Month: July 2024

Getting professional headshots done can be intimidating, especially if you’re not used to being in front of a camera. Along with finding the perfect outfit and getting your hair and makeup just right, learning how to pose correctly can help you look more professional, confident, and approachable in your headshots—all the qualities you’ll need to impress potential employers, clients, or colleagues. 

In this guide, we’ll go over some of the most important dos and don’ts when it comes to posing for professional headshots, including what to do with your hands, face, the rest of your body, and where to focus your gaze. 

We’ll also go over how AI-generated headshots can help you find your most flattering angles, producing stunning photos without the risk of feeling shy or awkward under the harsh lights of a photo studio.     

Without further ado, here are the top tips from professional photographers, the dos and don’ts to keep in mind when posing for your headshots.  

Do: Know Your Best Angles

Good preparation can make all the difference in how your photos turn out, so you can feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible when the time comes to get the perfect shot. Everyone has a “good side” or an angle that highlights their best features and downplays their least favorite. Do you know yours?

If you’re not sure what your best angle is, there’s no time like the present to find out. Don’t wait until the day you take your headshots to experiment with different angles or poses. Take plenty of practice shots with your phone or camera—and this doesn’t mean just selfies. If you don’t have a friend to help you, use a tripod and the timer countdown to take them yourself. 

You don’t have to get dressed up or get your hair done. Just make sure you have good lighting and take plenty of photos with your head and shoulders at various angles (use the tips in this article as a guide). 

This won’t work as well in front of a mirror, as we appear much differently in photographs versus real life. Also, even if you do discover a good angle in a mirror, you’ll have a hard time recreating it exactly without a static image to review later.  

Don’t: Face the Camera Directly

Angles create texture and interest in any photo. For headshots, the best way to create angles is to shift your head and shoulders in different directions. Not in an extreme way—this isn’t fashion modeling, after all—but when you move your body at an angle, keep your gaze forward so your eyes are still connecting with the camera.

You can play with different versions of this, changing the angle that your body is facing, bringing a hand to the hip, or crossing your legs if you’re seated. Experiment with a slight head tilt to one side or the other, allowing the light to hit your face from a new direction.   

Changing your pose can be as simple as shifting your weight from one foot to the other. Don’t overthink it, just make subtle adjustments here and there and try not to stiffen up or stay in one spot for too long. 

Do: Make Eye Contact

They say that the eyes can be a window to the soul—this may be even more true when you need to make a good first impression through a photo. Maintaining eye contact with the camera is important for headshots because it creates the illusion of familiarity and makes you appear more approachable. 

One technique you can try to keep your expression more natural (rather than an intense stare) is to turn away from the camera, then imagine your best friend is calling out to you from just behind it. When you turn back to look at the camera, your expression should be open and inviting, maybe a bit curious. 

If you can pull off this technique, whoever looks at this headshot will get the sense that they already know you, and you’re someone they can trust. Whether you’re using your headshots for your professional profile or personal social media accounts, eye contact is the key to connecting with your target audience.     

Don’t: Slouch

Your posture can have an effect on how you feel as well as how you’re perceived by others. When you’re hunched over, it’s more difficult to take deep breaths, and shallow breathing limits the amount of oxygen your brain gets. This can lead to poor focus, decreased energy, and just a bad mood in general. 

When you make a conscious effort to roll your shoulders back and stand or sit up straight, this can have an immediate impact on your presence and confidence, whether you’re in a crowded room or in front of a camera. Even if you are leaning slightly forward or have your arms crossed, keep your back straight (but not stiff!), and you’ll notice a big improvement in your results.   

Do: Watch Your Chin Position

The position of your chin is an important but often overlooked part of posing for headshots. If you’re working with a photographer, they may instruct you to raise or lower the chin, or tilt it to one side or the other. Try to relax, even if the position feels a bit unnatural. A subtle shift of your chin can make a big difference in how the light hits your face.   

To avoid the “double chin” effect, remember to always keep enough space between your neck and chin. If the camera is at eye level, the shadows created by the lighting can give you the appearance of a double chin in photos, even if you don’t actually have one. It might feel uncomfortable or awkward to thrust your chin forward a bit more than usual, but no one will be able to tell. 

Don’t: Cover Your Face

A professional headshot should provide a clear, unobstructed view of your face, and you should avoid having anything distracting in the background or the foreground. Some people like to get a few shots of themselves holding an object that relates to their profession, like an instrument for a musician, or a pen for a writer. 

But be aware that any extraneous items in the photo can draw attention towards it and away from you. So, if you hold an object in your headshot, make sure it is down below your shoulders and nowhere near your face. 

The same rule applies for hats, oversized earrings, shiny jewelry, or even your hands. The next section will give you some tips about what to do with your hands in your headshot, but one thing you don’t want to do is bring one or both of them onto or even adjacent to your face.   

Do: Be Aware of Your Hands

If you’re nervous in front of the camera, the two parts of your body that are most likely to tense up are your shoulders and your hands. Most headshots only show your head and shoulders, or perhaps the top half of your torso in a wider shot. So your hands most likely won’t be in the frame at all (which saves you from struggling with the all-important posing decision—what to do with them). 

But even if your hands are outside the frame, tensing them up or balling them into fists can have a ripple effect throughout your body. Your arms will start to flex, your neck and face could stiffen up, and you’ll end up looking like a stressed-out hot mess in your headshots. 

An easy way to avoid this disaster is to take a few moments to shake out your hands, arms, legs, and check in once in a while to make sure they stay relaxed so you can get the best shots possible. And if one or both of your hands does appear in your photos—as part of your crossed-arms pose, or tucked into a pants pocket—remember to keep them loose and limber for a more easygoing vibe.                

Don’t: Exaggerate Your Facial Expressions

Bigger isn’t always better, especially when it comes to the facial expressions you use for your headshot. Smiling at the camera is good. But smiling like a maniac with all your teeth showing and your eyes unnaturally wide could give the impression that you’re desperate or trying a bit too hard. 

