What is considered a professional headshot? May people get it a little sideways. Let me break it down for you.
A professional headshot isn’t just a picture where you happen to look decent. It’s a tool. A signal. A piece of visual branding that tells people, “This is who I am. This is how I show up.”
So what actually qualifies as a professional headshot?
It’s a Professional Headshot, It’s Not a Selfie
Let’s be real: if your LinkedIn photo looks like it was taken with your arm fully extended in the front seat of your car, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Even if you look great, people can tell. And it sends a message: “I didn’t think this mattered enough to put effort into.”
When your selfie is sitting next to someone else’s polished headshot, the difference is obvious and so is the impression. Their photo says “professional,” yours says “close enough.” And when you’re asking to be hired, promoted, or trusted with someone’s business? “Close enough” won’t cut it. When it comes to marketing yourself, and that is what we are doing with our professional headshots, “good enough” is never good enough.
It’s Not a Cropped Wedding Photo
Sure, you looked incredible. The lighting was romantic. Someone even said you looked like a model that day. But here’s the thing: that photo wasn’t taken with intention. It wasn’t about you, it was about the moment.
Cropped-out tuxedos, bouquets, or other guests are dead giveaways that the image wasn’t created for your professional presence. It’s the visual equivalent of wearing gym clothes to a job interview.
You deserve a headshot that was created on purpose, for a purpose.
It’s Not a Studio Glamour Shot From 2009
Even if it was expensive. Even if it looked cool at the time. If it’s been more than a few years,or if your hairstyle, vibe, or career path has changed, it’s no longer doing you any favors.
Using an outdated headshot is like showing up to a meeting with an old resume. People notice, and whether they mean to or not, they’ll start wondering if you’re out of touch, stuck in the past, or simply not interested in showing up fully anymore.
What Is a Professional Headshot?
A true professional headshot checks all these boxes:
A Genuine Expression
You don’t want to look frozen or forced. People can smell inauthenticity from a mile away, and in a headshot, it can come across as awkward, uncomfortable, or unsure.
A great headshot has life behind the eyes. Confidence in the expression. That subtle energy that says, “I know who I am, and I know what I’m doing.”
Clean, Intentional Framing
It’s called a headshot for a reason.
We’re focusing on your face, not your shoes, not the mountains behind you, not your dog (as much as we love dogs). A clean crop, head and shoulders, keeps the attention where it belongs. You should be the focal point. Not your background, not your outfit. You. If we have to struggle to see your eyes, it’s not a headshot.
Flattering, Thoughtful Lighting
Lighting makes or breaks a headshot.
Great lighting shapes your features, adds dimension, and gives the image a polished, professional feel. Bad lighting? It can flatten your face, create strange shadows, or add harsh highlights that distract from what actually matters: you.
A pro knows how to light different face shapes and skin tones so you always look your best.
Styling That Makes Sense
You don’t have to wear a suit if that’s not you. But your clothing should align with your industry, your brand, and your confidence.
The goal is to look like your best self, not like you’re playing dress-up. Clothes that fit well, colors that complement your tone, hair that feels like you—these details matter. Because they’re all part of what your headshot is saying on your behalf.
High-Quality Image
This one should be obvious, but here we are.
Your image should be sharp. Properly exposed. Free of weird filters or pixelation. It should look good at full size and as a tiny thumbnail. Because whether it’s on your website, a name badge, or a news feature, you need an image that holds up.
Most of All? It Should Actually Look Like You
A great headshot is current, honest, and confident. It doesn’t hide who you are, it showcases it.
If your photo looks like it was taken a decade ago, or it’s been retouched until your own mother wouldn’t recognize you, it’s time to update. People want to know who they’re dealing with. When your headshot shows the real you on a great day, with great lighting you build trust before you’ve even said a word.
Why My Clients Don’t Dread Headshots
I guide you through the process. I get real emotion. Real presence. Real connection.
No forced expressions. . Just genuine, confident portraits that look and feel like you,and make the kind of first impression you actually want to be making.
