3 quick tips to look great in your headshot
January – March each year in my world is headshot season. The New Year, typically signifies new career (or even dating) goals and nowadays a professional picture on your social media accounts can go a long way - because no one likes to be catfished with that pic of you from 10 years ago!
I have a TON of tips that come to mind, but I thought I’d keep it simple and start with my favorite 3 tips you can practice before you have your headshot captured - and yes, these techniques work for men too!
1. KNOW YOUR ANGLES
Want to avoid that dreaded double chin look? When a camera is focused on us we subconsciously pull our head back which is completely unflattering and then in our best attempt to separate our chin from our neck, we tend to pull our forehead out towards the camera.
Instead, pretend like the camera has a string attached from it to your chin, tilt your chin down ever so slightly, and then with that imaginary string attached slightly pull your chin out towards the camera.
It may feel ridiculous at first, but practice this in the mirror and you’ll be impressed by how well accentuated this easy adjustment can make your jawline look.
2. RELAX YOUR BODY AND FACIAL FEATURES BEFORE THE SHOT FOR A GENUINE LOOKING SMILE
I like to work my clients into poses so I can capture more natural moments instead of the stiff, deer caught in the headlights look. It also helps to capture some genuine emotion in their eyes, which are typically the first thing someone sees in a headshot and will determine how they feel about the person - do the exuberate warmth or coldness?
To do this, I ask my clients to relax their face with no emotion and then to right before I start clicking I ask them to think of something funny and break out into a BIG laugh - even if it’s a fake laugh because usually those fake and awkward laughs lead to lots genuine laughter of how silly you feel doing this, and that is when I capture that picture-perfect genuine smile in your headshot.
3. OWN YOUR GOOD SIDE
We all have one - some of us already know and some of us may need a moment to figure it out. Once you determine your “good side” make sure you are flaunting it in all the right ways.
One tip for finding your “good side” is to look at what side you part your hair on. Studies have shown that the side you part your hair on is what you have subconsciously deemed as your “good side” since you are typically exposing more of your face. Part your hair in the middle? Take a closer look in the mirror, because even most center parts are slightly shifted to one side or the other.
And when it comes to your body positioning, typically the most flattering angle for most women is a slight 2/3 angle. For men it can be the same, but often times straight is their best angle as it tends to broaden their appearance.
So now that you have a few tips, it’s time to go feel them out and get to know yourself a little better before your headshot shoot. For a lot of us, the last time we felt confident with seeing ourselves in photos was in high school or our early twenties and the reality is, our appearance between then and now has likely changed a little.
I know it may feel weird standing in front of a mirror practicing these techniques, but as the saying goes, “practice makes better” so by better understanding what you are comfortable with when it comes to your face and body, it will not only help you feel more comfortable throughout your shoot but also allows the photographer you are working with to confidently capture the shot that you will be proud to use on your social media profiles, website bio, etc.