Think of the audience you want to reach with this image, and present yourself for the camera as you would if you were introducing yourself in person. Your smile should be easy and natural, but if smiling doesn’t come naturally then you can opt for a more neutral expression. With some practice you can convey a lot about your personality with your eyes alone.

One way to ensure that the final headshots will have the look you want is to practice different expressions in front of the mirror or by taking some practice photos at home. Experiment with different types of smile, or just turn your lips up at the corners for a serious yet approachable look. 

If you’re taking photos to submit for AI-generated headshots, make sure that you use the same type of expressions that you want to see in the final photos. No one wants a headshot with their tongue sticking out or with one eye closed!     

Bonus Tip: Relax and Breathe

If you take only one thing away from this guide, it should be this: getting a good headshot is important, but it doesn’t need to be that serious. If the whole process feels unnatural and stresses you out, you’ll end up with a pile of stiff, awkward photos that barely resemble you.

A great headshot doesn’t just happen magically, even if you have the most professional outfit, ideal lighting, and the perfect pose. A headshot should express who you are as a person, and the best way to show that is to relax, take a deep breath, and try to have a bit of fun. Most importantly, be yourself!. You might be pleasantly surprised with the results. 

How does posing work for AI-generated headshots?

In this article we’ve gone over just how much your posing techniques can affect the final look of your professional headshots. But if you opt for an AI headshot generator like PixelPose, you won’t have to do nearly as much work to get the best photos possible—because your most flattering poses will be automatically generated as part of the process. 

Using a variety of photos that you’ll upload of yourself, the AI model will create hundreds of headshots featuring you with different hair and makeup styles, with various backgrounds, and with a variety of poses and facial expressions that match your personality style preferences. 

For optimal results, your submission photos should be as high quality as possible and should be taken from different angles and with varied backgrounds and lighting. Use this guide to help you create or choose the “seed” photos that will produce the best results for your AI headshots.     

When it comes to finding the perfect pose, here are some of the advantages of AI-generated headshots over a traditional photo shoot:

• You’ll save time, because you won’t have to spend hours practicing different poses in advance to try to figure out your “best angles.” The headshot generator is trained on the photos you submit to determine your best features and most flattering angles, which guarantees you’ll be more than happy with the results. 
• You don’t have to guess which poses or expressions will help you give the best impression or come across as more professional. The generator is designed to create photos that embody your most confident, approachable self. 
• You don’t have to hope that your best facial expression is captured along with your most flattering pose in the same photo. With AI headshots you can mix and match your facial expressions with different poses and angles to get the perfect shot. 

To learn more about the process of getting your own AI-generated headshots, explore how PixelPose works today.

As an actor, headshots are hugely important to your overall success. They are the first impression that will be made on casting directors, given out to agents that you are asking to represent you, and will show the world how you represent yourself as an actor looking for work. 

This means that having a strong headshot is often the difference between success and failure at getting noticed in the entertainment industry. While breaking into the industry is often the hardest part about getting started as an actor, this makes having a good headshot one of the most important parts of being an actor overall. 

In this guide we will cover the best practices for an acting headshot, as well as how to go about getting one. 

What Is Your Acting Headshot?

A headshot is just as it sounds: a (photo) shot of your head. The picture is taken at a close range from the shoulders and up and shows an image of the face, with good enough lighting to make out all your features.  

You can think of your headshot as a visual resume. It’s a picture that represents you as a brand. It is asked for at auditions, in online applications, and by managers before they’ll agree to represent you. 

Headshots can also be used as advertisement material. You can hand them out to people you meet in the industry, or post them on your personal websites or social media pages. It works to remind people of who you are, and should be thought of as your personal pitch for work. 

Headshot Formatting Requirements

Like any formal document, there are actually quite stringent standards for an actor’s headshot. It can be either a printed photo (usually submitted at theater auditions or when interacting with a casting director or agent), or a digital headshot (common for film, commercial, or print auditions). 

Printed headshots should be portraits 8 by 10 inches and printed in color. You should also include your name on the front of your printed headshot. On the back of the headshot you should include your resume, scaled down to fit on the back of the photo. It should be stapled to the headshot with the pinched sides of the staples on the back (resume side) in all four corners, about ¼-inch away from the sides of the photo. 

This ensures that your photo stays with your working history, and allows the casting director or agent to easily look at both what you look like and what you have done in the past to ascertain whether they would like you for a role. Keeping the headshot nice and tidy helps to promote a professional demeanor. 

Digital headshots should be compressed into photo files in .jpeg, .png, .jpg, or .tiff format. These photos should be kept high resolution but don’t require your name on the front. These are likely to be submitted with online applications, so will remain digitally attached to your resume. 

Best Practices for Acting Headshots

1. Dress Well

Make sure that you wear nice, flattering clothing that suits your coloring. You will want to avoid dressing in anything that takes attention away from your face, so try to avoid bright patterns or large statement pieces of jewelry.  

As a general rule, it’s a great idea to wear solid colors. Try going for shades that flatter your skin tone or that bring out the color of your eyes. If you have any pieces of clothing that often get you compliments on how they look against your skin, this is the time to wear them. 

Most people should avoid wearing white, as it tends to leech the warmth from your skin and hair and make you look washed out. It can also blend into the background and make you seem to disappear when standing against neutral colors. 

Black is also usually best avoided, as it absorbs all the surrounding lighting. This means it can cause some artificial trickery with the camera, creating unwanted shadows in the images. 

You can also tailor your wardrobe to a particular role if you tend to be typecast. For instance, if you often play bright and bubble characters, opting for lighter and brighter shades in your headshots would fit that image. If you often play dark, depressed detectives, a layered outfit with a leather jacket might be the best look. 

