Best poses for business headshots

10 easy business headshot poses – Splento Blog

Business headshot poses

Ambitious professionals know that a headshot is great for their image – whether it’s for personal branding or corporate branding. A business headshot is the first step to helping people to identify you and gives a sense of your professionalism and personality.

However, if we’re not used to being on camera, we might not feel most natural when posing for a headshot. A good photographer will help to make suggestions on your shoot, but preparing some poses in advance can help you feel more ready for your shoot. Here are 10 easy business headshot poses to help you show your confidence and professionalism translate to your headshot.

1. Stand at an angle

The classic headshot pose is to pose at an angle of 10–45 degrees. Many people prefer not to pose head-on as it gives a very direct view of their face and emphasises width. However, standing to the side provides a softer, flattering angle. It’s no surprise this is the standard go-to business headshot, as it suits all professionals well.

2. Close-up headshot

While many people prefer a full-body shot, a photo at close range can provide some intensity. If you want to create a headshot that is bold and captivating, consider a face-forward close-up. Standing head-on and looking directly into the lens can create a very engaging image. The main focus is on the eyes, so get ready to show emotion through your eyes if you choose this headshot style.

3. Arms folded

Standing with your arms folded is the perfect pose to project confidence. Whether it’s head-on or at an angle, standing with your arms folded is the optimal body language that lets the onlooker know they should take you seriously.

4. Hands in front

Another pose that conveys confidence is standing up and leaning forward and placing your hands on a desk, or the back of a chair. It another confidence signaller that works well for a professional appearance.

5. Walking

For some people, static poses can make them come across as stiff. If you feel like you look too rigid, it’s time to put some motion into your photo. Walking towards the camera can really help to bring your headshot to life and look more dynamic.

6. Candid

If you want to present yourself as approachable and personable as well as professional, you may want to consider taking candid headshots. Candid photos are a great way to express a friendly personality, as they come across as very naturalistic. Try talking and laughing, and your photographer can take some great candid shots.

7. Posing with props

It’s quite normal to feel bare in front of the camera or to not know what to do with your hands. Posing with props can be a great way to feel more relaxed in front of the camera, as we have an object to focus our energy on. However, props should always be relevant to the setting. For example, sitting and holding a mug, or holding a pair of glasses.

8. Leaning against a wall

Standing free-form is the standard way to pose for headshots, and a great way to convey confidence. However, some people can feel rigid taking a power stance, or might distribute their weight unevenly and feel awkward. Leaning with your back against a wall is the perfect way to be both confident and relaxed.

9. Lean in

Sitting down and leaning forward is a great pose that creates a sense of intimacy. By leaning in, it’s like you’re confiding in the onlooker.

10. Look over your shoulder

Looking over your shoulder is a great headshot pose for women, which may be more dynamic than just the classic standing pose.

Show your clients you’re a quality professional

We mentioned that a business headshot is the first step to helping people to identify you, and gives a sense of your professionalism and personality. It’s also important for gaining your client’s trust and showing your commitment to quality.

Don’t compromise on your quality when having your headshot taken. Book with Splento for a professional headshot photographer, that will help you create a headshot that shows your clients that you care about quality.

Contact Splento if you are in need of:

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How to Pose for Professional Headshots

Besides how to dress, the top headshot-related inquiry on Google these days is “how to pose for professional headshots”.

We typically cover posing and expressions while working directly with a client during our photography sessions, but we’re also happy to also post our top picks for awesome professional headshot poses here.

As with many aspects of photography, the easiest way to explain posing is to just shut up and show you! So, we’ve included photo examples of some easy poses that business professionals can model for their sessions.

Before we jump in, we need to cover the basics:

Professional headshot posing should not be hard.
It should not feel uncomfortable, unnatural, or staged.
But, don’t get discouraged if one of your poses doesn’t work out – just try another.

The best professional headshot poses are those that feel natural to the subject — so that the client can focus on having a natural expression in their shots.

