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By the end of this article, you'll know how to take a headshot with a cell phone.
Don't want to be bothered with lighting and other details? We offer "Virtual Headshot" packages, where we take your photo over the internet and digitally retouch it to make the background and lighting professional. 
There are three main things to keep track of when taking a professional headshot with an iPhone:
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As you can see, if you do it yourself, you'll hold the phone up where it's marked in the diagram (with the window right behind it to light up your face). Just make sure to hold your phone in a way that makes it hard to tell you were actually holding your phone!
If someone helps you out, they'll be standing where "Your Phone" is. The window will be behind them and they'll be taking photos of you with a wall, backdrop, or blurred out background behind you.
We'll discuss backdrops and lighting in a moment.
Here's a photo of the setup for how to take your own headshot with an iPhone:
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There are really no special tricks involved – it's just a matter of taking a bunch of shots and trying a few body positions and expressions.
When you've found a photo you like, you can use an app to finalize it so it looks professional, and then upload it to your LinkedIn profile.
Backdrop
Blurred, Gray, Blue, or White? Or Something Else?
Of course, beyond the darkness under my eyes, the backdrop is very distracting in the first shot above.
So let's talk about how to fix it so your shot looks professional!
So let's talk about how to fix it so your shot looks professional!
Original (No Background Change)
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Blurred Backdrop (using the Focos app)
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Flat Backdrop (using the Magic Eraser app)
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How to Get a Blurred Backdrop Behind You:
- Option 1 – Use Portrait Mode. The simplest way to get a professional headshot with your iPhone is to use Portrait Mode to blur out whatever is behind you. It can instantly make your photo appear more professional and there's almost no work involved on your part.
- Option 2 – Use a free headshot app for iPhone and Android called Focos. It blurs out the backdrop even more than Portrait Mode and can take any headshot to the next level.
Check out the Before and After images below to get an idea of what your headshot could look like using the Focus app:
Before
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After
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As you can see, phone apps will never work perfectly, but they can do a pretty good job of making the background less distracting.
How to Get a Flat Color Backdrop Behind You:
You have a few different options when it comes to getting flat backdrops behind you in your smartphone headshot:
- Option 1 – Use a professional headshot app called Magic Eraser Background Editor (or Background Eraser for Android). This application allows you to manually cut out the background, and it uses artificial intelligence technology to make it easier and faster. The downside is that no apps are perfect, so it might take some extra time and if you look closely, the edges around you could be a bit rough.
- Option 2 – Stand against a wall so the background is flat and not distracting. Although it's easier than using an app, you might not be able to get the lighting to look as good because most people don't have windows that directly face a wall.
- Option 3 – Buy a white (or colored) poster board and have someone hold it behind you. It doesn't sound easy, but it's probably the most realistic-looking way to get a professional backdrop behind you, while positioning yourself in front of a window to get the best possible light (more on lighting soon).
- Option 4 – Have us do it for you. You can send us any photo you take and we'll use Photoshop to swap out the backdrop so it looks perfect. We'll also retouch blemishes, whiten teeth, and adjust the lighting and coloring so your headshot looks extremely professional. Cost is $45 for one image.
Keep in mind that certain industries require specific backdrops. For instance, if you work as a lawyer in a conservative company, you might need a completely different backdrop than if you're applying to medical residencies.
Or if you're an actor, a commercial headshot requires an entirely different backdrop than a legit (or theatrical) headshot.
Below are two different backdrops, and you can see how the feel of the shot changes completely from formal and serious to friendly and relaxed:
Dark Gray Backdrop (formal and serious)
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White Backdrop (friendly and relaxed)
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Although backdrop recommendations are beyond the scope of this article, we're happy to send you our in-depth guide for free:
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Lighting
The Secret Sauce to Make Headshots Look Professional
If you don't want people to know you took your headshot on your smartphone, you should spend a few extra minutes to ensure the lighting is good.
Can you see the problem with the lighting in the photo below?
Can you see the problem with the lighting in the photo below?
Can you tell why this lighting is bad?
If you're not careful, you can get extremely dark shadows under your eyes when the lighting is not coming from the right angle!
The best light comes from in front and slightly above. It should come from a large source so it's very soft and doesn't create harsh shadows on your face.
For Great Lighting, Stand in Front of a Window:
The best way to get good lighting without any professional equipment is by standing in front of a window about 4 feet away. Make sure you're facing towards the window so that the light fills in your face (and be sure the sun isn't shining directly on you).
Here's an example where all lights were turned off in the room except the light coming from the window:
Great Lighting – Very few shadows on the face.
The window is right behind the camera, and all that soft light is coming down onto my face.
As a reminder, here's the setup and a diagram to reference:
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A Short Video Guide:
Check out this video to learn everything you need to know about the proper setup, and then come back to continue reading the rest of this article:
Part 2 - How You Look
In the photo with the blue cardigan, my shirt collar is sticking out on one side, and not on the other. This is something that should have been fixed.
While shooting, make sure to pay attention to:
While shooting, make sure to pay attention to:
- Posture: Stand up tall. If you think you look hunched, it could simply be the curvature of your spine. Try pointing your body at a slight different angle (like instead of turning left, turn to the right). This usually helps fix posture issues if standing taller doesn't seem to help.
- Clothing: Try to wear solid colors if possible, and make sure you're shirt isn't wrinkled! You can also read this great article on what to wear for headshots.
- Glare in glasses: A trick to fix glare is to angle your lenses down a bit. Basically you can raise the back part of the glasses off your ears so the lenses are tilted down. It shouldn't be noticeable in the camera but works really well!
- No flash: Make sure the camera flash is OFF or it will make you look shiny and unnatural in the picture.
- If you have a double chin, try doing "The Turtle": Push your forehead towards the camera by about an inch to help make your jawline sharper. Don't push too far or it will look weird... just do it a little bit.
Part 3 - Your Expression
If your smile is fake, you won't connect with the viewer and it could create distrust!
So how do you get a real smile in your shot? Well, just look at the camera and start laughing!
So how do you get a real smile in your shot? Well, just look at the camera and start laughing!
Laughing is key to a good smile!
The simplest way to get a great expression, whether it's a big, open-mouthed smile or a subtle, closed-mouth expression, is to actually FEEL genuine.
You must feel good in the photo and imagine warmly greeting someone.
When you FEEL what you're projecting, it shows in ways that faking it never will.
Although advanced expression tricks are beyond the scope of this article, we have a great free guide you can read.
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It's called Look Your Best in Your Professional Headshot, and is a guided "how-to" that explains our top strategies on getting high-quality headshots with any photographer (even if you're shooting your headshot yourself):
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Part 4 - Upgrading Your Headshot
Now, if you want to take your final photo a step further, we can professionally change the background and adjust lighting, fix blemishes, whiten teeth and more, so your final shot looks highly polished and ready for LinkedIn.
The cost to have your image professionally retouched is $45 and typically takes 2-3 business days. To learn more about this service, click here.
The cost to have your image professionally retouched is $45 and typically takes 2-3 business days. To learn more about this service, click here.
Before
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After – Perspective adjustment (face looks less distorted), background swap, digital retouching (eye circles, blemishes, etc.), and lighting adjustment.
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Don't want to be bothered and want us to do all the work?
You can shoot with someone on our team (a professional photographer) who will take your photos through Zoom and guide you through the process, step by step.
Learn more about our Virtual Headshots service here.
Further Reading:
If you enjoyed this article, here are three others I think you'll find helpful:
About
Each person who works at City Headshots has a different perspective on photography and life. The Spotlight Blog is where it all comes together and we post fun and unique stuff!
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