In a time when technology is at everyone’s fingertips, there’s no excuse to not have a professional-looking headshot – even if you’re not ready to invest in a professional photographer. With high-quality phone cameras being the new norm and no shortage of great editing apps, you can create a professional-looking headshot in less than five minutes. Without most people locked down, getting out and in front of a photographer might not be an option for you. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to take a good headshot at home.
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Getting Started
Because the vast majority of people don’t carry a professional camera around with them to take photos, I’ll break the process down into two steps: 1) What you need to do to ensure you get a professional-looking headshot, and 2) how to get your photos taken. Step 1: Know Your Business Before you start snapping photos at home, you need to know what kind of photo you want. Are you a fashion blogger or a photographer? Do you need to show off your new shirt or event your new hat? These are the questions you need to ask yourself before you start shooting photos to ensure that what you end up with is something you’ll be happy to share. If you aren’t a professional photographer, here are a few helpful hints on how to take a good headshot.
The Basics of a Good Headshot
When it comes to photography, the main components to a good headshot are the lighting, framing, and angles. These elements make up a major part of the shots that professionals create, and by the same token, an amateur photographer’s shots are inferior when compared to the quality of the shots made by a professional.
To shoot a good headshot, you need to be aware of the basic tenets of photography, which are key to creating an appealing image.
The first key component to a good headshot is light. You can certainly use a small desk lamp or a ceiling light and get a great final product. The beauty of a headshot is that you can control the light to your liking. Ideally natural light that is soft. Avoid harsh shadows at all costs.
Tips for Taking a Headshot at Home
1. Do Not Photograph Yourself Against a Bright Background
There are a few situations where a traditional studio headshot is required, but for the most part, the lighting is your friend. Don’t shoot against a bright background like a white wall or a bright window.
2. Do Not Shoot in Portrait Mode
There are many amazing, sophisticated cameras on the market now that are capable of photographing portraits and landscape scenes in an artistic fashion. However, your smartphone camera is not one of them.
3. Straight On
A lot of pros will tell you that taking a headshot straight on is best, but the majority of people with heavy, curly hair don’t look the best when shooting straight on. A lot of people might suggest that when in doubt, shoot in front of a mirror, but try shooting straight on and see how you like it.
Editing Your Headshot
Some of the most common editing practices for the headshot include sharpening, cropping, and brightness/contrast adjustments. But, most importantly, we must eliminate distracting details to make the shot as clear and seamless as possible. From wrinkles to excessive jewelry, even the slightest imperfections can make a shot look amateur. To optimize the exposure in the shot, I typically turn on the metering option of my phone’s camera. Another popular editing technique is cropping your headshots using the “trim” and “delete” functions in your photos editing app. Although it might be tempting to add a filter to your photo, our advice is to avoid filters at all costs.
Conclusion
Whether you’re using your phone, an easy-to-use application like Photo Ninja, or a simple camera, taking a headshot at home can be a quick way to update your profile, add some color to your wardrobe, or simply make you feel more confident. Get ready to take the best headshot of your life and to strut confidently into that job interview, date, or photo shoot – because you already know what to do with a camera!
For the best headshots, feel free to contact us! We’d love to help.