Not every pose will feel comfortable for your personality. So, make sure to try a couple different ones, and review the results in between shots.

Alright, let’s jump in!

Pose #1: The Standard

To start, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with using the standard headshot pose for your headshot session. Simply straighten your back, turn your chest 10 to 45 degrees from the camera, and lean slightly toward the camera.

Pose #2: Arms Crossed

Want to convey a bit more charisma than the standard pose? Cross your arms to create a powerful/tough impression on the viewer. A slight or full smile can help balance out the crossed arms to create a strong, yet friendly impression.

This pose is perfect for lawyers and corporate executives.

Pose #3: Hands at Hips

A bit more fun than standard posing, placing your hands on your hips gives the viewer the impression of you being hard at work.

Pose #4: Over the Shoulder

An over-the-shoulder pose is fun and candid. It creates the impression that the photographer “snuck up on you” for a less staged feel. This style is perfect for actors, models, or business professionals who want a personality picture along with their business headshot.

Pose #5: Play With Glasses (or Any Other Prop)

Want to appear cool and collected? A couple shots with your favorite pair of glasses can do wonders for appearing thoughtful in your portrait session. This is a great pose for designers, artists and thought-leaders.

Pose #6: Lean Sideways

Similar to the over-the-shoulder pose, a sideways lean against a wall creates a candid vibe for your headshot. When striking this pose, make sure that the wall is clean and brightly lit — a dirty wall will be distracting.

Pose #7: Lean In

Leaning toward the camera while seated can be a great way to appear relaxed during your session. This posture is also perfect for clients who are hoping to hide a double-chin. (No judgement here!)

Pose #8: Cross-Candid

While difficult to get just right, a cross-candid pose can be an awesome asset for personal branding projects with consultants, entrepreneurs and thought-leaders.

The term “cross-candid” means that the photo is both candid (the subject is not looking into the lens), plus their head is turned “across” the camera. (If the client in the above photo were looking camera-right, then this photo would just be “candid”.)

While this shouldn’t be your main profile photo on LinkedIn, this is an awesome choice to use on a business website or in social-media posts.

Pose #9: Fists Up

Okay, so maybe this is a niche headshot pose…but we just had to include one of our favorite crazy/fun poses from the past couple months. In all seriousness, this pose won’t be right for most corporate clients, but feel free to try anything your heart desires during your session.

After all, we only need a couple of awesome photos out of your whole set, so take a chance with some out-of-the-box posing! If you hate them, we delete them — forever.

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That’s a wrap! We hope you enjoyed this list of simple, yet effective professional headshot poses. Before your session starts, feel free to tell your photographer which pose(s) you’d like to try.

We’re always eager to hear any client preferences either before or during your headshot session. If you’re considering updating your headshot in the near future, head on over to our Individual Sessions page to see available packages.

As always, feel free to email us at [email protected] with any questions.

Checklist for a business photo shoot - Photographer's Blog To be competitive in today's marketplace, you must create a proper image for your company/personal brand.

Competent photos can solve this problem, showing your values, aesthetics and reliability. How to create the image of the “right” brand? This step-by-step checklist for a professional business photo shoot will help you with this:

Target

The first and most important thing to decide is the target. What do you plan to get as a result? What impression do you want to create for your audience? By answering these questions, it will be much easier for you to decide on the rest of the details of the photo shoot.

References

Having decided on the goal, you will be able to more accurately formulate a query to find examples of shootings in a similar style. Why is this needed? To form a general idea and mutual understanding between the customer and the photographer regarding the style, colors and other details of photographs. This step is often neglected and in vain, because it is an important tool that guarantees a successful result.

Clothing

Decide in advance on a few sets of clothing that most emphasize the look you are striving for - laconic formal or more relaxed business casual. If the right outfit is not in your wardrobe, you can rent clothes of the desired style. Choose calm traditional colors (white, black, gray, blue) - if seriousness and representativeness are important to you. Bright colors can be used as accents. Or if you want to add a bold touch to your image, use bright colors (red, yellow, light green) as dominant in the frame.

