What Makes a Quality Professional Headshot?

A lot goes into making a quality professional headshot, from what you wear to the background you use. Even applying the right makeup for headshots (when applicable) can have a profound impact on the final product. 

You can research online, go to a professional photographer, or talk to friends to figure out what you need in each of the following categories to help your professional headshot shine. You can even use the help of an AI headshot generator program if you like. 

Before booking your headshot photo shoot, it can be helpful to understand what can transform a good headshot into a great one. Let’s explore what makes a quality professional headshot and how you can get yours done without much stress or trouble.

The Clothes You Wear

A headshot photoshoot differs from a jeans and t-shirt portrait affair. You want to wear flattering professional clothing that exudes the message you want to portray. It’s better to go with fitted clothing that doesn’t distract from your face. Consider your career and what kind of professional clothing represents that environment.

You can’t go wrong with a well-fitted suit, button-down shirt, and tie. You’ll also look great in a nice blazer or cardigan. A well-fitting sweater can add personality with your professionalism still shining through. 

It’s a good idea to avoid busy patterns, as they can be distracting. Patterns such as pinstripes and polka dots can give the illusion of movement in pictures, which you don’t want. If you want to wear something with a pattern, choose something subtle. Layering this item under a solid-color jacket, blazer, or cardigan helps tone down the pattern.  

When going to a professional headshot photoshoot, bring a few different outfit options to work with. Before you head out, iron or press your clothing and keep it from getting wrinkled on the drive, as wrinkles can make you look sloppy and poorly groomed. 

The Hairstyle You Choose

Choose a hairstyle that’s not messy or too casual. Professional headshots aren’t the best place for a messy bun, ponytail, or unkempt man bun. Think about how you do your hair when you need to give a presentation, attend an important meeting, or interview. Try to create a hairstyle that’s similar to those occasions. 

If you have long or medium-length hair, use simple curls or straighten it nicely. A pretty bun will work if it isn’t messy or pulled too tightly. If you’re doing an updo with short hair, use product to ensure it stays in place. Just remember that if the product is glossy, it may cause a wet look in the photos, so pick a product that won’t cause a shine.

If you have facial hair, trim it so that it looks even across the board. This goes for both long beards and short goatees. As long as it’s evenly cut, combed, and cleaned, you can maintain a professional look with your beard or mustache. 

The Makeup You Apply

If you’re someone who wears makeup, this section is for you. Both men and women can apply makeup when taking headshots to help offset the harsh lights and maintain vibrant coloring in their faces. 

If you don’t usually wear makeup but would like to apply it for your headshots, keep it simple so it’s not too drastically different from how you look on a typical workday. On the other hand, if you tend to wear a lot of makeup, dial it down a little for headshot day.

Don’t be afraid to use some powders to tone down any gloss or sweat that may appear during the photoshoot. Your concealer and foundation should match your skin tone well so that there isn’t a distinct difference between the color of your face and the natural skin color on your neck and chest. 

Ultimately, applying conservative makeup can leave you looking professional without an unusually glossy shine. You’ll also want to ensure that your makeup doesn’t outshine your outfits, so keep that in mind as you plan your makeup colors. Go for a natural look that captures your true essence, no matter which side of the makeup-wearing spectrum you might be on.

The Background You Use

There are many different background options available for professional headshots. Think about what you do at work and which style will best fit that profession. You may want a simple, solid-color background. Or you may want something indoors, such as a corporate office or a nice living room. 

There are many outdoor backgrounds to choose from, such as city skylines, unique architectural buildings, bridges, parks, trees, or gardens. The outdoor background trend is a fun one to try if you’re looking for unique yet still professional headshots. 

If you feel that the background you chose is too noisy, you can always have the background blurred so that the eyes are forced to focus on your face. Any good photographer or AI headshot program should be able to handle this task for you. 

The Facial Expressions You Make

You don’t want to look like a deer in the headlights for your headshots. Relax and remember to breathe so your expression can be as natural as possible.

Think again about your profession and the message you want to send about yourself. Are you reliable and approachable? Are you serious and committed? Are you determined yet fun? What message do you want your eyes and facial expressions to say about you?

It would help to practice several expressions in the mirror until you find the one you like and understand how your muscles feel when making that expression. Then, when it comes time for the photo shoot, that expression will come more naturally to you. 

What If Taking Professional Headshots Is Too Overwhelming?

If this list feels overwhelming, and you dread getting your headshots done, don’t worry. There’s an easy solution that will take much of the burden of accomplishing professional headshots away from you.

Advanced technology has brought us the option of AI headshot generators to help us get our headshots done in a fraction of the time and cost of professional photographer headshots.

A good headshot generator will remove the burden of selecting outfits, finding the correct facial expression, or doing your hair or makeup just right. You upload a few photos, such as selfies, write a prompt with headshot preferences, and then let the AI generator do the rest of the work. 

Ultimately, a good headshot should be simple. Plan out what you want your headshot to look like, but don’t overthink it. You’re the star of the show, so as long as you’re selecting backdrops and clothing that show your face in its best light, you’ll be just fine. 

The A.V. Club editorial staff was not involved in the creation of this content.