Every background has a slightly different feel and effect. For instance, a dark background can add a sense of power and drama to a headshot, while an office-setting background communicates the subject’s work environment.
If you want your headshots to have maximum impact, choosing the right background is crucial. This article looks at the ten best backgrounds for headshots to help you make an informed choice. After reading this, you’ll have a clear idea of which backgrounds will work best for your headshots and which ones to avoid.
1. Solid Light Neutral Colors
Solid light neutral colors, such as white or light gray, are a classic when it comes to headshot backdrops. They convey a sense of professionalism, minimalism, and cleanliness, giving headshots a sophisticated, contemporary feel. They also make the subject’s features and clothing stand out, creating a crisp, polished image.
Flattering on the Skin
Light neutral colors also happen to be flattering to a range of skin tones. They reflect light evenly, reducing harsh shadows and creating a soft, natural glow on the subject’s face. Solid light backgrounds are also non-distracting, helping to emphasize the subject’s face, expression, and personality.
Very Usable
Headshots with light neutral backgrounds can be used across various platforms and media. Whether it’s a website, social media profiles, or a printed business card, a headshot with a light neutral background can be incorporated without clashing with other design elements. Plain backgrounds can also be easily expanded in Photoshop to fit any dimensions.
Versatile
Headshots with solid light neutral-colored backgrounds are versatile and work well for professionals in various industries, including:
- Corporate
- Finance
- Legal
- Healthcare
- Government
- Creative
- And more
2. Solid Dark Neutral Colors
Solid dark neutral color backgrounds, such as dark gray, black, and navy, offer a sophisticated, polished look. Dark backgrounds are known to convey a sense of authority and power, making them an excellent choice for those in executive and leadership roles.
Contrast
Dark neutral backgrounds contrast well against lighter color clothing and skin tones, making the subject’s face and expression really pop in the headshot, standing out with no distractions. However, these backgrounds also work well with darker skin tones, hair colors, and clothing, especially with proper lighting, creating a more subtle contrast and an elegant aesthetic.
Timeless Look
Solid dark colors like black and navy are classic choices that never go out of style. They give headshots a sleek, enduring look, with the simplicity of the background adding to the photo’s timeless appeal. Dark backgrounds are also excellent for adding a sense of drama, mystery, or luxury to your headshots.
Broad Appeal
Solid dark neutral backgrounds are highly effective for professionals in many industries, including:
- Corporate (especially leadership roles)
- Finance
- Law
- Creative industries
- Fashion
- Luxury goods
3. Outdoor Urban Environments
You’ve likely seen outdoor urban backgrounds before, especially if you’ve ever seen headshots for professionals in finance, law, or corporate industries. The classic example is a smart, formally dressed professional in a business suit, standing on the street with modern architecture as the backdrop.
Sets the Tone
The example we just discussed works well because it sends a clear message. The viewer can instantly see that the subject is a professional working in a major, top-tier city, conveying a sense of competence, credibility, wealth, and success. This can be beneficial for those in the corporate world for several reasons.
Other Urban Scenes
Outdoor urban backgrounds can also work well for professionals in other industries, depending on the feel they want their headshots to convey. For example, a brick wall backdrop can evoke a sense of community or history, a graffiti mural can add a creative or edgy touch, industrial areas can create a gritty and raw look, and alleyways can introduce a sense of mystery.
Great For
Outdoor urban backgrounds are great for professionals in the following fields, and more:
- Corporate
- Creative arts
- Marketing
- Journalism
- Architecture
- Photography
4. Outdoor Natural Settings
Outdoor natural backgrounds have become increasingly popular for professional headshots in recent years. With the rise of more casual and approachable corporate cultures, many professionals are opting for headshots that showcase their personalities in a natural, relaxed setting.
Balance
A natural outdoor backdrop can offer a less formal yet still professional look, providing a balanced feel. If the natural background is quite busy, it will normally be blurred to ensure it doesn’t take attention away from the subject. Outdoor natural backgrounds are an excellent way to convey trustworthiness, authenticity, and warmth in professional headshots.
