How To Pose For A Good Professional Headshot

Written By John Armato

As a headshot photographer, one of the most common questions or concerns I get from clients when we speak on the phone about their professional headshot session is, "How do I pose for a headshot?" or "I am not photogenic and don't know how to pose.”

Are there specific professional headshot poses that I use?

The idea of "posing" makes people very anxious and very aware of the camera. That can make for a very stressful session, and the outcome is almost always headshots that don't look natural or good.

I don't like to use the word pose with my clients. Posing is very one-size-fits-all. I use this "pose" for this kind of shot, and this "pose" or that kind of shot. My clients are all individuals with unique personalities, shapes, sizes, and expressions, so a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work in my studio. I take each person as an individual, find out what works, and what looks best for you, and shoot that. So, let me take a minute here, take the stress off of you, and share my process for a stress-free and, dare I say it, FUN headshot session.

First, let’s find the sweet spot!

I like to start each session with some getting-to-know-you chat. I want to know a little bit about you. Where are you from? How long have you lived here? Do you have kids? All the while, I'm shooting to find the most flattering angle that works the best for your face. I start by shooting you straight on. Then we do a 180. I shoot from one profile to the other, looking for the sweet spot.

Once we shoot that, we both review those images and find the angle that works. Then we get busy shooting on that angle. Not to say we don't ever move, but we want the best possible angle. Once you see these images pop up, you'll feel confident and ready to go.

The right facial expression is the key!

It's all about expression. Your expression is the key to your professional headshots being successful. We don't want you looking terrified, mean, or grumpy in your headshot. I coach my clients from beginning to end on how to have a sharp jawline, confidence in the eyes, and approachability in their smiles. These are the ingredients that are going to make people click on your LinkedIn profile and want to connect with you, hire you, and work with you.

We can shoot a variety of looks with differing expressions if you want to have different looks to choose from.

Here is a side-by-side of a girl I shot recently. In the first image, I didn't say anything except "look natural" These images are about 10 mins apart. I coached her on jawline, eyes, and smile. We decided that the jacket wasn't working for her, so we lost the jacket, and I had my stylist put her hair up. BOOM!! She killed it in the first few shots. Her confidence blew up when she came back and saw the images on the screen. So if you’re freaking out and wondering, “How do I pose for a headshot?” I got you covered.

Check out my post on How To Look Good In A Headshot

How to Look Good in a Headshot