2. Posing 

Choosing your pose is an essential part of your headshot. Posing allows you to create a story with your headshot that can help to tell the viewer more about you as an actor. As a general rule, there are three poses that are often used:

• Straight on facing the camera: This classic pose is the most basic, but gives the viewer a nice shot of the face and can show off all of the features that you have. 
• Slightly leaning forward: A more dynamic version of the classic, this pose helps to engage the viewer in the picture, while also showing your face clearly. This pose helps to create connection with the camera and can invoke a friendly tone. 
• Over-the-shoulder: The most dramatic of all of the poses, this pose is great for storytelling. You can use it to show all kinds of emotions depending on your facial expressions, but the downside is that it tends to obscure some parts of the face. 

Choosing the right pose for you can be difficult, but it is easier if you think of the picture as a moment in time that you are striving to capture. This helps to make the photo feel more dynamic and less like a still image, which adds dimension to your headshot and makes your picture stand out. 

Whichever pose you choose, you should make sure you are comfortable with it. Remember, this headshot will represent you, so it’s important that you can comfortably express those emotions in your headshot in front of others when the time comes to act them out. 

3. Background

The background of your headshot is also important to consider. As a general rule, a well- lit, uncluttered background is the best environment for your headshot, as you want the focus of the image to be on you. 

You can add different elements to the photo through the background and lighting to enhance the story. For instance, if you are going for mysterious and flirty, an over the shoulder pose with a dark backdrop and muted lighting will go better than the same pose against a light background under bright white lights. 

You can also choose to take your pictures in different locations, such as outside for soft, natural light. This type of lighting often creates natural highlights and shadows in the face and thus looks nicer, but can be subject to changes in the weather. 

How to Get an Acting Headshot?

There are a few different methods for going about getting your own acting headshots. Some of those methods are better than others, and each of them have their own pros and cons. 

1. The DIY Method

So long as you have access to a camera, you can take your own acting headshots. However, unless you are a professional photographer, it is very unlikely that doing your own acting headshots will get you the most optimal results. 

Don’t forget, your acting headshots are vital for your acting career. It’s the very first thing that will be seen by everyone who is looking to hire you, and it quite literally represents who you are and how you work as an actor. 

Although it might be tempting to just quickly snap a few selfies when you think you are looking nice, this will ultimately work against you. Having a strong, professional portrait, with an appropriate background, that has been clearly taken by a different person is the best way to get your acting headshots. 

You might also be thinking about asking some friends to help you out with a quick home photoshoot. This might result in some nice photographs at first glance, but it’s also important to think about the differences between home photography, and the professionals. For instance, do you have the ability to retouch your photos and edit any imbalances in the lighting? 

For such a key part of your acting career, it’s important to invest in a professional photo. 

2. Professional Photography

If doing it yourself is out of the question, the next option is finding a professional photographer in your area to take some acting headshots for you. This can be quite a task, so here are some tips from the industry to help make the search easier. 

Try asking around those in your acting circle for referrals. If you have a group of people around you who act professionally, chances are that they have also had to go through the process of getting their headshots taken. 

Make sure that you look at the type of photography that they have had done, and be sure it aligns with the vision you have for your own headshots. If they have a completely different type of acting career, and thus went for different choices in their headshots, it might be worth investigating the photographer’s portfolio further to be sure they have the range to do your ideas justice. 

Another option for finding a photographer is to search your local area on the internet. You can also use tools like social media to find portfolios of artists you like, and see where they are located. If they’re visiting your area soon, maybe you could seize that moment to book a session with them. 

Once you have found your photographer, there are a few things to consider. The first is price. Different photographers will have variable costs depending on what is included in their packages and their experience in the industry. 

You should also be sure to ask about exactly what is included in the photography bundle you decide to purchase. For example, what kind of editing or retouching is included in the cost of the session? 

Unfortunately, for many people the cost of a professional photoshoot is prohibitive, with photographers charging anywhere from $400-$1500 per session. This is also a running expense, with headshots needing to be updated at least every two years, or whenever you have a significant change in appearance like coloring your hair, or losing or gaining weight. 

3. AI Photography

One of the most fortuitous inventions of modern times for the struggling young actor is the invention of AI photography. With the ability of AI to create images, you no longer need to rely on professional photography to create high quality, high resolution, professional style headshots. 

Instead, you can simply upload several images of yourself into an AI image generator, and watch as it creates an abundance of AI headshots for you. These headshots are a fraction of the cost of a traditional photoshoot, with all the benefits. 

However, there are some issues with AI. One of those issues is the lack of data privacy. This is a serious concern, and something that people need to be wary of when choosing the AI image generator for their headshots. 

For a secure AI image generator, choose PixelPose. This company uses an AI algorithm to analyze several of your own photos in order to learn your unique face, and then creates anywhere from 20-100 high quality headshots depending on the package you choose. 

However, unlike other generators, Portrait Pal does not store your data. After the image has been generated, all images you have uploaded are instantly deleted, and any files of your data are destroyed for good. Your privacy is of the utmost concern, and it will not be compromised by this system. 

With the most basic package, you get 20 headshots with 5 different poses, backgrounds and outfits. This is plenty for any actor to use as headshots, but you can upgrade to larger packages to have more photos to choose from when applying to different roles if you want to.

This option is cheap, fast, and high quality. It has all the pros of traditional photography, and all the pros of the DIY method, with none of the cons of either. If you want an easy way to get some great headshots, PixelPose is a great option for actors.

LinkedIn is the place to be if you are looking to expand your business network. It is a bit like social media for businesses, and is the most professional of all the social media networks. 

As with all social media, LinkedIn has the option of setting a headshot. It is a great idea to include a headshot in your LinkedIn profile, as this helps to complete your profile, and makes it seem far more professional to other viewers on the platform. 

