How to Prepare for a "Virtual" Headshot Session

We're excited to have the opportunity to take your new headshots!

In this guide we'll outline what you can expect and how to prepare.

Example of a "Virtual Headshot" on LinkedIn.

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​What You Can Expect

Resolution:

​The first and most important thing to be aware of is that there are limitations to image resolution and quality with these types of shoots.

If you want the highest possible image quality, we highly recommend that you use a smartphone camera to take your pictures. Below we've outlined the three ways to take your picture virtually and the quality limitations with each:

1. Highest Possible Quality: If you have access to someone who can take your photo with your smartphone, this is ideal. Please make sure you have them available to help out during the shoot (or at least available afterwards so they can re-take your photo and then you can send it to us for retouching). Note: If your friend is unavailable during the time you scheduled, no worries! We have a simple solution you can read about further down.
2. Second Best Possible Quality: If you don't have someone but have a smartphone with a decent front-facing camera, you can tape your phone to your window and use it to take your photo. Don't worry - we've tested this and tape doesn't seem to leave residue unless you leave it for more than a half hour.
3. LinkedIn-Only Quality: If you only need to use your photo on LinkedIn and aren't worried about getting higher resolution, we can take your photo through your laptop camera. Be aware that your shot might look a bit blurry depending on what kind of laptop and internet connection you have, but when shrunk down to the tiny LinkedIn size, your image should look fine.

Keep in mind that the brighter the light on your face (bright windows), the sharper your final image will be. If you're in dim lighting, the photos won't be as crisp.

​Related: Headshot Size & Cropping Rules

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Retouching:

In order to make your final image look professional, we will be retouching your favorite shot.

In retouching, we'll change or blur the backdrop, adjust the brightness and color in the photo, and fix blemishes and flyaway hairs, plus whiten teeth.

Be aware that you'll be seeing unmodified photos at first, which will look unprofessional. This is because they have not yet been fixed up, so try to ignore the unprofessional background, etc., and choose the one you like best based on your own body position and expression.

Then we will finalize it and send it back for your approval.

​Take a look at the before and after image below so you know what can be done. As you can see, we can put any backdrop behind you and customize the lighting to ensure it looks realistic.

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Option 1 - Highest Resolution
Preparing for a Shoot with a Friend

It's important to position yourself properly and ensure your phone is taking photos at the highest quality setting possible.


Positioning:

1. Position yourself facing towards a bright window, about 6 feet away. Make sure the window does not have direct sunlight shining on you.
2. Your friend should be standing with his/her back to the window, holding your smartphone. Make sure the smartphone is about 2-3 inches above your eye height. They should zoom in a bit by pinching so that you fill up most of the frame – but are NOT cropping off the sides of your body.
3. Tilt the smartphone down so your head is towards the top of the frame. We want to see some of your body in the shot (while also making sure your hair is not cut off). The image can be cropped at about your waist.

Take a look at the image below to get an idea of what the setup looks like:

Technical Setup:

Now that you've positioned yourself, you need to make sure that we are able to see you properly to guide both you and your friend during the shoot.

1. Set up your laptop somewhere off to the side so we can see both of you (similar to the position of the person who took the picture of the photographer and client above). You should have a place in mind to leave your laptop before the start of the photoshoot because sometimes it can take a few minutes to figure out where to put it. Note: putting it on the floor is usually OK!
2. Install Zoom by using the link that was provided to you or clicking here. You should definitely do this before the start of the photoshoot because sometimes it can take a few minutes.
3. Make sure your Zoom link is working properly. Try joining the meeting link that was sent to you. It might say "Waiting for the host to start the meeting." If that's the case, you know you have the right link. You should also try creating a new meeting to test and make sure your video and audio are functioning properly.
4. Try taking a test photo with your camera. To be sure that your smartphone is working properly and the image looks OK, try having your friend take a couple quick test shots so you can see what they look like. We'll guide you through the process when the shoot begins, but over-preparing is always helpful!

If you have trouble with any of these steps, feel free to email us at info@cityheadshots.com and we'll help you out.

After the shoot is finished, you'll email your favorite photo to us to retouch!


What if My Friend is Unavailable During the Scheduled Time?

• If your friend is unavailable, that's no problem. During your scheduled time slot, we'll walk you through the process and help you find the best place to do your shoot later on. We'll also email you a simple video guide that shows you how to take your photo with your friend (without us present).
  
• You'll take the later with your friend and then just email us your favorite shot and we'll retouch it for you.

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Scroll down to the bottom of this article for info on what to wear.

