2-Minute Tips: How to Take Professional Headshots with Your Phone

In this edition of 2-Minute Tips, you’ll learn how to take professional-looking headshots for your website, brochures, presentations, and other marketing materials, with your phone.

No matter your business, the time will come when you need professional-looking headshots of your employees or yourself. Professional photography is a great option but a pricey one. With some practice and planning, you can take professional headshots with your phone.

Phone Settings

• When possible, use the HDR setting on your phone. On most newer phones, you have the option to take photos in HDR. If your phone doesn’t have a native HDR setting for photos, there are apps available (free and paid) that are well worth the download.
• Save at the highest resolution. Always choose the highest option available—you’re looking for professional quality. The file size may be large, but it’s necessary to get a professional look.

Location & Lighting

• Choose a simple backdrop for your photos. A clean, uncluttered area is best to eliminate distractions from your subject. NOTE: Try to use the same backdrop for your employee photos for consistency.
• Take it outside. Natural light is best. When you can, find a natural setting with indirect sunlight behind. Office lighting casts a green tone and can be painful to soften or color correct. Your subjects will look pale and flat.
• Say “no” to direct light and flash. When outside, position the sun behind you and not directly in the camera’s path. If you must do an indoor shoot, opt for more natural lighting through windows and do not use flash. A ring light is an inexpensive solution for indoor headshots.

Pose & Wardrobe

• Angle the upper body slightly away from the camera, with the head facing the camera and shoulders relaxed. This pose creates an attractive angled body image and avoids the broad squared look. Your subject can keep their hands down or with arms folded across their chest.
• Avoid bold colors and patterns for shirts, blouses, and dresses; the pixels in high-resolution images can make stripes and patterns appear distorted. Darker colors will draw more attention to your face. Also, avoid wearing overly large earrings or necklaces – they can be distracting.
• Apply make-up a little heavier than usual. Pictures are flat, so make-up will create depth and definition in your face. If you don’t wear any make-up daily, choose a neutral cheek and lip color and add mascara for your photo session. A translucent powder may be needed depending on skin type to minimize shiny spots.

Photos & Time

• Position for composition. Try to get from elbows up or tighter in your shots. Also, don’t directly center shots if you want wider shots. You can read about photo composition and the Rule of Thirds to learn more.
• Do not use zoom on your phone. You will get a better quality image if you crop a full-size photo.
• Give it time. You’ll need at least 30 minutes with each person to ensure you get the right pose and expression. Everyone is different, and you’ll find that what works for one may not work for another.
• It’s OK to take too many photos. Take no less than 20 photos of each person. Direct them on nudging this way or that to get the best lighting.

Editing

• Keep it simple and professional. A subtle filter to highlight details or soften the background is great but stay away from “face-tuning” and over-processing your images.
• Be consistent. Your photos should look similar in composition and feel. Keep the crops the same for all pictures. If you’re using filters, make sure the filters are the same for all photos. If you edit the temperature, do so to match across all images—this makes a massive difference in the presentation.

Now you’re ready to take professional headshots with your phone—enjoy scoping out locations and composition!

Check out these free and paid photo apps for iPhone and Android:

Snapseed (Android, iOS)

Adobe Lightroom (Andriod, iOS)

VSCO (Android, iOS)

PicsArt (Android, iOS)