How to take a professional LinkedIn headshot on iPhone

A professional-looking headshot needs four things: soft light from a window in front of you, a plain background a few steps behind you, the camera at eye level zoomed to 2x or 3x, and a frame from the chest up with your eyes about a third of the way down. Get those right and an iPhone headshot is hard to tell apart from a studio one.

Step by step

1. Find a big window. Stand facing it, about one to two metres away. Avoid direct sun; you want soft daylight.
2. Pick a plain background. A light wall, a bookshelf far behind you, or greenery outside. Keep at least two metres between you and the background so it blurs.
3. Put the phone at eye level on a tripod or a stack of books. Never shoot from below.
4. Zoom to 2x or 3x. It flattens features and blurs the background, like a portrait lens. The Close Up guide frames a half-body portrait at 3x.
5. Frame from mid-chest up, with a little space above your head.
6. Tap on your eyes to focus and set exposure.
7. Use the 10-second timer or ask a friend.
8. Take 30 or more photos. Change your expression slightly each time.

Posing

• Turn your shoulders slightly (about 30 degrees) away from the camera, then face the lens.
• Push your forehead slightly forward and down. It defines the jawline.
• Squint a little. A slight squint reads as confident; wide eyes look scared.
• Smile with your eyes. Think of something funny just before the timer goes.
• Relax your shoulders. Breathe out before each shot.

What to wear

• Solid colours: navy, grey, white, soft blue, earth tones.
• What you would wear to an important meeting in your field.
• Avoid busy patterns, logos and very bright colours.

Crop for LinkedIn

LinkedIn crops profile photos to a circle. Make your face fill around 60% of the frame, centred, and check that it still looks good at a tiny size. The background photo (banner) is a separate image; keep the headshot simple.

Common mistakes

• Shooting at 1x close up: it enlarges the nose and shrinks the ears.
• Overhead lights: they cast shadows under the eyes.
• Busy backgrounds: cars, clutter, other people.
• Old photos: use one from this year.
• Heavy filters: keep colour natural.

More profile ideas: 20 profile picture ideas.

Frame a better headshot

slay overlays portrait guides on your live iPhone camera and locks when your face lands in the zone, so timer headshots come out framed.

Get slay on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807513456?utm_source=slaycamera&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=linkedin-headshot-iphone