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Today, head shots are a critical piece of your social-media presence. A good head shot for some professionals can often be the difference between acquiring the job or a customer or not.

1. Light

The camera in itself isn’t as important as the light. Taking a photo in a dark room, under harsh spotlights or under fluorecent light will never make anyone look good. Always try to face or stand sideways to the natural light source, large windows are the best!

2. Background

The type of background is very important. A very busy background is going to distract from the face and it won’t make you stand out. Standing right against a plain white wall in the office isn’t the right thing to do either. Always try to find a background which helps to frame the subject, not distract from it. Keep some distance between the subject and the background to create depth. Even photos taken with current smart phones can blur the background if you keep some disatnce between your subject and what is behind. When using small compact cameras, try zooming in a little bit. Doing so will blur the background even more.

3. Facial Expressions

When it comes to facial expressions, CONFIDENCE matters!
I like to tell people that there is no such a thing as ‘not being photogenic’. It’s all down to your confidence and how you react to the camera. This is why most people look better on photos when they take ‘selfies’. Try to relax and be confident. This will always make you look better on your photos!

4. Composition

Avoid the passport-type photo look in head shots! Standing side-ways to the camera and turning your face to the lens often works very well.
Apply the rule of thirds. This is when you divide the image into thirds and make sure that your focal point, in this instance eyes, are on the divinding line. This technique was used by painters for centuries and works great in all types of photography, not just head shots.