Since the platform is mostly about work, it can be quite stressful to choose the right photo. This is especially true for people who are generally camera shy, or those who struggle to take photos of themselves that they feel are representative of what they look like in their business environment. 

What are LinkedIn Headshots?

A LinkedIn headshot is a photo of your head and shoulders that acts as your profile picture for the site. Generally a headshot should be a professional photo, in work-appropriate clothes suitable for your job. 

You’ll want to make sure the photo looks good when compressed to the small size of a profile picture on the platform. To this end, make sure your picture is around 400 x 400 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 1:1. This helps to make sure that the end picture comes out looking as good as it was when you took it, and without any blurring or pixelation. 

You’ll also want to make sure you have an up-to-date photograph. This is because LinkedIn is usually used for professional connections within your industry, so it’s worth assuming that you’ll eventually meet the people you are connecting with on the platform. 

How to Take A Good LinkedIn Headshot

Taking a good headshot can be a bit tough in the best of circumstances, but when it’s for work it adds an extra layer of stress. This stress tends to show up on your face, which can add tension to the photo and take away from your natural charm. 

One of the best tips is simply to relax! But, we do acknowledge this is easier said than done, so here are the 5 top tips on how to take a good LinkedIn headshot. 

1. Poses to Choose From

Since the headshot is simply from your shoulders up, most people think that there is little to no posing involved in taking a headshot. In fact, there are a variety of poses that you can choose, and each of them helps to add some interest to the photo. 

• The classic: A simple face on shot, the classic headshot is named as such because it’s the most common of all headshots. That’s not to say that it’s a boring shot! It allows you to show off all your natural features, and is great for allowing your natural looks to shine through. 
• The lean: Taking a photo while leaning slightly forward to the camera helps to add dynamic movement, which creates a feeling of friendship between the camera and the viewer. This adds some interest to the photo and is more visually stimulating than the classic, but still allows you to show off all your natural features. 
• The over the shoulder: As the name suggests, this picture is taken over the shoulder. This pose helps to create intrigue, and is often used for a more dramatic and edgy look. For most industries, this is likely to be a bit much for LinkedIn, but it can be a great choice for those in the creative or artistic realms. 

Whichever pose you choose, it’s important to keep in mind your facial expression when taking your photo. You want to make sure you aren’t just blank and neutral, as this will be quite a boring photo. 

For most industries a simple smile will be a great choice. You can also choose to laugh, or go for a more moody photoshoot depending on the industry you are in, and how you are choosing to advertise yourself. 

Think of your photo as capturing a moment in time, rather than as a still-life painting. This will help to capture a sense of movement and being in the moment, which will breathe life into the photo and make it much more captivating to the eye. 

2. Choose Your Wardrobe

An important consideration for your LinkedIn headshot is your wardrobe. What you are wearing in your picture will have a significant impact on the overall tone of the picture. It can also have a significant impact on your comfort level, and feelings of tension can easily transfer across into your headshot. 

A good tip is to avoid bright colours or patterns. These tend to draw the eye away from the main focus of the picture (you), and can create a distraction. Instead, try wearing neutral colours that suit your skin tone and hair colour. 

Many people look good in solid jewel tones, or in neutral colours like cream, grey, tan, or navy. Try staying away from white, as this tends to wash most people out. Black can also create shadow in the image, so it is usually best to avoid wearing this colour for a headshot. 

However, because your LinkedIn profile is a business profile, it might not be suitable to wear colours in some professions. In that case, black or white are perfectly acceptable. It all depends on what you do, and what you feel comfortable in.   

3. Consider Your Background

The next most important thing to consider in your LinkedIn headshot is your background. A neutral background is usually the best choice for a headshot background, as it helps to avoid taking focus away from the subject of the picture. 

However, you can also choose to take your headshot in certain locations. For example, if you are working at a particularly well known institution you may choose to take your headshot outside by a sign for it. This lets recruiters know right away that you are affiliated with that institution. 

Other options for backgrounds can be simpler, for example, a brick background. These can help to add some colour and contrast to the photo without being overwhelming. However, in most cases the background should be blurred to allow your face to stand out.

4. Show Your Uniqueness

Although LinkedIn is a professional social media site, it’s not exactly the same as being at work. You don’t need to follow all the rules if you feel like showing off some of your unique attributes or interests. 

You may include some of your unique physical attributes like your natural hair, or play around with some fun colours in your make-up. You can also have fun with internet filters, and add some subtle changes to your headshot if you want to. 

In most cases these changes will be best kept to specific industries. For example, if you are a multimedia artist, you could use some face-paint in your headshot to showcase your talents. 

However, it’s probably not a good idea for most people to go too crazy with the filters and special effects for their LinkedIn headshot. You should try to keep it as natural as possible so you are easily recognisable for your work connections. 

5. Ask For Help

If you’ve read this far and you are thinking that it all sounds like too much for you, then it might be worth getting some help. Try hiring a professional photographer, or using AI image generators to help create headshots for you. 

Professional Photography

A professional photographer can help to guide you through the process of creating a headshot, and is a great resource for making sure you end up with a high quality product. 

The professional photographer will have access to a range of high quality tools, like a commercial grade camera, a studio space, and the ability to retouch or edit your photos for you after they have been taken. All of these factors help to produce higher quality photos than can usually be achieved by a person on their own. 

The downside of professional photography is that it is often prohibitively expensive. Headshots will usually cost you anywhere from $400-1,500 per session, depending on the expertise of the photographer, the number of headshots, the number of looks, and the amount of post-session editing done. 

You also need to find a professional photographer that you like and trust. A good option is to ask your friends and family, but many of them may not have had headshots taken in the past. 

You can always leverage other social media tools in order to look for photographers in your area. This usually provides a portfolio of work for each photographer, allowing you to see the quality and type of work they do. This will help you establish whether the artist is right for you. 

For a LinkedIn profile, most people won’t want to pay this much for a headshot. However, it is a great option if you need to have the headshots done for something else and need a headshot for your LinkedIn page as well. 

