Maintaining a strong presence on LinkedIn is crucial for career development in today's online world. Recent statistics show that over one billion people across the world have a LinkedIn account and seven people per minute are hired using the platform, demonstrating its potential as both a jobs board and a networking space. Whether you're looking for a new business partner or tips for building new skills, there is probably someone on LinkedIn who can help.
Of course, developing an effective LinkedIn account requires a little time and effort. Along with writing an appealing bio, inputting information about your professional and personal experiences, and adding colleagues and professional acquaintances to your network, you'll need to add a professional headshot to your profile.
What's the purpose of a headshot?
A headshot will ensure you make a good first impression. As well as helping people identify you in the real world, a high-quality headshot will humanize your profile and generate positive emotions in your viewers. In fact, the simple act of adding a headshot to your profile increases the likelihood of others viewing your page by around 14 times. With this in mind, we've collated some helpful hints and tips to ensure you make the most of your LinkedIn profile image.
Cost considerations
Many people choose to hire a professional photographer to produce their LinkedIn headshot, as this can help make the image as flattering and appealing as possible. However, hiring a high-quality photographer isn't cheap, with prices typically ranging from $200 to $400. Given this expense, some businesses purchase professional photography packages for their employees, ensuring that all staff members have attractive LinkedIn profiles that successfully represent their employers.
However, you don't require professional photography services to produce an excellent LinkedIn profile that reflects your skills and personality. While some professionals have the skills and equipment necessary to create their own headshots, many people are waking up to the possibility of using artificial intelligence (AI) to perfect their personal photography. As we explore below, AI has the power to craft stunning professional images based on amateur shots at an impressively low cost. Whether you're looking to improve your personal online presence or help your team do more with LinkedIn, Executive Headshots can help you achieve your goals on a budget.
What to wear in your LinkedIn headshot
There are no hard and fast rules surrounding LinkedIn headshot attire. However, you must ensure your clothes reflect your industry, professional ethos, and personality. For example, people working in traditional white-collar jobs such as finance or law will appear more professional and capable by opting for a suit, blazer, dress shirt, or fitted dress. Here's a strong example…
Professionals working in more creative fields may wish to adopt a more relaxed dress code that reflects their outlook and personality. Good examples of business casual include loose-fitting shirts, long-sleeved t-shirts, polos, and sweaters. You don't need to think too hard about your outfit below the waist, as this won't feature in a headshot. However, embracing a cohesive look will ensure you feel confident and professional when it comes to shooting a photo.
Naturally, professions such as medicine or catering carry very specific and easily identifiable dress codes. If you want to continue pursuing your current career path, feel free to embrace this dress code in your headshot to demonstrate your passion and commitment to the field. Here are a few strong examples:
Other tips to consider when dressing for your headshot include:
- Choose flattering colors: If you're unsure whether bright red flatters your complexion, stick to black, gray, navy, or neutrals.
- Avoid wearing too many accessories: While a sophisticated pair of earrings can appear distinguished, layering up on accessories will make your headshot look messy and confusing.
- Avoid bold patterns: Bright and detailed patterns can look unappealing in photographs. Stick to subtle patterns if you're tired of block colors and want to display some personality.
- Ensure your hair is neat: Unkempt hair can instantly make a headshot look unprofessional.
Working with a professional photographer
If you choose to hire a professional photographer to take your headshots, you should ensure you select someone who suits your needs. Remember to assess a range of portfolios and select someone whose work you appreciate. You should also read through some verified client testimonials to gauge their legitimacy and identify any potential problems surrounding reliability or professionalism.
Once you've found a suitable photographer, you should communicate your needs very carefully. In addition to reiterating the ways you plan to use the headshots, you should provide guidelines surrounding industry expectations and your personal preferences. As a client, your photographer will want to make you happy and will likely go out of their way to accommodate specific requests.
Capturing the perfect LinkedIn photo
During the shoot itself, your photographer will guide you through appropriate poses and help you relax in front of the camera. If you're taking the photo yourself or have asked a friend to help you out, you should experiment with a variety of positions and shooting locations to boost the quality of your photos. Here are a few other tips for capturing the perfect photo:
- Whether you've enlisted the help of a friend or a professional photographer, try to follow their lead and provide feedback if you're feeling uncomfortable. Strong lines of communication will help you create the best possible headshots.
- If you're using your own equipment, try to use a high-quality camera or a smartphone with a decent camera. The better your equipment, the more flattering the photo is likely to turn out.
- Practice smiling before stepping in front of the camera. While this may feel a little embarrassing or unnatural, it will ensure you look approachable, confident, and friendly.
- Look directly into the camera lens to ensure LinkedIn visitors feel connected to you.
