your guide. Do you want potential clients to think you’re approachable? Employers to think you’re responsible?
- Consider your background options and choose one that suits both your industry and your personal preferences.
The Perfect Headshot Is Closer Than You Think
By now, you will hopefully have a clearer idea of what you want your headshot to look like, and that’s a victory in itself! You’ve probably also realized though that making your ideal headshot a reality isn’t quite as easy as most people imagine. Time, money, and even simple logistics can often get in between up-and-coming professionals and the quality headshots they need to advance their careers. That’s where Portrait Pal comes in. Using the power of AI, we can deliver hundreds of top-quality professional headshots to your inbox within hours (and sometimes even within minutes!). The process is simple: you just choose and upload 6-16 good photos of yourself, select a few preferences, and then we do the rest.