Headshot photography is a type of photography that specifically focuses on showcasing an individual’s face—though sometimes it includes the upper body or even full body.
Headshots are essential for a variety of business and personal uses. Let’s dig in to learning all about headshots and how you can use them for your own needs.
What is headshot photography?
Headshot photography is a specialized type of photography that focuses on capturing a person's face, typically from the shoulders up. The primary goal is to highlight the subject's features, personality, and professionalism in a clean and straightforward manner.
A headshot is typically used for professional or identification purposes. It’s meant to present the subject in a clear and focused manner, often for business, acting, or modeling profiles. The general goal is to convey professionalism, confidence, and approachability.
What’s the difference between a headshot and a portrait?
While many use the terms interchangeably—go for it!—there are some slight differences between headshots and portraits. If you want to get technical, portraits are actually a type of headshot. However, generally speaking, headshots are more professional and portraits are more creative. Both have a place in the business world, as well as non-corporate uses.
What’s the purpose of a headshot?
Headshots are commonly used in various professional contexts, such as on business websites, social media profiles, acting and modeling portfolios, corporate branding, and even personal branding.
Unlike traditional portraits, which might include more creative elements or a broader view of the subject, headshots are usually more focused and minimalistic, emphasizing clarity and detail.
Individual
Some headshots are meant to highlight an individual. There are tons of reasons for this—maybe it’s a founder or C-level executive, a LinkedIn profile photo, or a business owner. These photos could be used for profile pages, about us pages, and more.
The Who We Are Project, for example, has an individual headshot of its founder on its “our team” page. You can see the photo was clipped and/or masked, isolating the subject and putting it on a different background.
The Women’s Eagles rugby team also has individual headshots on its website. In this example, there are many individual headshots to showcase each of the players on the team.
Group
Team headshots involve multiple people. In some cases, the whole group is on-site to take the photo together. In others, the photos are taken individually and later clipped and composited to be one group photo.
For example, one sports photographer we work with on clipping paths and retouching takes both team and individual photos of 16 different sports teams for each season. That’s a lot of headshots!
Corporate and business
Corporate headshot photography is a very common type—think real estate agents, investors, and C-suite executives. They’re often on a simple plain background or with some sort of effect that makes them look impressive.
These headshots typically go on companies’ about us pages, on LinkedIn profile pages, and similar avenues. Here’s how marketing agency Salted Stone uses business headshots to showcase its team:
Actors and models
Actors and models also need headshots. These headshots vary a bit from the other types of headshots because you often want to see more personality and creativity here. Think about it this way: If someone is a comedian and they’re trying to land “funny” acting roles, their headshots are likely to showcase a more casual, smiley, and even goofy personality. Whereas professional corporate headshots tend to be more streamlined and straightforward.
Likewise, models going after beauty brands or fashion gigs will go for a headshot that casts them in that light, like in this example below:
Beauty and glamor shots
There’s a lot of overlap between beauty and glamor shots and actor or modeling headshots, but there are some slight differences. For example, beauty and glamor shots aren’t always necessarily to land an acting or modeling gig.
Beauty and glamor shots could be used by people for personal reasons—first day of school, graduation, dance recitals, etc. These are often for personal reasons rather than business purposes (though there are always exceptions!)
Dating profiles
Dating profiles are emerging as a key niche in the headshot industry as more people warm up to the idea of meeting a potential partner online. This means people are also putting more energy into what their dating profiles say and how they represent themselves. One great way to upgrade a dating profile is with a professionally shot and edited headshot.
Types of headshots + examples
We covered the different reasons for headshots, now let’s look at four core types:
- Close-up headshot
- Half-body headshot
- Three-quarter headshot
- Full-body headshot
Close-up shot
The close-up shot is arguably the most traditional type of headshot, and is likely the first type of photo that comes to mind when you think of headshots. It’s tightly framed, focusing on the subject’s face, often from the shoulders up. The background is usually simple or blurred to keep the attention on the subject’s features.
Here’s an example of a close-up headshot:
Half-body headshot
The half body headshot typically starts somewhere around the waist and covers everything from the waist up. You might see these in more casual headshots or photos that show context in the background, like in this half-body headshot example below:
Three-quarter headshot
A three-quarter headshot will start somewhere around the thigh. These are very common for models and actors in particular.
