Find inspiration and great tips for your professional headshots. Discover the best examples and ideas for standout corporate headshots. Find expert advice and photos to guide you.
Professional headshots are more than superficial photos because they represent your professional identity.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, corporate executive, or aspiring artist, having an excellent headshot is compulsory. Cooperating with a skilled headshot photographer is essential to capturing that perfect impression.
If you desire a unique headshot of yourself or are searching for examples of the best headshot poses and ideas, Here is an analysis of different models of headshots for men and women. Besides, we will provide helpful insight into successfully blending posture and facial expression.
Please remember these factors are binding in creating powerful imagery and instilling confidence in potential clients, employers, or collaborators.
Let’s drive in…
1. Being Simple is the Key to Making Great Portraits
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The most common and easiest way to pose is to be yourself and build a personal brand. Don’t get nervous and have impressions of fear. Straighten your back and lean slightly towards the camera, leaving your face natural. This is an example of good headshots that look natural.
2. Slight Angling – Modern Corporate Headshot Idea
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Refrain from standing straight thoroughly in front of the camera. Slightly angle your body makes it a more friendly and approachable image. This headshot looks professional business profile.
3. Arm Crossed
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This pose is another great idea to express yourself in a friendly manner. All you need to do is to cross your arms naturally and have a smiley face. This type of image can be great for lawyers and executives.
4. Showing Sentiments
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Bring out the right feelings in your headshot. In this pose, you want to show happiness, confidence, and intelligence so your clients better understand your approach.
5. Leaning Head Towards Shoulders
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Leaning your head slightly towards your shoulders, on the right or left, makes a great portrait. In this case, your body should look balanced because there’s a high chance of slipping and ruining your shot.
6. Getting Down Chin a Bit
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Don’t let your chin be messed up when posing for business headshots. Get down your chin a bit and lean your face towards the camera. This way, you can make your headshot more professional.
7. Taking Random Shot in Motion
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Taking shots in motion enhances your style for professional headshots in outdoor activities. You move around, walk, jump, and fix your hair. It will lead you to poses that anyone else never had.
8. Changing Facial Expression
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This example shows how to express your face in terms of a professional business headshot. Don’t leave your face in one word while you can change your look in different expressions. It will let you check what expression best matches the headshot.
9. Wearing Glasses
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Another pose that gives your image a professional vibe. If you’re not used to wearing glasses, consider the glass in the correct position. Consider the posture, which would be proficient with glasses, and take multiple shots to judge what best suits you. This image shows the model wearing glass and holding it in his hands — that’s fine for himself.
10. With Hands-On Support
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Taking professional headshots when you sit on a chair is a good idea. It can be anything: the arm of the chair, table, lower limb, and more to keep your hands on. It would help if you looked more balanced when you take shots in such a style.
11. Hiding Face
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Today, people want to make their professional headshots more interesting. You can make your own, hiding your face with an object. It can be anything: your clothes, wall, or hands to hide your face.
12. Playing With Shadows
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This pose shows attitude in a business headshot. To acquire such shots, you should set up lighting properly. Keep changing the lighting position if you get the image you were looking for.
13. Looking Down
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When someone looks down, they do it to think about something deeply. It can be a good pose for professional headshots. The image above shows a thoughtful mood and happiness.
14. Smiling
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When the smiling part comes in your photoshoot, it might need clarification on how you should smile. It doesn’t matter whether you smile with your teeth or not. A forced smile doesn’t make it natural, so be yourself when smiling.
15. Hands at Hips
Image source: sharpfocusphoto.com
This style expresses that you’re working hard but still enjoying and having fun at your workplace.
16. Leaning Towards Camera
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This pose expresses a more relaxed image that can satisfy your clients. You need to sit and lean slightly towards the camera to get this pose.
17. Relaxed Hands
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Leave your hands as they are. In a corporate headshot, there’s nothing to do with hands, but in some cases, it does. Since the hands connect your shoulder, you want your hand where it should be.
18. Being Yourself
Image source: sharpfocusphoto.com
This image shows that the model is comfortable and happy with posing. To take a shot like this, be yourself. No one knows about your poses other than yourself, so pose in a way that shows yourself. Headshot photo is commonly used as profile photos in social media. This creates the first impression and showcases your professionalism.
19. Showing Or Talking
Image source: sharpfocusphoto.com
In a professional environment, talking or showing something to the clients is normal. Follow this example that presents happiness at work. Take such shots, chat, or offer something the way you talk. Don’t keep in mind that you’re taking pictures.
20. Leaning Against The Wall
Image source: sharpfocusphoto.com
This professional headshot example shows how to take shots leaning against a wall. This type of pose expresses more relaxation at work. To take such a shot, choose the right wall so it doesn’t ruin your image. Make sure leaning your body against the wall is more balanced.
21. Standing Without Support
Image source: sharpfocusphoto.com
When you stand to take shots, keep your body straight — but not too much — and let your face be regular. This image can be a great example of a corporate photoshoot.
22. Turning Back and looking Over the Shoulder
Image source: sharpfocusphoto.com
In this style, the face is more focused than the body. You must turn back and look over the shoulder to follow this pose. Show happiness on your face, and make sure you don’t exceed it. This example shows a casual headshot.
23. Playing With Hair
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Hair in a headshot can make or break your image. So, play with your hair and keep taking shots. You may get what you were looking for a LinkedIn headshot.
24. Positioning Hands
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When you go for a headshot session, being confused about how to position your hands with a pose is normal. In that case, you want to keep moving your hands in different styles and taking shots.
25. Framing with Hands
There are many frames in photo editing software, but creating a natural structure with your hands looks more appealing and shows your style. You can follow this image — a professional headshot example for females — to make a frame with your hands.
