The mechanics of a great professional headshot are surprisingly camera-agnostic. The same choices that make you look good in front of a studio Hasselblad make you look good in a phone selfie that gets fed to an AI generator. Master the inputs and the technology stops mattering.
Here are the professional headshot tips that move the result the most, in rough order of impact.
1. Wardrobe — pick simple, fitted, in your colors
A good headshot wardrobe is a quiet wardrobe. It doesn't have to be expensive; it has to fit and stay out of the photo's way.
- Solid colors, not patterns. Patterns at headshot scale tend to read as visual noise.
- Crew necks or simple V-necks. Unusual collars confuse the eye (and AI models).
- Layers help. A simple shirt under a blazer or sweater frames your face and adds depth.
- Colors near your face matter most. Pick something in the family of colors you wear well — if cool tones flatter you, lean cool. If warm tones flatter, lean warm.
- Avoid logos, text, and graphic prints. They date the photo and steal attention.
If you're using an AI generator that re-clothes you (most do), this matters slightly less — the AI puts you in the wardrobe of the chosen style. But what you wear in the input still influences neckline and posture, so simple beats elaborate.
2. Grooming — the night before, not the day of
Grooming choices that read well in headshots are conservative ones:
- Hair styled the way you actually wear it day to day. Going dramatically different for the shoot guarantees the photo dates fast.
- Facial hair groomed, edges clean. Trim two days before, not the morning of — fresh trims look stark.
- Skin: skip the new product. Don't try a new serum or moisturizer the week before. Stick to your routine.
- Sleep matters more than makeup. Eight hours the night before fixes more problems than concealer ever will.
For makeup: matte over dewy (cameras read shine as oiliness), neutral lip, defined but not heavy brow, light foundation, set with powder.
3. Expression — relaxed, not performed
The headshot you see in your head — confident smile, eyes alive, "approachable but serious" — is a performance, and performances read as performances in photos. The fix is to think about a relaxed expression instead of a target expression.
A trick used by portrait photographers: take a breath, exhale fully, then look at the camera. Your face naturally relaxes on the exhale. That's the moment.
Specifics:
- Mouth: closed, corners gently lifted. Open-mouth smiles look great in a 1-in-30 frame and dated in 29 of them.
- Eyes: focused on the lens, not over it or past it. Squinting slightly (smize) helps cameras read your eyes as engaged.
- Brow: neutral. A raised brow reads as surprised; a furrowed brow reads as confused.
- Jaw: push it gently forward and down. Counterintuitive but it eliminates double-chin shadow and looks natural.
4. Lighting — soft, in front, slightly above
This is the single most important variable in headshot quality. The rules are simple:
- Soft, not harsh. Direct sun and bare bulbs create raccoon shadows. Diffused light — overcast sky, north-facing window, softbox — flatters everyone.
- From in front, not behind. Backlit means silhouette.
- From slightly above eye level, not below. Lighting from below is the famous "horror movie" lighting; lighting from above mimics how the sun usually hits us.
- Even on both sides. A small amount of asymmetry adds dimension; heavy shadows on one side reads as moody, not professional.
For phone selfies fed to an AI generator: stand facing a window, three to six feet back, during daylight. Don't shoot in direct overhead sun.
5. Background — boring on purpose
The background's job in a headshot is to disappear. It should make you the only thing the eye lands on.
- Plain solid colors work best. White, gray, navy, dark green, soft pastel.
- Out-of-focus environments work if there's enough separation. A blurred office or cafe behind you can read as "approachable real person," but only if the blur is heavy enough that no specific element competes for attention.
- Avoid: patterned wallpaper, busy bookshelves, other people, windows you're standing in front of (silhouette).
For AI generators that replace the background based on the style: any plain background in the input works. The model swaps it out.
6. Framing — head and shoulders, centered
The classic headshot frame is head and top of shoulders, centered, with your eyes roughly a third of the way down from the top.
- Too tight (face only) loses the wardrobe signal and feels claustrophobic
- Too wide (full torso) turns it into a portrait, not a headshot
- Off-center is sometimes effective for editorial but reads as inexperienced in a corporate context
Aim for: top of frame just above your hair, bottom of frame at chest level, you in the middle.
7. Posture — angle and lengthen
A small body adjustment changes everything:
- Angle your shoulders about 15 degrees from the camera, not square-on (squared shoulders look like a mugshot)
- Roll your shoulders back and down
- Lengthen your neck like there's a string pulling the top of your head up
- Tilt your head one or two degrees toward your front shoulder
The effect is subtle and makes you look like someone who's comfortable being photographed.
8. Take 30 frames, pick one
Even if you're using an AI generator, take three different selfies and pick the best one to upload. If you're at a studio session, encourage the photographer to give you 30+ frames per setup. Headshots are statistical — most of them are slightly off, one of them is right.
The TL;DR
A great professional headshot is a series of small, restrained choices:
- Simple solid wardrobe in your colors
- Conservative grooming, well-rested
- Relaxed expression, eyes engaged
- Soft, front-lit, slightly above eye level
- Plain background
- Head and shoulders framing, centered, slight angle
These rules apply whether you're sitting for a $400 studio session or feeding a selfie to an AI generator. The medium changed; the principles didn't.
If you want to try the AI route, upload a selfie and have four variations in a minute. Pricing details here.