Full-body headshot
The full-body headshot shows everything—from the feet to the top of the head. This is often used when context is important. It’s rare to see a full-body headshot on a plain white or neutral background. Models definitely need all four kinds of headshots, with an emphasis on full-body shots.
Cost of headshot photography
Asking “how much does a headshot cost?” is similar to asking “how much does a car cost?” The prices vary depending on many factors, including:
- How many shots you want
- How many different looks you have
- Whether it’s on-site or at the photographer’s studio
- Whether edits and retouching are included
- Number of subjects
- Location and prices in that market
We researched many different photographers’ pricing and found the range is quite wide—typically anywhere from $75 to a few thousand dollars. According to this reddit thread, most expect it to be around $200–$400 for a standard headshot session with one or two subjects.
Tips for amazing headshots
Keep the following headshot photography tips in mind:
Equip yourself
When preparing for amazing headshots, it’s essential to equip yourself with the right gear and knowledge. While technically speaking, you can take your headshot photo with a smartphone, a mirrorless or DSLR camera will give you the best result. A smartphone headshots can appear pixelated or blurry if it’s stretched out to a larger size than the original file.
Here’s a quick-hitting list of equipment to consider for headshot photos:
- Camera (DSLR or mirrorless)
- 50mm lens
- Tripod
- Memory card
- Lights: studio light, speedlight, strobe
- Umbrella
- Diffuser
- Popup backdrop
- Posing stool
Get the lighting right
Proper headshot photography lighting can make all the difference. Natural light often offers a softer, more flattering look, while studio lighting gives you control and consistency. Both have their advantages depending on the setting and desired outcome. The way you use light depends on how you want your headshots to look.
Put the subject at ease
Often, the subjects in your headshot photos aren’t used to being in front of a camera. The photographer can play a key role in making them feel more comfortable, allowing you to shoot natural-looking headshots.
You don’t want to shoot someone who feels uncomfortable, as that discomfort will come through in the final shot.
Here are some ways to help your subject feel at ease:
- Talk about the poses to use before the shoot. Show examples if you can!
- Offer guidance for clients on how to style their hair, makeup, and skincare.
- Suggest wardrobe and accessories. Encourage them to bring a few options. Regardless of the style of headshot, you’ll want to stick with solid colors—patterns can render awkwardly and be distracting.
- Recommend your subject to rest and hydrate prior to the shoot.
- Talk to your subject to help them ease up.
It’s also important to get any signed photo release forms before you do the shoot, if needed.
Select the right wardrobe and setting
We’re going to expand on the wardrobe selection, as well as discuss backgrounds and props.
When offering guidance on attire, think about the goal of the headshot. If it’s a CEO, they might wear a neutral colored suit and tie. If it’s an actor, they might wear something more casual and timeless. There’s really no “best clothes for headshots” because it varies so much.
The same rings true for backgrounds. While neutral white, gray, and blue backgrounds were status quo for a while, headshots are getting more creative. You can use a bright color for more personality, black for drama, and real-life settings to give some context.
Here’s an awesome comparison of a great headshot vs. a not-so-great headshot of two different CEOs:
Make edits—but don’t go too heavy
While you want to do your best to capture the perfect shot, there are likely to be some required edits. Be careful not to go overboard here—you don’t want an overly edited photo that looks like AI or gives an obviously false impression of the subject.
Some headshot edits you might make include:
- Blur the background
- Retouch any imperfections that are temporary, like a hair out of place, a pimple, or bags under the eyes
- Remove the background so the photo can be used in a variety of ways
- Fix exposure
- Adjust white balance
Remember, it’s okay to fix imperfections, but the goal is to create a natural-looking headshot.
Know where you’re going to use the headshot
Perhaps this should be the first consideration: where and how will the headshot be used? Understanding context can help you get the perfect photo. A dating profile headshot, for example, will be more casual than a CEO’s headshot for the company’s about page.
