10 top tips for taking editor-ready headshots
Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash
Having great founder, executive or experts headshots is important for any business, and a few publications won’t publish an article about them if the picture isn’t high enough quality or resolution.
But we know getting it right can sometimes be difficult, so here are 10 tips to help:
To create a genuine, natural and organic feel for the headshot, take the pictures in public spaces and steer away from artificial lighting. Good lighting is key – warm and soft is the best way to go.
If you are shooting outdoors, avoid taking the pictures in bright sunlight – it may lead to photographs being over-exposed, or you might end up squinting.
Using a professional photographer can be great - but it’s not essential, even the most recent smartphones work well and can provide automatic background blur, if necessary.
Don’t forget to smile! Think about something that genuinely makes you happy – a picture can tell a thousand stories just through one genuine smile.
It's always good to provide a couple of choices for editors, so have options for vertical and horizontal headshots. It's also good to show your personality and what makes you tick - don't be afraid to have other objects (your dog, for instance) in alternative shots. But remember, some publications will just want a straightforward, high-quality headshot, so that is the basis to start.
Aligning the photo with your brand can be a plus. For example, if you’re an advocate of flexible working, it might be a great idea to take a photo at your home, in the garden or in a café rather than an office space.
Make sure you are centred in the headshot - your torso and head should be properly shown in the picture. Also, there should be enough space around your head and shoulders so it doesn’t look zoomed in.
Always make sure all pictures are of high quality, at least 1MB in size. Some editors might edit the headshot to fit their editorial branding, so they would need as high quality as possible. Again here, it’s good to have a variety of shots to suit every need – lower resolution for websites and mobile applications and higher resolution for online and print magazines.
Last but not least - just relax and imagine the camera as your best friend.
If you have any queries at all, let us, we’re here to help: kayphelps@prinhr.co.uk.