Prep Tips For Professional Headshot Photography
1. Take Special Attention to Clothing
Clothing is undoubtedly the first and foremost thing you should consider when taking a headshot. Make sure you choose clothing consistent with your industry’s image.
If you upload your image on a corporate website, LinkedIn, or any business-oriented site, choose clothing that shows your business-type attitude.
When taking a professional headshot, you should choose something classic that fits perfectly. Choose a dark-colored suit with a light-colored shirt and tie; it best represents a professional portrait. That’s all you should consider, and the rest of the part can be fixed in the editing part.
2. Skin
Skincare is another excellent preparation before you take a headshot. If you’re going to take a headshot, that is the most essential thing in your life. You can choose a diet method to look more natural and fit.
However, the diet method can be an extensive process; you don’t want to do that if you’re in a rush. In that case, you can use some skincare products.
Try to use something that makes your face fresh and bright. Also, you can use some ingredients that camp in massive amounts of moisture so you look more natural in the headshot.
3. Hair
Your hairstyle can make or break female business headshots. When preparing your hair for the headshot, think about what type of look you’re looking for.
When you have long hair, make sure your hair is blown out. Because in a corporate environment, blown-out hair looks more professional, remember to use add-ons to make your hair silky and natural.
4. Makeup
For professional headshots, makeup is vital for a natural and professional look. You can lighten up your face with makeup and better present your attitude. Your face is the first thing your client looks at in your headshot, so make sure both the natural look and light are applied together on your face. Remember, clean and healthy skin makes a good start.
5. Nails
Nails don’t need to appear in a professional headshot, and there’s nothing to do with the pins. But if you need some editorial portraits like Photos of cooking or presenting products, Then you need to consider good-looking nails.
6. Lips
When taking a professional headshot, lips can be significant in presenting your reaction. Make sure your lips are not chapped. You can use lip balm to make your lips more appealing. Apply some treatment on your lips before going to shoot — for example; you want to run a toothbrush on your lips the night before the day of the shoot.
7. Retouch
The final section is retouching, where the magic happens. When you’re preparing all the ingredients and components to make your headshot professional, there’s a high chance you miss something that can ruin your whole process. That’s why Retouch comes to recover them and add some extra edition that makes a great professional headshot.
We are a team of professionals with decades of experience in photo retouching and editing. Once you take some headshots, you can choose us to retouch and get them the way you were looking for. Read the following guide to retouch the photo yourself.
How to Pose for a Professional Business Headshot
You already have some tips on how you can make a good headshot for professional purposes. With all those components you can go close to the professional headshots, but what makes it final is the editing part.
- Relax and Be Natural: The key to a great headshot pose is to relax and be yourself. Stiff and unnatural poses can make you look uncomfortable or insincere. Take a few deep breaths and let your shoulders drop. Imagine you’re talking to a friend, and your natural self will shine through.
- Maintain Good Posture: Good posture is essential for both male and female professional headshots. Stand or sit up straight with your shoulders back. This not only makes you look confident but also elongates your neck, creating a flattering angle.
- Angle Your Body Slightly: For a more dynamic look, angle your body slightly away from the camera. This can make you appear slimmer and add depth to the image. Avoid standing completely square to the camera.
- Mind Your Jawline: To define your jawline and reduce the appearance of a double chin, extend your chin slightly forward and down. This may feel a bit unnatural but works wonders in photos.
- Relax Your Face: Tension in your face can be visible in a headshot. Relax your facial muscles and avoid forced smiles. A genuine, soft smile or a neutral expression can be more appealing and versatile.
- Eyes and Gaze: Your eyes are the focal point of a headshot. Engage with the camera by maintaining eye contact. Look directly into the lens with a friendly and approachable gaze. Avoid squinting or staring too intensely.
- Hands and Arms: In most headshots, your hands and arms won’t be in the frame. However, if they are, keep them relaxed and natural. Avoid awkward hand placement or tense-looking fingers.
- Head Tilt: A slight head tilt can add interest to your headshot. Experiment with tilting your head in different directions to find the most flattering angle for your face shape.
- Experiment with Angles: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different angles. Sometimes, a three-quarter turn of your face can create a more intriguing and dynamic shot than a full frontal pose.
- Relax and Smile: If you’re going for a smiling headshot, remember to keep it genuine. Think of something that makes you naturally smile or laugh. Your eyes should also reflect your smile – known as “smizing.”
- Practice Makes Perfect: Before your photoshoot, practice your poses in front of a mirror or with a friend. This will help you feel more confident and comfortable during the actual session.
- Trust Your Photographer: Finally, trust your professional photographer’s guidance. They are experts in capturing your best angles and expressions. Listen to their suggestions and be open to trying different poses and expressions.
Where You Should Edit Your Headshot
A headshot, which can be used for professional, academic, or business purposes, should always be edited in a professional setting to maintain its integrity and quality.
We — a team of professionals — can make a huge difference in your headshot. Whether it needs color, brightness, makeup, or isolating unwanted objects from images, our experts will retouch it the way it should be and is suitable for your purpose.
Why Do You Choose Us?
We are best at:
- Affordability
- Versatility
- High-end quality
- On-time delivery
- 24-hour customer support
Final Words
Hope you enjoyed all the professional headshot examples and some crucial tips. In professional life, all it matters is to represent yourself. It can be anything whether you present yourself in a business presentation, letter, website, Linkedin, or business meeting.
You don’t need to hire a professional photographer anymore. Those days are gone. With your smartphone. You can take a professional headshot suitable for any occasion.
If you’re the one who wants to get professional headshot examples, these 20 men & women professional headshot examples can be ideal to follow.
Or,
You have the headshots but need some changes so you can approach them anywhere you want, contact us today and get them done within 4 hours or less.
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