7 DIY Professional Headshot Tips For LinkedIn Profiles
What is your best tip for a professional headshot tip on LinkedIn?
To help you with your professional headshot, we asked business leaders and PR professionals this question for their best tips. From solid color backgrounds to showing off your smile, there are several tips for taking your professional headshot.
Here are seven tips for a professional headshot on LinkedIn:
- Solid Colored Background
- Discover Photographers Through Instagram
- Great Lighting
- Grab A Friend
- Try Mini-sessions At Photo Departments
- Show Off That Smile
- Make Sure It Actually Looks Like You
Solid Colored Background
When attempting to take your own headshot for LinkedIn, selfies are not going to cut it. Have a friend or family act as your photographer, even if just with your iPhone, to make the picture look more professional. Get dressed up and have a solid colored background behind you as your backdrop. The background is the most important part to me because that’s what I differentiate a professional headshot from just a profile picture on Facebook. Smile big, and there you have it, a professional headshot!
Kayla Centeno, Markitors
Discover Photographers Through Instagram
There are tons of skilled photographers who would gladly take a professional headshot for $50. In the day and age of Instagram, it has never been easier to source photographers and look through their portfolio. I recommend researching photographers by looking up variations of the hashtag “#cityname+photographer.” Chances are, you will find some great people!
Vanessa Molica, The Lash Professional
Great Lighting
Many people think that they need to hire a professional photographer to capture a great LinkedIn headshot, but this is not the case. All you need is great lighting and your camera phone! If you don’t have the best lighting in your house, consider investing in a ring light off of Amazon. They are under $50 and are terrific for headshots and Zoom meetings.
Carey Wilbur, Charter Capital
Grab A Friend
Grab a friend and do it with your phone on HDR (or portrait) mode, try to do it outside if you can in non-harsh light (i.e., early evening or early morning), and dress professionally in solid colors. If you need examples, a quick google search will provide plenty of easy-to-follow tutorials.
Sydney Stern Miller, Tech Talent South
Try Mini-sessions At Photo Departments
If you can find a JcPenney’s store open that has the photo department, they offer professional headshots for under $50. You can also ask a friend to take a picture of you, shoulders up, preferably smiling in an outdoor setting.
Kerri D’Astici, HR and Career Blueprint