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Hair and make-up

The image is formed from the details. Your face and hair is perhaps the most important aspect of a portrait. Impeccable styling and professional make-up, taking into account the peculiarities of your appearance and the specifics of working with studio lighting, will significantly add to the image of representativeness.

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Accessories

Another important detail to pay attention to if you want to create an image that meets your goals. Minimalistic, status, expensive, catchy, bright - the number and style of accessories directly depends on the image you choose.

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Location

Studio, office, street, cafe or a combination of several locations? If your goal is rigor and seriousness, you should give preference to the studio and your workplace. If the task is to convey friendliness and comfort, then street and restaurant decorations are perfect for you.

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Poses

Use "strong poses" for a business photo shoot to convey significance and authority. Don't forget about the props and the surrounding interior, which can also be used for a more organic staging in the frame.

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Lighting

Light is another tool for creating an image and general atmosphere of a shot. In formal business portraits, the whole frame is usually well lit. But to add more coziness to the picture and reduce the degree of formality, try dimming the lights or even using completely natural lighting.

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Diversity

If your goal is more than just photos on the honor roll, don't be afraid to go beyond ordinary portraits. Add a few subject shots (product, business cards, branded accessories), the interior of the place of work, the workflow itself and the company team.

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By carefully considering and planning a business photo shoot, you can get the most successful photos that can meet your expectations and cope with your tasks. Use this article as a checklist in preparation for your business shoot and you are guaranteed a great result!

Business Portrait Tips and Poses

Portrait photography has changed a lot in recent decades. The approach to such photography has also undergone changes. Employers are no longer interested in photos of candidates with serious faces on a white background.

Today's entrepreneurs have different requirements for a business portrait. To make such photos really attractive, you need to think about the appropriate clothing and interior. And don't forget about successful poses with which a business portrait photographer will help you.

In today's world, the industry of business photography is very developed. Depending on the application, the approach to creating a snapshot will differ. This is corporate photography , business portrait for site company or business survey for resume. Below are some helpful tips for taking a business portrait.

Smile naturally

One of the best tips to make your photos attractive. Of course, you don't have to smile in every shot, but a few shots will do. How do you like it when you smile in a photo: with open or closed lips? Relax your muscles. The key point is to smile not only with your lips, but with your whole body. It may seem difficult, but it's worth a try.

Stand still

When asked by a photographer to be at ease in front of the camera, people usually do the opposite. But remember that your everyday posture, such as when you are thinking about something or reading a book, allows you to capture a "natural" frame. Employers love business shots like this.

Sit down!

At a business photo session, it is appropriate to take several pictures in a sitting position from different angles. Do not forget about the hands - their location in the frame can make you both an applicant for a position and a director of a company conducting an interview.

Show emotions

Most people think that a business photo should show a person with a serious straight face. Some of it is, but not all of it! Be open, creative and enjoy the process. Even if you are not sure that such shots will be useful in a resume or business correspondence, then this will be an excellent memory of an interesting period in your life.

Emotionless look

This is a perfectly neutral pose for portraiture. But you are mistaken if you think that this is the same everyday pose. You control the muscles of the face, suppress emotions. The key point is that neutral does not mean natural.

Tilt your head a little

This is an effective portrait trick to use to get interesting shots. When your head is slightly tilted or your chin is slightly pointed to the side, you will look more confident in the picture. Keep in mind that this is a "masculine pose" that brings strength to a portrait shot.

Turn your face slightly and look down

If you want professional portrait photos that make you look secure and confident, use this pose. Point your chin down a little, and lean forward with your face. This is a great way to hide a double chin. Eyes pointing down rather than at the camera will create a thoughtful mood. And if there are hands in the frame, then they will draw the main attention to themselves.

Three-quarter Turn

To look slimmer, turn your body slightly so that one shoulder is closer to the camera and the other is further away. A woman posing in this way should lower her front shoulder slightly. This pose is ideal for a female business portrait and also adds volume to the frame.

