Headshot Background Guide 2021

Are you a finance professional? Author? Actor? Marketing consultant? Medical residency applicant?

Different backgrounds work for better for certain professions than others. In this article, we'll outline our top recommendations for each headshot background based on what you do so you don't accidentally pick a backdrop that doesn't make sense!

First, take a look at the images below. Click on an image and use the arrow keys to skip through the photos and see explanations of the backdrops and why they work for each particular photo. Then, scroll down to read the article.

What is the Best Background Color for a Headshot?

There is no best color because it depends on what you're using the shot for and what industry you're in. This guide will show you what backdrop will work best for each industry and use.

Your Professional Headshot Background Must Work for Your Goals

Your background MUST support the type of work you do or what you're using the image for – while also being complimentary to your skin tone, clothing, and eye color.

For instance, if the backdrop you choose is bright and colorful but you work in a formal industry and for a conservative company, the shot won't make sense and might confuse viewers (or your company might require you to have the photo retaken).

Generally speaking, brighter/colorful backgrounds tend to work better for more casual and relaxed industries, and darker backgrounds work better for conservative/formal industries. For actors, we have a completely separate guide that goes into depth on the best colors for headshots.

Here's an in-depth guide on clothing to wear, and about halfway down the article is a section on color-matching so you can learn which colors compliment each other.

Formal Business Portraits
Dark Gray or Dark Blue

Formal business portraits are traditional, dark backdrop shots (blue, gray, or black). Typically, people in the following fields will get a traditional business portrait:

Consulting
Finance
Engineering
Insurance
Law

These professions generally require more formal attire than others, and therefore using a darker backdrop will bring across the formality expected in the industry. You'd normally want to wear a full suit and tie, but stay away from black jackets as they can sometimes look too dark against these dark backdrops. A dark gray or navy will work better. Remember that a nice smile can help relax the shot a bit so that it doesn't feel too formal or stiff.

Learn more about what to wear by clicking here.

Relaxed Professional Headshots
Light Gray, Light Blue, or Outdoor

Gray Headshot Background

Outdoor Headshot Background

Using an off-white or outdoor background for headshots leads to a more relaxed and approachable shot. Your expression is of course extremely important to how approachable you look, but the feeling of the image as a whole must also show more approachability and warmth for certain professions. A lighter background or outdoor shot tends to help with this.

People in the following fields will benefit from these types of shots:

Actors
Authors
Broadcasters
Counselors
Designers
Filmmakers
Fitness Trainers
Hospitality & Tourism Directors
Journalists
Life Coaches
Non-Profit Workers
Politicians
Real Estate Brokers
Retailers
Sales People
Therapists
Teachers

When shooting against a lighter or more colorful backdrop, it's totally up to you how formally you want to dress. The formality of your clothing can be contrasted by the more relaxed background, or you can do some shots in a more formal outfit and some in a more casual outfit so you have some of both.

We strongly recommend wearing a suit jacket or sport coat if you're a guy, unless your shirt is well-fitted and not a very pale color. And remember that it's better to wear a light blue shirt instead of a white one if you are planning to do shots without a tie. Learn more about what to wear by clicking here.

No-Background Business Portraits
White

Headshot With White Background

We usually recommend that anyone in technology have at least a few shots on a white background. People that work on the internet or with computers, or those who have their own website can benefit from a shot that appears to have no background behind them.

Because a white background can easily be removed and digitally swapped with something else, the image can be very versatile. A white background itself will match almost any website, but if your web developer removes you from the background, you can even put yourself in front of another image (called compositing). You can keep the transparency information in the file so it can be placed on all different backgrounds whenever needed.

Besides people in tech, there are also other fields that should have a white background, just for the clean and crisp feeling it provides:

Bloggers
Healthcare Professionals
Marketers
Media & Newscasters
Scientists
Web Developers

In-reality, anyone who starts their own business should have at least a few professional shots of themselves on a white background because of its versatility.

Stylized Portraits
Indoor or Outdoor

Stylized portraits are much more creative than standard headshots. Anyone can use them, from financial executives to painters. A stylized portrait is a shot usually taken outdoors or against a backdrop with stylized lighting in order to tell a story or get a feeling across. The difference between a stylized portrait and a headshot is that a stylized portrait is more about the photography than the expression alone. It is most often used for people who already have a professional headshot and want something totally different and unique.

