Tips and tricks for home headshots and business photographs

A few months ago when the Covid regulations allowed I had some new professional headshots taken alongside some less corporate lifestyle shots. For these shots I worked with my friend and professional photographer, Emma Bailey. During the process of taking these photographs Emma and I decided to collaborate on this article to share practical tips and tricks you can use to get professional results in a home setting. We also provide advice on how to feel more comfortable in a situation that is potentially awkward and reflect on the advantages of working with a profession photographer and what this is really like from the perspective of a normal person.

I generally like to get my headshots and lifestyle shots updated at least once a year, not least because I change my hair colour fairly often and my work profile picture was at least 5 hair colours ago! One of my pet peeves is when people either don’t have a photograph on their staff profile or it’s wildly out of date! Working with students a lot I’m aware that looking someone up before you are meeting or interviewing with them can be useful to feel reassured and calm. This is less of an issue now as most meetings are online, but it’s still something worth considering. From the point of view of having organised numerous events having portrait style, professional headshots for all speakers in a high and low-res format supplied to me upfront saves me a great deal of time and creates a consistent, professional feel for the event. Having resources on yourself prepared and in the right formats really does convey a message of being organised and professional and creates a great first impression.

Generally, I like getting my picture taken, my preference is drink in hand, heavily posed (yes the peace sign) and nearly always wearing sunglasses. Now that isn’t appropriate for every situation, especially work ones which is why when I need to convey a more expert vibe I always ask a professional photographer to take my photo. I understand that for everyone hiring a photographer isn’t an option. But a few caveats; it isn’t as expensive as you might think, a lot of photographers do special headshot rates where you get a small number of shots for a set fee, you can go to a studio and/or location and everything is setup. Most will also do a call or meeting before to show examples, get an idea of what you want and listen to any issues or worries you have. So, it really is a full service package and if you have worries or anxieties around getting your photograph taken this is a good way to tackle it where you are in control.

Having a headshot taken is exposing I’m not going to lie, there is nothing to hide behind and you are presenting and representing yourself front and centre. The last shoot I did really tuned into this. One comment that was really revealing to me was when Emma said “I know you’re self-conscious about your teeth, but try to relax”. I asked her how she knew this and she told me I was holding tension in my jaw. We tend to hold tension in places we feel stress or worry without realising we are doing it. How many of us when we are feeling stressed hunch up our shoulders without noticing or hold our breath without realising? Being more mindful and observant of these things and checking in on them is one of the ways you can reset them and feel more relaxed. A couple of times a day I reset my shoulders, do a breathing exercise or a body scan so I can feel more connected to my body and tune into how I am really feeling.

Be aware that when you look at photos of yourself you tend to focus on the things that you are most self-conscious about. I don’t think there is an easy fix to this, other than being mindful that you are doing this and continuing to do personal work and reflection on what you are uncomfortable about and where that stems from. Something that I did on this shoot was to check the photos immediately after they were taken. I had it in my mind that I would focus on the small stuff, so I did an initial check to make sure they captured the brief of what I wanted. Then a few days later after Emma had edited them, I looked again at a time when I had time and space to view them more objectively. A thing to remember is that often you are viewing the photos really big and see EVERYTHING magnified and this is not always realistic to how they will be viewed in real life. Be aware of the purpose they are being used for and how they will be viewed, most often this will be in a much smaller size, e.g. a LinkedIn profile picture, so view the pictures in this size and reflect on what you see and how you feel.

Below Emma has gone into detail on some specific tips to consider if you are taking photos yourself at home. She gives advice on lighting, focus, pose and clothing which are all important to consider.

 Lighting

• No overhead bulbs, they cast shadow under your eyes
• Light should go into your eyes so people can see in and connect, but obviously you do not want a bulb burning your retinas. So soft daylight, coming through a window is perfect.
• Window light is available and cheap, you do not have to get the right bulb for the sun
• If the sun is too ‘hot’ on your face then draw the curtains or blinds slightly or hang some neutral colours from the windows, like white tops, this will reduce glare without adding strange colours to your face.
• Remember ‘how’ you look is important, no-one will know that you are hanging clothes and did not buy an expensive lamp. This is the magic of off camera lighting. You know: they don’t.

 Focus or Depth of field

• Move away from your background, creating that distance will heighten the chance of keeping the background out of focus and throwing that focus onto you
• To do this you might have to rearrange yourself and the furniture so you are at one end and other distractions are either out of the room or out of shot. I have spent most of my time rearranging furniture when shooting headshots at people's homes and offices.
• If you are lacking in the space do to that, try to declutter the background i.e. takes things off walls that are distracting

Pose

How you feel translates to the viewer. This is the power of photography. This is why some people are understandably scared of having their photo taken, it doesn't steal your soul, but it can capture it. There are ways of tricking it though, so even on a day when you are not feeling it you can still look great. This is what models and actors have to do, they are not allowed off days, they have to bring their A-game each day. 

• Hold your stomach in. This will automatically straighten your back and give you good posture, slouching says ‘I can’t be bothered to control my body’
• Turn your body to face 11am or 1pm. This 45 degree angle will naturally slim you down, if your whole body faces forward, you feel bigger and the resulting photo can look like a passport image.
• Hold arms in front of you. This can slim down your shoulders, holding them behind you makes your neck and back look bigger than it is. 
• Close your eyes a millimetre. Strange instruction I know, but if your eyes are too open you can look scared. Close them slightly or even better, raise the lower lids a fraction and this will instantly give you an assertive look - but beware, too much and we lose the connectivity with your eyes.
• Relax. This is the most difficult thing to do for a shoot. To get rid of tension, do your workout in the morning, have a hot shower, sing in the shower, put some music on whilst your are shooting - it will make you smile and distract you. I put music on in my shoots, it keeps the energy levels up and keeps the client moving, when muscles stay still for a couple of shots they will tense up and your worries will show. 
• Clear your mind. Also difficult especially in these strange times, but just a moment of clarity will show a confident and approachable face and a moment is all you need in photography.

Clothes

To feel more professional and more in control of your surroundings, it is good to separate yourself from the background, so the viewer can concentrate on you. We are needing to sell you, not clothes, you have to stand out.

• Bulky or too many layers, can add weight
• V-necks not round necks, are great at slimming you down. A top with any jacket can instantly give this look.
• Try a colour that can match your eye colour
• That colour should not be the brightest thing in the photo, if in doubt go neutral
• No crazy patterns or horizontal stripes - these can make you look bigger

 For more information with examples go here: 

https://ebaileyphotography.co.uk/information-brighton-headshot-photography/

We hope you enjoyed this article and it helps you to capture photographs of yourself that you are happy with and reflect the person you are and want to portray.