AI Image Generators

An AI image generator is a great, low cost alternative for getting a variety of different headshot options. These generators take several photos that you upload into the generator, and use an algorithm to “learn” your unique features and facial structure. 

This allows the generator to create a new image of you. A headshot generator will create professional images of you posing for headshots, and can help to avoid the issues people often run into like feeling tense for your photo, or having a dimly lit background.

Headshot generators often also give you a host of headshots to work with, so you can pick and choose which of the images are best for your particular situation. You might choose to post one of them to your LinkedIn as a headshot profile picture, and have another one be on your CV, and a different one be on your email. 

However, people often have concerns with AI image generators, and it’s not without good reason. There are a few things that can go wrong in the process of generating new images, so you need to be careful about which AI you use. 

Some of the most common pitfalls of AI is that the images can have too few angles or use not enough pictures to generate the new image. This means that the algorithm doesn’t have enough data to learn your face correctly, and it can result in the end result coming out as warped, or just not looking like you. 

Additionally, some AI tools have data privacy concerns. This is particularly concerning in today’s world, where data privacy is one of the most important things to think about to protect yourself online. 

Choosing a reputable AI image generator will help to protect your data. One such generator is PixelPose, which encrypts your data while it has it, and deletes it after a certain amount of time. Your data will also never be sold to a third company, guaranteed. 

PixelPose is a great choice for an image generator for LinkedIn headshots because it is cheap, and offers several package options. The Lite package option is an excellent choice for LinkedIn users because it offers 20 HD photos, with a turnaround time of only 60 minutes. This means you can have your perfect headshot in as little time as one hour.

Are LinkedIn Headshots Worth the Effort?

As much of a hassle as they may seem, a good LinkedIn headshot really does wonders for your activity on the platform. If you are actively using the platform for job hunting, or trying to increase your network, then it can make a real difference to have a headshot in your profile. 

Research shows that people who complete their LinkedIn profile with a headshot get a whopping 21 times the amount of views of those who don’t have one, and 9 times more requests for a connection. That’s a lot more eyes on your profile.

As you grow in your academic, professional, or personal (including entrepreneurial) career, you’ll need one of the best tools in your portfolio arsenal: a professional headshot. This is your true opportunity to stand out from competitors and market yourself boldly.

Your professional headshot receives as much attention — if not more — than your cover letter, bio, resume, and business card information. That’s why it’s essential to ensure you achieve the right look, and that starts with your color choices. 

Whether you prefer to hire a professional photographer or want to try AI-generated headshots using a user-friendly service like PixelPose, it’s wise to make your professional headshots as visually appealing and commanding as possible. This is where color comes into play.

What does color have to do with a professional headshot? It all comes down to color psychology: the concept that color influences mood and behavior in humans. This is why McDonald’s, for example, has its famous golden arches that evoke feelings of happiness, and doctors’ offices are often decorated in soft, earthy blues to create a calming atmosphere.

As you read on, you’ll learn the 10 best colors to wear for professional headshots (and why they work), how to wear them, and as a bonus, you’ll get useful tips for making your photos stand out. Take a minute to learn more about AI headshot generators, too — and how you can get that perfect shot in just a few hours.

What Is Color Psychology?

We touched on color psychology above, and you can’t fully appreciate color choices for professional settings without understanding more about this concept. In a nutshell, color psychology is the study of colors and how they influence the brain and human emotion. For example, yellow typically makes people feel happy, while black can make people feel intimidated. Color also signifies presence or standing in marketing: silver, gold, and purple are perfect examples of rich elegance, while earth tones convey cleanliness and refreshment.

If you’re catching on that the color(s) you wear in a professional headshot can send a message to the viewer, you’re on the right track! Now, let’s learn which colors can enhance your professional image the most so you can make the right impression.

The Best Colors to Wear for Professional Headshots

1. Dark Gray 

Also referred to as charcoal or pewter, dark gray is an excellent color choice for a professional headshot if you’re unsure about the message you want to convey or which colors complement your skin tone or silhouette. Dark gray is commanding enough to be authoritative yet neutral enough not to be overpowering. It’s the perfect neutral tone for a professional setting, ensuring you make an impression but don’t risk making the wrong one—or making no impression at all.

Pair a dark gray blazer with a crisp white shirt for the best effect of staying neutral yet still in control. If your goal is to create a base for color, you’re in luck: dark gray is a wise choice for pairing with a pastel button-up in your favorite hue without compromising the professional appeal you’re after.

Just avoid pairing dark gray with light gray. Since both colors are in the same spectrum, it will come off as monotone and matchy-matchy, or worse — give your outfit a muted look.

2. Navy Blue 

Are you a fan of black but don’t want to look like a vampire in your professional headshot? Navy blue will give you the same commanding appeal without the harshness. The key to navy blue is to pair it with earth tones like mint, sand, or even lighter shades like Robin’s egg blue or stormy gray to really make the color pop.

What’s great about navy blue is its versatile approachability: it’s a commanding royal color on its own and certainly draws the eye, but it isn’t so brash that it can’t be worn without needing to tone it down.

Don’t match navy blue with crisp white, however. Unless your professional headshot is meant to be in black and white, these two colors together won’t offer much personality to your attire.

3. Green

Green is such a mellow and cheerful color that you can wear it in nearly any shade in a professional photoshoot, yet still represent yourself well. It all depends on how you want to be portrayed, so consider the following options:

• Bright green for you a youthful and enthusiastic appeal 
• Mint green for an approachable and earthy appeal 
• Emerald for a warm yet authoritative appeal 
• Olive for a trending, modern appeal
• Traditional for a classic appeal 

Green can be challenging to pair with other colors without appearing outlandish, so stick to yellow-based hues if you want to add dimension to your attire. Better yet, use cream as a base for green, and you’re all set.