You’ll also want to think about other elements where the headshot will be published. For example, is it going to be featured with other headshots? You might find some synergy with each individual, like on Humaan’s about page:
5 best headshot photographers to hire
There are tons of options to hire a headshot photographer. You’ll likely want to find someone local to you. Here are some of our top recommendations to help you get started in your search:
Alana Luntz
Chicago-based Alana Luntz offers corporate and business headshots in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. She also does engagement sessions, family portraits, dating profile headshots, and event photography.
Alycee Byrd
Alycee Byrd is a North Carolina-based fashion and portrait photographer who “uses her knowledge of natural light to create naturalistic and dynamic portraits.” Her love for fashion and creativity comes through in all her work. In addition to fashion, portraits, and headshots, Alycee also shoots live music and lifestyle photography.
Malena Vasquez
Based in the Miami area, Malena Vasquez is a professional photographer offering corporate and actor headshot. She also shoots branding photos and contemporary portraits.
Sarah Miller
Sarah Miller is a Philadelphia-based commercial photographer. She offers headshots in her home studio or at your location of choice (within her area). She also has an impressive portfolio full of all kinds of commercial photography—including branding sessions, food photography, product photography, and more.
Vanie Poyey
Vanie Poyey is a Los Angeles-based photographer who specializes in headshots for actors. She also provides professional headshots for businesses. She’ll provide guidance on what to wear so your shots land you the gigs you’re after.
Edit your headshots to perfection with Path
When fine tuning your headshots, a close eye for detail is important. You don’t want to leave your edits up to some faceless AI technology that requires manual review—and often further edits to refine its mistakes. That’s where Path comes in.
We carefully execute every single edit by hand. No shortcuts or compromising quality here. And we’re available around the clock, so you can get your edits back in as little as 6 hours!
Let us look after your image edits, so you can get back to the fun stuff. Try Path free.
Learn moreHeadshot photography FAQs
How to take a good headshot picture?
To take a good headshot, focus on the following:
- Lighting: Use natural light or soft artificial light. Avoid harsh shadows or direct sunlight.
- Background: Opt for a neutral background that doesn't distract from your face.
- Pose and angle: Position the camera at eye level, and slightly angle your shoulders for a more dynamic look.
- Expression: A relaxed and confident expression works best. A slight smile can be inviting and approachable.
- Wardrobe: Choose solid colors or subtle patterns that complement your skin tone. Avoid busy patterns or logos.
How much is the average headshot?
The cost of a professional headshot varies depending on the photographer's experience, location, and package offerings. On average, headshot sessions can range from $150 to $500. High-end photographers or those in major cities may charge more, while DIY or basic options could be cheaper.
What is the best pose for a headshot?
The best pose for a headshot is natural and relaxed. Angle your shoulders slightly away from the camera, with your head turned towards the lens. Keep your posture straight but not stiff, and ensure your facial expression is confident and approachable. Experiment with different angles to find your best side.
Do you smile in a headshot photo?
Smiling in a headshot can be beneficial, as it portrays warmth, approachability, and confidence. However, the type of smile depends on the industry and impression you want the headshot to make. A slight, natural smile is often ideal, while a more serious expression might be appropriate for certain professional contexts.
How often should headshots be updated?
You should update your headshot every 1–2 years or whenever your appearance significantly changes (e.g., different hairstyle, weight change, or new glasses). Regular updates ensure your headshot remains an accurate representation of your current self.
What should you avoid wearing in a headshot?
- Bright or neon colors
- Busy patterns
- Logos
- Overly casual attire
- Excessive jewelry or accessories
- Trendy outfits
How long does a headshot session typically take?
A typical headshot session lasts between 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the number of looks or outfit changes, and the photographer's process. Quick sessions may take only 15-30 minutes, while more involved sessions with multiple backgrounds and wardrobe changes can take longer.
What’s the difference between professional headshots and DIY headshots?
Professional headshots are taken with high-end equipment, ensuring better lighting, focus, and overall image quality. DIY headshots may lack this polish. A professional photographer will also guide the subject on posing, expressions, and wardrobe to get the best shot, while DIY requires self-direction. Professional headshots also often include retouching to enhance the final image, whereas DIY photos may require you to edit them yourself.