Classic Examples
Classic examples of outdoor natural backdrops that work well for headshots include city parks, which offer a relaxed yet professional feel; forests or wooded areas that create a sense of groundedness and connection to nature; and well-kept gardens, which can add a touch of elegance and refinement. However, people can and do get more creative with their natural outdoor backgrounds.
Work Well For
Outdoor natural backgrounds can work well for a variety of fields and industries, but in particular for:
- Charity and non-profits
- Education
- Wellness
- Corporate
- Creative
- Community organziations
5. Bright Colors
Bright color backgrounds can work well in certain contexts. For example, bright color backgrounds can be great for acting headshots to land roles in commercials or comedic parts. Bright color backgrounds can look bold, fun, energetic, and modern.
Complementary
Bright colors can complement certain features of the subject. For example, if the subject has blue eyes, a blue backdrop can really help to bring out the eyes in the headshot. You might also hear the phrase “wear the backdrop,” meaning that if you’re wearing a dark green shirt, a lighter green background can work well in harmony.
However, it’s important to have a contrast in shade between the clothing and the background to avoid blending.
Attention Grabbing
Bright colors can make the subject stand out and grab the viewer’s attention more effectively. However, the bright color mustn’t look out of place and go against the norms of your industry, unless you’re branding yourself as a disruptor. Bright colors work best when they align with your personal or company branding.
Specific Appeal
Bright color backgrounds are not typically used in formal industries like law and finance unless it’s a trendy startup, but they can work great for:
- Actors and comedians
- Creative industries
- Tech and startups
- Influencers
- Designers
- Entertainment
- Fashion
6. Office Environment
Another classic background for headshots is the office setting. This obviously works great for people who work in offices, such as those in the corporate world, accounting, and IT. You’ve likely seen this type of backdrop many times before; it’s usually slightly blurred or out of focus to avoid distracting too much from the subject.
Workplace Associations
Office-related backgrounds work well because they clearly demonstrate that the subject works in an office environment, which is expected for certain professions and helps them appear credible. For example, when someone visits an IT services company’s website and sees staff headshots with an office background, they might subconsciously think, “They’re working in a nice office, with computers, dressed smartly; they’re probably good at IT and are a professional, trustworthy firm.”
Great for Teams
People usually work in offices as part of a team, so choosing headshots with office backgrounds for all or the majority of staff can convey a sense of cohesiveness, teamwork, and organization, which can help build trust and credibility. It also enhances branding on websites and social media by giving all staff a consistent and harmonious look across company images.
Clear Use Cases
Office setting backgrounds are clearly an excellent option worth consideration for any businesses or organizations that work in an office setting, such as:
- IT
- Corporate
- Accounting
- Consulting
- Marketing
- Human resources
- Banking
7. Workplace Setting
Not everyone works in an office; many people work on construction sites, in healthcare facilities, studios, workshops, and more. Having your headshot taken with a backdrop of your workplace has the immediate benefit of associating you with your field of work. Again, workplace-related backgrounds are usually slightly blurred to avoid distracting from the subject.
Demonstrate Credibility
If a doctor is wearing a white lab coat and standing in a surgical setting for his headshot, it sends a clear and direct message of credibility that is hard to dispute. Similarly, a blacksmith wearing an apron, holding a hammer, and standing in a smoky workshop clearly conveys, “I’m a blacksmith.” Workplace backgrounds help you immediately appear credible, professional, competent, and trustworthy in your field of work when people visit your website or social media.
Authenticity
Having your headshot taken in your actual work environment can look more authentic and less staged than one taken in a studio. This authenticity can make you appear more approachable and genuine, which can be important for building trust and establishing your personal brand.
