7 Tips to Take Professional-Looking Headshots with Your Phone

People assume that DIY headshots don’t work as the quality of the images might be inferior. Well, that was true in the past, but not anymore. Thanks to the evolving technological inventions, you can now take headshots from a smartphone and make a decent impression. Here are 7 tips to take professional-looking headshots with your phone.





1.       Change the Settings

Before you begin, you need to ensure that your phone is set to High Dynamic Range or HDR to get better quality images. Sometimes, the setting is called Auto HDR, and sometimes it’s known as Rich Tone. Also, use the portrait setting and ensure that you avoid the zoom feature, as the latter can result in a lower resolution photo.

2.       Select the Right Setting and Location

It is also essential that you pick the right location and lighting. The background should be simple. Ideal examples are solid-colored concrete walls or a clear blue sky. You can also pick simple textures. The light should also be natural. If possible, click it outdoors with the sun behind you. Here are some more tips.

3.       Get the Pose Right

Pose like a professional by standing straight and ensuring that your back and chin are lifted towards the camera. Then you should turn your upper body slightly at a diagonal while keeping the head turned toward the camera. You can keep the hands down at your side or fold your arms across the chest. Your back should be straight, while your shoulders should be relaxed.



4.       Dress Smartly

Make sure you wear a freshly cleaned suit (men), career suit, or dress (women). Don’t go for bold colored patterns for blouses and shirts. Women should also avoid chunky necklaces or big hoop earrings and avoid a little heavy makeup than usual.

5.       Don’t Rush It

Headshots are probably one of the most dependable images you will have in your career. So, you should not rush the process. Let the person who is taking the picture take their time in setting up the space right. If you are doing it yourself, take the time to click multiple pictures until you get everything right.

6.       Shortlist

It is essential that you take a couple of headshots for yourself. The next step is to shortlist the ones you like best. We recommend that you pick only the three best images and work with them. If you choose more than that, you might end up getting confused and not making the right career choice.





7.       Edit

Believe it or not, editing plays a key role in making the headshot look professional. You can use a good photo editing app. The key things you need to adjust are exposure, highlights, white balance, contrast, shadows, filters, curves, vignette, skin smoothing, clarity, and healing brush. Crop the images so that you can use them on different online and offline platforms.

The best headshots are in a vertical format, cropped close to ensure only the head and shoulder are revealed. When planning to use headshots on social media, you should crop the photo as a square. Here are some key tips to master social media headshots.

Source:

https://www.kirbypartners.com/take-a-professional-headshot/

 

 

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