- Ensure you're positioned in the center of the image.
- Your face should take up around 60% of the frame to ensure people's attention stays on you.
- Don't include other people in the photo, as viewers may doubt who you are.
- Use a high-resolution camera setting to ensure your image looks sharp.
- Take as many shots as possible so you can choose the best one.
- Choose a photo that genuinely looks like you. While it may be tempting to use a photo that obscures your face to give the impression of model cheekbones or eternal youth, this strategy could backfire in the long term. When people meet you in real life, an unrepresentative LinkedIn photo could leave them feeling confused.
- Similarly, it's a good idea to use a photo that reflects your current look. If you're planning to have a drastic new haircut in the near future, book an appointment with your hairdresser before you get in front of the camera. Outdated photos could confuse new connections and leave your profile looking stale.
- Once you've selected an appropriate photo, don't hesitate to lightly retouch the image using editing software. While over-editing the headshot could make you look a little unnatural, getting rid of minor blemishes or improving the image contrast will make your profile picture as eye-catching as possible.
Lighting and background for professional photos
The quality of your lighting and background could make or break a LinkedIn headshot. When adjusting the lighting of a photo, you should remember to:
- Make the most of natural light: Natural light sources are much more flattering than harsh artificial lights. If possible, go outside or position yourself next to a large window to avoid harsh shadows and make the most of soft lighting. At the same time, remember to avoid powerful direct sunlight, as this could alter your facial expression and highlight imperfections such as blemishes and wrinkles.
- Use diffused light: Diffused light will be much softer and more flattering than direct light. If you're shooting indoors, a ring light will help diffuse the light and make your face look as attractive and approachable as possible. If you lack specialist equipment, placing a sheer curtain over a regular lamp will create the same effect.
- Avoid overhead lighting and backlighting: Backlighting will create an odd halo effect, while overhead lighting will create unflattering shadows across your face, making you look tired and worn out.
As well as adjusting your lighting to flatter your face, you should select a background that reflects your reliability and professionalism. Tips to follow include:
- Select a neutral background: Don't underestimate the power of a background to make or break your LinkedIn headshot. An overly cluttered or distracting background will make your photo look unprofessional and could hamper your personal brand. One reliable option is to use a solid color background that ensures the focus remains on you.
- Use a softly blurred background: If you choose to incorporate a background other than a solid background, it's a good idea to blur your surroundings slightly to make the photo look polished and professional.
- Use an outdoor background: Outdoor spaces are great for people in nature-focused jobs or those who want to portray their care for the environment. Remember to choose a space with attractive greenery and take your photos in the early morning or late afternoon when the sunlight is at its most flattering.
- Choose a background that aligns with your industry: Choosing a background that reflects your profession could help attract others in your field and demonstrate your passion for your work. For example, a library background could suit a professor, or a kitchen could suit a professional chef.
Don't use a selfie
While it's tempting to take a quick selfie to use on your LinkedIn profile, this strategy could significantly backfire. Reasons to avoid selfie photography include:
- Poor quality: Selfies are often taken under poor lighting and from awkward angles, making it very difficult to capture a refined and attractive image. What's more, front-phone cameras tend to lack the resolution necessary to produce a high-quality photo, leading to unpolished and unprofessional headshots.
- Distracting backgrounds: It's difficult to capture a plain and attractive background when you're snapping selfies. A professional LinkedIn photo will contain an uncluttered and neutral background that ensures all eyes remain on you.
- Lack of professionalism: Selfies are typically taken spontaneously while on vacation or at an informal event. While on-the-go photography can help make your LinkedIn posts more engaging and relatable, viewers will expect your profile picture to appear more professional and well-considered. A selfie may generate assumptions that you lack attention to detail or don't care much about your personal image – bad news if you're trying to attract new connections or employers!
- Selfies don't inspire confidence in others: Remember – your profile picture represents a significant element of your personal brand. A selfie is unlikely to support your credibility as a professional and could dissuade people from connecting with you.
AI LinkedIn headshots
If you're looking to maximize the quality of your LinkedIn headshot without spending hundreds on a professional shoot, Executive Headshots is here to help. Our powerful AI technology turns everyday amateur photos into striking executive portraits designed to boost your personal brand and ensure your LinkedIn profile works as hard as possible.
As well as providing clean and professional backgrounds, we offer outfit options that align with a range of professional contexts. All you need to do is upload a few photos of your face so our AI software can generate images that look just like you. Within a matter of hours, we'll send back a selection of headshots from which to choose.
We offer a range of packages to suit both individuals and teams, with pricing options designed to suit different needs and budgets. If you're ready to create striking images that leave a lasting impression, get started here.