Who They’re Great For
A workplace-related background is a solid option worth considering for individuals who work in a clearly defined setting, such as:
- Healthcare
- Arts and crafts
- Science
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Sports and fitness
8. Textured
Textured backgrounds allow you to achieve a wide range of styles and moods for your headshots, with almost unlimited variations to choose from. If you’re working with a photographer, they will likely have a set number of textured backdrops in the studio but may allow you to change the background using Photoshop. On the other hand, AI headshot generators like PixelPose can offer any textured background you request, along with the ability to easily swap backgrounds.
Common Textured Backgrounds
Commonly used textured backgrounds for headshots include solid color backgrounds with a subtle gradient, which adds depth. Soft fabric textures, such as velvet or linen, can create a luxurious or cozy feel. Additionally, smoky effects can add a dramatic atmosphere, while mottled backdrops provide a hand-painted vintage look. With the right textured background, you can achieve almost any vibe or aesthetic.
Non-distracting
Textured backgrounds not only enable you to set the tone of the headshot but, just as importantly, they do not distract from the subject. This is because the textures used for headshots are typically quite subtle and unobtrusive, allowing the subject to stay at the forefront while the background quietly enhances the overall composition.
Suitable For
Textured are incredibly versatile, and can be so subtle that they’re barely noticeable, such as a gradient on a solid neutral color. This means textured backgrounds are suitable for all types of individuals and industries, including:
- Corporate
- Healthcare
- Tech
- Creative industries
- Education
- Fashion
- And more
9. Bokeh
Boken is when the background is deliberately blurred, which can be achieved by using the right camera lens or in post-production. In headshots, bokeh is popular and beneficial because it means even busy backgrounds can be toned down so they become non-distracting. Bokeh comes from the Japanese word boke, which means ‘blur.'”
Subtle Associations
Bokeh backgrounds allow you to use any settings like forests, cityscapes, skylines, workplace environments, and more. The bokeh effect blurs them enough to work well aesthetically for headshots, while still subtly resembling the actual background. This subtle resemblance creates associations with these environments, which can have a subconscious effect on viewers and help convey a specific message.
Emphasize the Subject
As mentioned, bokeh backgrounds are non-distracting while also being aesthetically pleasing. They allow the subject to stand out and be in focus while adding a soft, dreamy, or artistic quality to the headshot. This makes them a popular choice for professional headshots.
Can Be Good For
When used quite subtly, bokeh backgrounds can be suitable for a wide range of industries. However, they can also be quite artistic, making them great for:
- Creative industries
- Fashion
- Actors
- Photographers
- Designers
- Models
10. No Background
Our final background is, well, not a background at all! Having a professional headshot without a background is a valuable asset to have since it is so versatile. You can either request your photographer to provide a headshot with no background or use AI tools or Photoshop to remove the background from an existing headshot.
Unlimited Customization
A headshot without a background can be customized with any background you choose. Throw it into Photoshop or another editing program and have fun placing different background images behind it to see how it looks. If you work for a large company, you can hand over the headshot to the marketing department, and they can add whichever background works best with their current project’s branding.
Use Anywhere
A headshot without a background can often be dragged and dropped onto existing platforms and designs and still work great. For example, if you already have a white, black, colored, or textured background on your website or business card design that you like, the headshot can be added and seamlessly blended in, appearing as if it has the same background.
Excellent For
Since a headshot without a background can be customized in any way, it’s suitable for all individuals and industries, but especially for:
- Businesses with marketing teams
- Tech-savvy individuals who can use editing tools
Choosing the Perfect Background
The right background for you depends largely on how and where it will be used and the look you’re aiming to achieve. However, as a general rule, simple, non-busy backgrounds tend to work best. For those in business or corporate roles, a softly blurred office setting or a solid neutral color background is often the ideal choice.
Sometimes, a bit of trial and error is needed to find the ideal background. If you want the flexibility to choose from a wide range of backgrounds at no extra cost—including all the ten best mentioned in this guide—PixelPose is an excellent, highly realistic AI headshot generator to consider.