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Option 2 - Medium Resolution
Preparing for a Taped-to-the-Window Smartphone Camera Shoot

We know what you're thinking... "GROSS!!"

Well, we thought putting tape on phones and windows would be gross too... until we tested it. Something about the glass on the phone screen and windows makes it usually not leave residue unless it stays for a long time. This has been proven numerous times with our clients.

If you're still worried, put a small piece of tape on your phone and window to test it first. If it doesn't leave any stickiness behind, chances are it will be fine for the 15-minute duration of the shoot.

And if you do see residue, you can always use a warm hair dryer to make it easy to wipe right off.


Positioning:

1. Tape a small ball of tissue or paper towel to the back of your smartphone, about 3/4 of the way up. Make sure the tissue is about half an inch in diameter, because you'll be using this to tilt your camera down from the window.
2. Tape your phone to your window about 3-6 inches higher than eye-level, with the screen facing you. You should be able to see yourself in the camera (by using selfie-mode).
3. Turn your camera onto video mode. You will be recording a video of yourself, rather than doing timed-exposures. It's possible to do timed-exposures, but most people find they are too restrictive and difficult (you're welcome to try them if you want though). Video mode set to HD should be plenty-high resolution for us to take screenshots of the best moments and send them to you for review.
4. Position yourself facing towards the window, about 4-6 feet away. Make sure the window does not have direct sunlight shining on you. Your phone should be positioned so your head is near the top of the frame and we see down to about your waist.

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Take a look at the images below to get an idea of what the setup looks like (you'll be standing about 4-6 feet away from the phone).

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Technical Setup:

Now that you've positioned yourself and your phone, you need to make sure that we are able to see you properly to guide you during the shoot.

1. Set up your laptop somewhere off to the side so we can see both you AND your phone. You should have a place in mind to leave your laptop before the start of the photoshoot because sometimes it can take a few minutes to figure out where to put it.
2. Install Zoom by using the link that was provided to you or clicking here. You should definitely do this before the start of the photoshoot because sometimes it can take a few minutes.
3. Make sure your Zoom link is working properly. Try joining the meeting link that was sent to you. It might say "Waiting for the host to start the meeting." If that's the case, you know you have the right link. You should also try creating a new meeting to test and make sure your video and audio are functioning properly.
4. Try taking a test photo or video with your camera. To be sure that your smartphone is working properly and the image looks OK, try doing a couple quick test shots so you can see what they look like. We'll guide you through the process when the shoot begins, but over-preparing is always helpful!

If you have  trouble with any of these steps, feel free to email us at info@cityheadshots.com and we'll help you out.

​After your shoot is finished, you'll email the video file to us (you can use a free file-sharing service like WeTransfer if the video is too big to email), and we'll take screenshots for you to choose from!

Scroll down to the bottom of this article for info on what to wear.

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Option 3 - Low Resolution
Preparing for a Laptop Shoot

It's important to position yourself properly and ensure your video chat service is set for "HD" if possible.


Positioning:

Note: Ideally, you'll need a laptop for best results – an iPad or smartphone is more difficult to hold in place (unless you're very creative).

1. Find a table and chair and position them in front of a bright window. Make sure the window does not have direct sunlight shining on you.
2. Find some books and pile them up. Balance your laptop on top of them so the laptop is about three inches higher than eye level. If you don't have books, you can use a cardboard box or anything else you find.
3. Tilt the laptop down so your head is towards the top of the frame. We want to see some of your body in the shot (while also making sure your hair is not cut off).

Take a look at the image below to get an idea of what the setup looks like (note - the laptop should have been a few inches higher):

Technical Setup:

Now that you've positioned yourself, you need to make sure that your computer is ready for our video chat, on the highest possible video quality setting.

1. Install Zoom by using the link that was provided to you or clicking here. You should definitely do this before the start of the photoshoot because sometimes it can take a few minutes.
2. Make sure everything is working properly. Try joining the meeting link that was sent to you. It might say "Waiting for the host to start the meeting." If that's the case, you know you have the right link. You should also try creating a new meeting to test and make sure your video and audio are functioning properly.
3. Ensure HD video is enabled. If your computer can do HD, you should because it will allow us to take higher quality pictures of you. Open up Zoom settings (towards the top of the screen), go to the "Video" tab, and check "Enable HD."

If you have  trouble with any of these steps, feel free to email us at info@cityheadshots.com and we'll help you out.

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What to Wear?

The only other thing to think about is what you'll be wearing for the shoot.

Here is a great guide on what colors and clothing work best for headshots.

​We're looking forward to your shoot, and feel free to email us if you have further questions!