Headshot Photography: Quick Tips from a Pro

Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

When taking headshots, it’s essential that your subjects look composed and confident. And as a photographer, it’s your duty to make sure that happens. In this video by B&H, portrait photographer Peter Hurley shares five pro tips to help you take better headshots:

1. Keep it Simple

When taking headshots, the key is to keep the image as simple as possible. There’s no need to overthink or overdo it.

“If you look at my work over the years, it just becomes simpler and simple.”

Keep your subjects simple and straight, and just photograph them.

2. Keep a Consistent Portfolio

A portfolio showcases what kind of results can be expected from you. Your prospective customers need to know what to expect when they’re approaching you. So it’s important that your portfolio showcases work that’s consistent. To keep it consistent, make sure that your shots match each other.

3. Get the Jawline Out

Getting the jawline out is the most crucial thing you can do to make a human look better in front of a camera. Keeping it in will cause a double-chin. Nobody wants to have a double-chin in their headshot!

4. It’s All About the Squinch

Your eyes are the windows to your personality. Confidence and fear are reflected in the eyes. It’s important that you pay attention to how the subject’s eyes are behaving in front of a camera.

“When humans aren’t certain when they get in front of a camera, their eyes open up. That’s not cool at all.”

Ask your subjects to squinch their eyes a bit to convey confidence in front of the camera.

5. Confidence and Approachability

“As humans, we like to look at other humans that are approachable and that are confident.”

In order to get the winning shot, it’s your responsibility to couple confidence with approachability. The subject’s confidence is reflected from their eyes, and they appear more approachable when they smile. So ask your subjects to squinch and give a hint of a smile.

These are some really simple yet very effective tips that you can use to get some brilliant headshot images.