People who most-often need stylized portraits are musicians, artists, and dancers/models but anyone can benefit from one, especially if you are running your own business and want some different pictures (full/half body shots) to put on your website.

Some examples of stylized portraits would be a photo of you sitting at a computer desk looking like you're working, or one of you reading a book on a bench outside or walking along the sidewalk, or even a shot of you standing in front of the courthouse building if you're a lawyer.

See some creative portraits here.

Online Dating Pictures & Personal Use
Outdoor

Using a professional photo for online dating and personal use is becoming increasingly common these days. We generally recommend that these shots be taken outdoors with natural light and backgrounds so they don't look staged.

People using their images for social media should also opt for a white background if they want their image to be more versatile. See the section above called "No Background Business Portraits" for more information.

Graduation Pictures
Indoor or Outdoor

Depending on the formality of the graduation photo you want, we have taken indoor and outdoor shots. Typically, an indoor graduation photo would be a formal portrait against a dark gray or blue backdrop. An outdoor graduation photo is more fun and natural, so it's really up to you based on your preference.

Medical Residency Application Photos
White or Gray Backdrops

ERAS images must fit very specific requirements, so we have created an entire page dedicated to our Medical Residency Application Photography.

We recommend shooting on a white or light gray backdrop because a lighter background is statistically more likely to be clicked on by faculty members reviewing your application.

Learn more about our Medical Residency Headshots here.

Actor & Model Headshots
No Specific Rules

Actor headshots are a huge branch of photography, and some photographers spend their entire lives solely dedicated to shooting headshots for actors.

They can be done on white, light gray, dark gray, black, outdoor, and just about any other backdrop you can think of!

For that reason, we've created an entirely separate page you can view here: Actor Headshot Backgrounds: The Ultimate Guide

General Headshot Background Tips (and things to avoid)

Avoid distracting elements in the backdrop, such as bright lights, random streaks of color, or sharp lines going across the image. The background should never be distracting and draw your eye away from the face of the subject!
The background must be extremely blurred for outdoors shots. If you can see detail and you can "tell" what's behind you, it means the background is distracting and shouldn't be used for a professional headshot. For a non-headshot (such as a stylistic portrait or full body shot), seeing more of the backdrop in sharper focus is fine, but for true "professional headshots," the background should not draw the eye at all.
You must "pop" off the background. The photographer can use lighting tricks or you can wear a completely different color than the backdrop to make sure you don't blend in with it. If you do, your headshot won't look high-end and might make people think you didn't invest much money into it (meaning they'll wonder how serious you are about your career).
Make sure your headshot matches any required company specs. If you work for a company that has certain requirements, be sure to ask them those before scheduling a shoot! Your photographer likely won't know what those specifications are unless they've worked with your company before.
A note on Murals & Graffiti Backgrounds: We generally advise against shooting with murals unless they are specifically needed to get across a story or idea. As a rule of thumb, headshots are about YOU, not the background, so stay away from anything that draws too much attention to itself unless you're looking for a Stylistic Portrait.
How to pick the right type of "blurred" backdrop: Generally, when a photographer blurs out a real-life setting behind you, there are four options, and each gives off a slightly different feeling:
- Interior Office or Home: Blurring out the interior of a space can work well as long as the space is neat and interesting-looking. It can be a nice way to give off a professional – yet casual – vibe!
- City Settings: Using a skyline, street, cars, or even a building as your headshot background can look modern and sleek, especially if it's blurred out a lot. Be careful though, because city backdrops can quickly become distracting if they're not blurred enough.
- Greenery & Natural Settings: Real estate agents and actors often request greenery photos, with plants and nature blurred out in the background. Since nature is generally not distracting (the way a city might be), you don't need to blur out the background as much to still get a highly-polished photo.
- Walls & Pathways: As long as they're not too distracting, angling yourself along a wall or walkway can create a great look for a headshot. There are no particular industries that work better with these backdrops (except we don't recommend them for actors), so if there's time and you want to try it out, go ahead!

In Summary

At the end of the day, a great headshot is not about the photography, but about you. Avoid working with photographers who require you to shoot on specific backdrops or don't give you a say in what your final photo looks like – headshot photography should be a team effort.

Key takeaway: The backdrop should support you and the work you do, and should never draw the eye away from your face.

Here's a guide on how to find a great headshot photographer in any city.