4. Eggplant 

Purple is a daring color to pull off in a photoshoot, and when done correctly, it can produce dazzling results. Rather than opting for a classic royal purple or even a lilac, choose a shade that is both commanding and approachable (similar to navy blue) — eggplant.

Eggplant is a color that looks good on nearly everyone because it has a black base mixed with a healthy dose of magenta. This means it’s both cheery and exciting like red (more on this fabulous color later) and sophisticated like black. You get the best of both worlds, all wrapped up in a unique color that isn’t difficult to pull off.

Pair eggplant with any of your favorite neutral or earth-tone colors. Just be careful with pastels, since eggplant may be too rich of a purple tone to pair with them successfully.

5. Cream/Ivory 

If you love classic white and plan on accessorizing for your professional headshot photo, then cream or ivory clothing will suit you well. You can accessorize with jewel or earth tones (but not both) to make the neutral tones stand out beautifully against your frame without washing you out.

Ivory and cream are ideal color choices for outfits with a lot of texture and dimension because they won’t add to the volume and movement of a piece (think: peasant skirts and ruffled blouses). 

What makes cream and ivory engaging colors is that they are among the few that let the neutral tones of brown and tan stand out in a more fun and colorful way. If brown is the hue you’d rather be wearing, then choosing cream or ivory as your base and pairing it with lovely brown trousers will pull your look together instead of washing you out or leaving your attire looking bland.

6. Yellow

Like green, yellow is a color you can wear in almost any shade or depth and pull off nicely. Even fairer skin can work with a light pastel or lemon yellow, while darker skin can complement colors as rich as the sun or as deep as goldenrod. Yellow will help you present yourself as forward, approachable, friendly, and creative, which is an excellent way to be portrayed professionally.

Yellow pairs well with anything with a brown or yellow undertone, so keep this in mind if you want to match yellow with a mint green undershirt or a brown pair of loafers. The key lies in balancing your yellow pieces to avoid looking like a giant canary. Choose yellow for either a top or a bottom, but not both.

7. Red

Whether you prefer a true red, cherry red, or a deep brick version of this classic color, red is a wise choice for any professional headshot if you’re unsure what color will look good on you. When in doubt, choose a neutral or earth-toned top and pair it with a red accessory, such as lipstick, earrings, scarf, tie, or even shoes. Keep the rest of your attire neutral with classic or dark gray trousers or a skirt.

Red is so commanding because it’s a passionate color. Symbolizing authority and aggression, as well as love and playfulness, it’s a color that won’t be missed even if it’s just a sidekick to your main color choice in your professional headshots.

8. Burgundy 

Similar to burnt orange, burgundy is the color you choose when you appreciate both orange and brown but don’t want to commit to either one. This fun, bright color is also a surprising neutral because it can be paired with many other colors. It’s like an adult version of Pumpkin Orange and has enough personality to stand on its own. As a bonus, it looks great on various skin tones, so it won’t wash you out.

Just make sure not to pair burgundy with green or yellow. These colors are too matchy and reminiscent of fall, which may take your attire down a notch. Instead, pair burgundy with true red, navy blue, ivory, or even a rich brown.

9. Sepia 

A rich red-brown that is uniquely royal and elegant in its own way, sepia is a commanding color that makes for a great suit color choice. If you want to avoid classic black, gray, dark gray, or navy suits but desire a modern approach to this timeless professional attire, sepia is the way to go.

It’s dark enough to accommodate patterned undershirts without detracting from its classic lines, yet not dark it feels outdated or old-fashioned. Consider pairing sepia with a surprising contrasting color to make it pop, such as lavender or salmon pink.

10. Black 

This wouldn’t be a complete list of colors for professional headshots if we didn’t mention black. The ultimate color choice for authority and leadership, black is a classic go-to in anyone’s wardrobe. Just don’t be afraid to toss in some modern color here and there so you can be both commanding and full of energy and personality, too.

How to Maximize Your Professional Headshot Results 

Now that you know how to style yourself for your professional headshots, here are some tips for taking the perfect shot.

Have a Goal

What is the reason behind your headshot? What image do you want to portray? Experiment with different hairstyles, makeup, accessories, locations, backgrounds, and other elements to help you achieve the look and persona you want to convey before your photoshoot.

Practice Posing in Your Clothes

Does your skirt ride up when you stand? Are your trousers bunching in the crotch? Does your shirt wrinkle when you sit down? Practice posing in your clothing so you know what to expect and how to navigate your attire for optimal results.

Pose Naturally 

Unnatural poses will look stiff or forced and can give your posture an odd appearance. Pose as you normally would, and let your photographer or AI headshot generator take care of lighting and fixing small blemishes or stray hairs.

Use Ideal Lighting

Natural light can cause shadows, while bright and harsh lighting can wash you and your clothing out. Use ideal lighting in soft shades that can neutralize your photos, ensuring they aren’t too harsh and are ready for publishing.

Take Multiple Shots

Both AI headshot generators and professional photographers produce multiple shots to get that one perfect headshot. The best results will come from a handful of photos selected from possibly a hundred or more. Therefore, take as many shots as you can to increase your chances of capturing the perfect headshot.

Giving AI a Shot at Your Headshot

If you’d prefer to create professional headshots from the comfort of your home with minimal effort required, consider using an AI headshot generator like PixelPose. These tools allow you to upload a few photos you already have on your phone (or take new ones), and then AI works its magic to transform these images into business card-worthy headshots.

Affordable, fast, and discreet, AI can make producing the perfect headshot easier and more stress-free than you might imagine. You can even receive your final results within a few hours — less time than it takes to select the perfect outfit.

Choosing the Color for You

Select colors for your professional headshots based on your preferences and the image you want to portray. The more true to your personality you are in your attire, the more natural and relaxed your headshots will appear. You can experiment with several looks in colors you like most to help narrow down your options.