Add movement

Whether it's a studio portrait or a street photo, a little movement in the frame will be appropriate - walking, jumping, gesturing, straightening hair, etc. In addition, dynamic business postures will help reveal your true nature, so the employer will know what an active and enthusiastic person you are.

Change facial expressions

A portrait photographer can encourage you to show a range of emotions. Don't give up! Whether it's anger, happiness, fear, sadness, disgust - anything that is different from the ordinary will look really exciting.

Flattery

Usually, models know their successful poses and angles. If necessary, practice in front of a mirror before shooting. Also trust the photographer - he will tell you the best angles. Remember that parts of the body that are closer to the lens appear larger in photographs. So, if you want to hide flaws, choose the right poses for corporate portraits.

Put on your glasses

If you wear glasses, be aware that they may reflect flash during business photography. So you need to carefully select the best angles and carefully listen to the recommendations of the photographer or stylist. The second nuance is that the glasses cast a shadow on the face, which means the photographer will have to “conjure” a little with the lighting in order to achieve a premium result.

Arms Crossed

Arms Crossed is one of the most popular business postures. You get an elegant, professional looking look. But if you cross your arms too tightly, you will look withdrawn and asocial.

Lean against the wall

This is a very simple yet natural photograph. Just stand next to a wall or bookcase and lean on your shoulder or back. Avoid colorful or bright walls - they will draw attention to themselves.

Create the appearance of business activity

A corporate portrait is a very interesting genre, especially if the specialty allows you to clearly show the type of your activity. When a photographer takes shots taken casually in the workplace, it closes the distance between you and your client, telling him that you are just as hardworking.

Look over your shoulder

When you turn your back to the camera and look over your shoulder, the photographer focuses on your eyes, hair and figure. The advantage of such a shot is in some unexpectedness of the pose for the viewer. A frame like this can be a great addition to classic business portraits. To give more emphasis to such shots, it is desirable to have a neutral background, for example, in a studio you can use a fabric, paper or vinyl background for a photo.

Get to grips with hands

In portrait photography, the model's hands occupy an important place, perhaps second only to the eyes. Their position, shape, appearance sets a very strong trend for the whole picture - from a self-confident business person to a shy and obsequious official. And do not press your arms tightly to the body - this makes you visually thicker.

Play with hair

This recommendation is more relevant for a female business portrait than for a male one. This recommendation will add some movement to the frame, and the pictures will come out alive.

Cover part of the face

To increase the degree of intrigue in the frame, you can cover part of the face with any object. It can be hands or hair, a scarf, a coat collar, a book, flowers - whatever you want to show in the foreground and what will be appropriate given your profession.

Symmetry

The use of symmetry in the frame creates a special atmosphere in the picture, makes the viewer stay longer while looking at the image. The choice of a truly experienced photographer is very important here.

Take a close-up portrait

A close-up portrait is a must-have in your portfolio. In such a picture, the main focus falls on the eyes and facial expressions - so take the trouble to light a fire in them and relax your muscles.

Dress discreetly

The specifics of a business portrait is the emphasis on the person. So your clothes should be chosen with taste, give preference to soothing colors. Avoid bright, colorful patterns or provocative color combinations. At the same time, your style of clothing should give a clear message to the viewer what profession you are engaged in.

Don't overuse makeup

This tip for female audiences is don't use too much makeup. You should look natural and recognizable. And all the necessary magic will be done by the photographer with the help of light and post-processing in Photoshop. So that during the shooting the skin does not glare, you can use powder or a matte foundation. And this advice will be appropriate for a male business portrait. Alas, oily skin in the frame does not look very attractive.

Look in the mirror

Most people feel squeezed in front of the camera. To be more confident and understand that you look good, you should look in the mirror before shooting, make sure that your hair and clothes are in proper condition. You can grimace in front of the mirror and look for yourself a few successful poses and facial expressions.