# How do you take professional headshots at home? - Published: 2022-05-14 (updated 2022-11-28) - Author: [Connectively](https://blog.connectively.us/author/terkel.md) - Topics: [Public Relations](https://blog.connectively.us/category/public-relations.md), [Small Business Resources](https://blog.connectively.us/category/small-business-resources.md) - Source: https://blog.connectively.us/how-to-take-a-professional-headshot-at-home/ - Publication: Connectively - Publisher: Connectively (Terkel, Inc.) - Editorial policy: https://blog.connectively.us/editorial-policy/ ## What is one tip for taking a professional headshot at home? To help you take professional headshots at home, we asked photography enthusiasts and other leaders this question for their best advice. From applying solid colors to smiling and positioning your head right, there are several tips that may help you learn new ways to take headshots that look professional. **Here are 10 tips for taking professional headshots at home:** - Apply Solid Colors - Use Other Headshots for Reference - Get The Lighting Right - Take Many Shots and Choose From Them - Mount a Tripod for Studio-grade Headshots - Balance Natural and Artificial Lighting Together - Work With a Loved One To Lighten Your Mood - Wear Some Color for a Good Picture - Learn To Use Filters on Your Camera - Smile and Position Your Head Right ### **Apply Solid Colors** When taking your own headshot at home, it is best to use solid colors for your photo. Whether it is the shirt you wear or the wall you photograph against solid colors will come across as more professional and look better for your photos. Additionally use natural light to light up your faster for a more natural look! ### **Use Other Headshots for Reference** When setting up taking a headshot at home you should first start with looking at other relevant headshots for reference. If you are taking a headshot for a company you already work for, see some of your colleagues’ headshots and what they are wearing, the type of background they use, and what kind of lighting they utilized. If you are using these headshots for new job prospects, look for individuals within the different organizations you are wanting to work for. ### **Get The Lighting Right** Lighting is the most important thing when it comes to a headshot. Bad lighting makes you look old or less attractive. Use as much natural light as possible or put a lamp in front of you and practice taking pictures until you get the lighting perfect. ### **Take Many Shots and Choose From Them** Right when you think you’ve got it, take a couple more. Setting up to take professional headshots requires a lot of time and effort: getting ready, wearing your best clothes, and finding backgrounds and lighting can’t be done whenever you want. Take advantage of your setup and add extra insurance that you’ll be able to choose one of your pictures and feel completely satisfied with it — pose for those extra shots! ### **Mount a Tripod for Studio-grade Headshots** Using a tripod–especially if you are solo–is a key technique to shooting a studio-grade headshot at home. You want to avoid approaching this like a selfie; you need to create some distance between yourself and the camera. In order to provide you with a variety of choices, you can move the tripod in order to capture images of yourself at a different angle. Also, if you do not have flashes, consider shooting outside and take advantage of the natural lighting. ### **Balance Natural and Artificial Lighting Together** Relying on only one source of lighting can lead to shadows or a “bleached-out” effect for photos, so the best recourse is to use a combination of both. Take photos during the day in a room with plenty of windows, and then feel free to turn on lamps or overhead lights. While you don’t want to be photographed too closely to any particular light source, the balanced and diversified lighting sources will make your photo appear clear, attractive, and professional. ### **Work With a Loved One To Lighten Your Mood** Taking your own professional headshot at home has more advantages than just saving you some money and a trip to the photo studio. It’s also a great alternative for those who don’t exactly feel comfortable in front of the camera. The absence of a stranger staring at you through the lens as well as the familiarity and intimacy of your home can certainly help. If you still have trouble relaxing and maintaining a natural pose or facial expression in the pictures, ask for a helping hand. Just having a friend, partner, or family member there with you, talking and laughing between takes can considerably loosen up the atmosphere and help bring your natural radiance and poise back to your face! ### **Wear Some Color for a Good Picture** Don’t be afraid to add a pop of color to your professional headshot if you’re in a creative field. As a company owned and managed by gen Z, we aren’t wearing plain suits when we come into the office! Your professional headshot is a marketing tool to brand your inventive personality and skills within your industry. Color and diversity are the backbones of a creative workplace. ### **Learn To Use The Filters on Your Camera** The tools available to you on your camera are beneficial to making your photos look more polished. Learn to use them. A lot of those features are intuitive, so it’s possible to tinker with them and figure out the best way to clean up a photo. Otherwise, go on YouTube and find an instructional video. Be sure not to take the photo the way you normally would take a selfie. Don’t hold the phone in one hand, extend your arm and press a button. There are automatic photo features you can use. Additionally, use a small tripod so that the camera is still and at the desired angle. They are cheap and easy to find. Finally, watch your background. Don’t have any clutter in the background and don’t have anything that could distract the viewer of the photo. ### **Smile and Position Your Head Right** The best practice is to face the camera, but you can tilt your head slightly to the side if you prefer. Look directly into the lens when shooting. This gives you an authoritative and confident appearance. Make sure your entire face is visible and that your facial expression is appropriate. A study shows that when deciding between two identical faces that differ only in facial expression, most people preferred the face with a smile. Michal Jonca, [PhotoAiD](https://photoaid.com) ### Related Articles - [How can you make photos look more professional?](https://blog.connectively.us/how-to-make-photos-look-professional/) - [What’s the best way to take photos for Etsy?](https://blog.connectively.us/how-to-take-pictures-for-etsy/) - [What are some content creation tools for digital marketers?](https://blog.connectively.us/13-tools-for-content-creation-in-digital-marketing/) ## Related - [6 Referral Program Strategies for SaaS Startups](https://blog.connectively.us/6-referral-program-strategies-for-saas-startups.md) - [What companies pay you to post links online?](https://blog.connectively.us/7-companies-that-pay-you-to-post-links.md) - [What are some free press release websites?](https://blog.connectively.us/places-to-share-a-press-release-for-free.md) - [How can I get more Instagram likes?](https://blog.connectively.us/how-to-get-more-likes-on-ig.md)