Ultimately, your professional headshot should speak volumes about who you are as a person. Starting with the right color choices will go a long way toward accomplishing this goal.

Your professional headshot—it’s the first impression you leave on your partners, potential employers, clients, and even customers. Some people even use headshots in their dating profiles. So as you can see, a professional headshot serves many valuable purposes. Your professional headshot should portray you as capable, approachable, and modern But this isn’t always the easiest of feats to accomplish. After all, it’s difficult to know exactly how to pose, style your hair, or even how to make wearing eyewear work in a photo shoot!

You can always hire a professional photographer to assist you in achieving the best angle and background for your headshots, but this process is costly and time-consuming. That’s why many people turn to AI for AI-generated headshots using services like PixelPose instead, resulting in faster turnaround times, a wider selection of headshots to choose from, and a more affordable and convenient service overall. 

Achieving a professional headshot in 2024 isn’t difficult once you’ve got a little guidance. From choosing an outfit to styling your perfect pose, read on to learn quality tips for preparing for your professional headshots. You’ll also learn why AI is an essential tool for getting that perfect shot. Let’s get started! 

First of All, What’s Your Goal? 

What message are you trying to send with your professional headshot? Are you seeking to present yourself as a person of authority, or are you wanting to show your creative, artistic side? Are you wanting a serious approach or a more casual and friendly demeanor to be portrayed in your photographs?

The industry you work in has a lot to do with what your headshot goals should be. For example, if you work in childcare or education, you’d want your headshot to be full of personality and color for an approachable, easygoing but also authoritative appeal. If you work in law or the medical field, a professional headshot in solid colors and a basic background will provide the no-nonsense and courageous appeal you desire.

Your headshot says a lot about you and should do much more than just show your most appealing side; it should also portray a message of confidence and personality to whoever sees it. Based on how you want your professional headshots to be received, you can then move on to choosing outfits, poses, backgrounds, hairstyles, and more. 

12 Tips for Choosing the Best Apparel for Your Photoshoot

With so many outfit arrangements to choose from, narrowing your options to just a select few can be as hard as selecting a final headshot itself. Use these 12 tips to help you out. 

1. Stick to Colors You Love 

Now isn’t the time to determine if you look great in eggplant or if royal blue makes your eyes pop. It’s also not the time to go with trending colors simply because everyone else is doing so. Stay true to what you know looks good on you. If you stick to colors you love for your professional headshots, you’ll feel more confident and comfortable in front of the camera. 

Just make sure the colors you love aren’t too bright or dull. For example, if you love wearing pink, then flamingo pink may not be the wisest of choices, but a dusty rose or soft pastel pink can be a wise selection. If earth tones are your favorite color palettes, then stick to muted hues with a gray undertone so you don’t appear washed out and yellow on camera. A fine balance in colors will even things out nicely.

2. Choose Clothing That Fits You Well

You don’t want your color choices to drown out your frame and make you look hunched over and dumpy, nor do you want your clothing to be so tight it restricts your range of motion and overly accentuates your body shape. Stick to clothing that fits you well. If you can get up and down from a chair or couch easily without having to adjust your outfit, then you’re on the right track. 

It’s wise to choose tailored clothing that fits you expertly. But if you don’t have the time or budget to do this, then opt for your exact size or a half size up in both a top and bottom. Even though your shoes and socks aren’t likely to be in frame, make sure they match your attire and don’t take away from your professional outfit—you’ll give off more confidence when your attire is totally on key. 

3. Choose Business, Casual, or Business Casual 

You want to give off a clear message of who you are and what your clothing represents, so make sure your outfit is cohesive throughout. Since casual clothing is now acceptable in most workplaces, it may be a more modern approach to a headshot to go with a business casual outfit than a full-on suit—that is, unless your industry is highly professional, such as law or psychiatry, where a suit is the best type of attire to wear. 

4. Wear Clothing That Fits Your Field

It’s been touched on a few times that your professional headshot should reflect the field you represent or want to get into. Here are some suggestions: 

• Hospitality: Wearing a long chef coat or hospitality blazer with crisp lines gives you a clean, approachable appearance
• Medical: Wearing a lab coat over a button-up shirt with your hair pulled back presents you in a professional, intelligent light
• Blue Collar: Wearing flannel, protective gear, and casual khakis shows you mean business and aren’t afraid of hard work
• Educational: Wearing a bright top with a small accessory shows your approachable, fun, and creative side 
• Real estate: Wearing a crisp blazer over a bright and commanding color (such as red, royal purple, or even a black) shows your dedication to detail and fearless spirit
• Entrepreneurship: Wearing a button-up shirt over a casual pair of trousers with your hair down shows you’re a direct self-starter

If you’re a student or just want a professional headshot for a website portfolio, social media page, dating site, or other purpose, simply choose clothing you enjoy that doesn’t fit any particular niche. 

5. Stay Away From Logos and Trends

What’s commonly referred to as ‘fast fashion’ will come and go before you even have your professional headshots printed. This can leave your resulting photos looking cheap and dated when you want headshots you can use for years to come.

Stay away from logos because you don’t want to be seen as endorsing any one company (plus, logos aren’t entirely professional on clothing—they scream casual). Also,d keep major trends like ruffles, color schemes, cut-outs, holes, textures, and other fashion adventures to your other activities. 

6. Pick Clothing You Can Pose In

If your pants go up to your knees when you sit down, your skirt billows about your body when you turn to the side, or your shirt rides up when you raise your arms, you’re going to have a difficult time posing for your professional photos. This also means you’re going to look like you’re having a difficult time posing for your photos. 

Pick clothes you can pose in—and then practice posing in them. Use a mirror so you have a general idea of movement and flow with your clothing choices before you’re put on camera. This way, you increase your chances of having your clothing work with you, not against you, as you move about to capture your best angle in every frame. 

7. Choose Clothing That’s Not Wrinkled or Stained

This should go without saying, but sometimes it’s hard to remember that even though you’re focusing on a headshot, part of all of your outfit can show up on camera, too. The camera picks up on every dark stain or spot, and every shadow of a wrinkle or crease. 

Some clothing, such as satin, can be more prone to wrinkling than others. If you don’t have time to iron clothing prior to wearing it for a photo shoot, opt for materials that don’t wrinkle easily. These include wool, polyester, cotton, and even cashmere. Silk and denim also don’t wrinkle easily and can be incorporated into business casual attire. 

8. Choose Classic Styles

Now is not the time to show your trendy side, nor is it the time to break out old vintage clothing. To prevent your professional headshot from looking like something out of a movie set, choose classic styles for your photo shoot. It’s OK to throw in some vintage or trendy nods, just don’t go overboard choosing pieces that are clearly out of style or freshly new off the runway. After all, you want your face to be what people notice about your headshots, not your clothing. 

If you have trending eyewear, that’s OK: just make sure your glasses don’t leave a glare in photographs; stick to anti-reflective lenses without bluelight filtering if you can. When in doubt, go without: You can take some photos with your glasses and others sans eyewear so you have more styles to choose from.

9. Accessorize with Caution

Who doesn’t love a trendy belt or a stunning pair of gold hoops? You want to look your best and absolutely shine for your professional headshots, but proceed with caution when it comes to accessorizing your look. Any distractions in your headshot can come across as too busy or unprofessional, but this doesn’t mean you can’t accessorize your chosen outfit well. 

Choose one accessory for your attire, and only if it makes sense; a tie pulls together a button-up shirt nicely while earrings go well with an up-do, for example. Leave scrunchies, headbands, scarves, bow ties, lapel pins, broaches, and layered necklaces for another occasion, however. If you have pierced ears, select a single pair of small studs, or leave your ears bare, for your photo shoot. 

Related here is your hair and makeup: Keep it simple; pull hair away from your face and use neutral, natural makeup to brighten and highlight your best features, if desired. Your headshots can always be retouched later to add a splash of color as needed, but it’s easier to add color than it is to remove it. 

10. Choose Solid Prints

Whether you choose to work with a professional photographer to get your headshots done or you wish to go the AI route, solid prints will work in your favor far more than busy patterns will. For starters, solid prints are, as a rule, more ‘grownup’ and professional than patterns. Solid prints allow your face to take center stage, which is the goal of your professional headshot in the first place. 

Secondly, patterns may not translate as well in photographs as you think they might. For example, tiny stripes or floral prints may show up blurry in photos, making the resulting shots look cheap and out of focus. This isn’t the image you want to portray in your professional headshots, so leave the patterns to in-person interactions. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t be expressionable in the solid prints you choose, it just means you have to get a little creative if you want more color and dimension in your headshots. One way to do this is by layering different solid prints to create the illusion of a pattern and add more depth to your attire without confusing the camera. For example, a mustard yellow blazer over a solid cream top adds depth and multiple colors without being too patterned to pull off for a professional shoot. 

11. Choose the Right Silhouette

Your silhouette is the frame of your body against the light, and on camera, it’s important that your silhouette be tight and well-framed in front of a background. This means avoiding bulky or puffy sleeves, wide or flowing skirts, or wide-legged pants with a flare at the hem. The more professional your silhouette appears on camera, the better your professional headshot will turn out. After all, you don’t want an unintentionally silly silhouette stealing the limelight. 

Here’s an easy tip to make appropriately framing your body less daunting: Try to accomplish as close to a suit silhouette as possible. This means wearing a well-fitting and buttoned jacket, rounded or tipped shoulders, ankle-length pants (in a wide or boot cut) and sensible shoes in a way that shows how the suit’s proportions work together. 

12. Ditch the Novelty Socks

Although headshots are usually from the chest up, sometimes you’ll want to take whole-body shots. And some of those, you want to do in a seated pose. We all love a cute pair of socks, but leave those for once you’ve achieved your goal with your professional headshots. While novelty socks surely have lots of personality, they can take away from the overall professional appeal you’re trying to achieve and ruin your moment. 

While a splash of color in your chosen socks is fine (so long as patterns aren’t busy and the color(s) work with your suit or other attire), don’t go overboard. Your socks may tell more about you than you know—and you don’t want to give the wrong impression. 

Why AI Is Worth Investing in for Professional Headshots in 2024

So, now that you know how to dress to impress for your professional headshots, it’s worth exploring why AI is a wise option. AI tools have come a long way in allowing people to accomplish many tasks with less effort (and less money), so if you need a headshot ASAP, you can get realistic headshots in just a few hours utilizing an AI headshot generator like PixelPose.

How AI Headshots Work

AI works its magic by using the several shots you take and upload into a database to create realistic backgrounds, poses, hairstyles, and facial expressions that give your traditional selfies a major upgrade. You can use existing photos from your phone to create AI-generated headshots or take selfies specifically for the purpose of creating professional headshots with the assistance of AI. 

What to Expect

With AI generators, you’ll upload a series of photos and add a few specifics about what you’re going for (if applicable) to prompt your AI tool to create custom photos you’ll love. You’ll submit the photos, pay an applicable fee (which is much cheaper than what you’d pay a professional photographer), and then await your results.

You’ll be sent a set number of headshot results, and you can pick the ones you like most from there. Realistic AI headshot generators like PixelPose simplify the process of getting a professional headshot done, so the experience is efficient, quick, and affordable.

Get Ready to Put Your Best Face Forward 

Whether you choose to hire a photographer to take your headshots or you want to explore your options with an AI tool like PixelPose, knowing how to dress the part will help you take your headshots to the next level. Choose your outfits with care, keeping in mind the goal of your professional headshots, and practice wearing your attire before your photoshoot. This way, you’re best prepared to put your absolute best face forwar