You have more options than ever for a profile photo: a phone selfie, a photo taken by a colleague, an AI app that generates headshots from your selfies, or a professional session. Here’s an honest look at each.
Phone and DIY photos
A modern phone can take a good picture, and for casual social media that may be enough. For a professional headshot, a few things usually go wrong:
- Distortion. Arm’s-length selfies use a wide lens close to the face, which enlarges the nose and shrinks the ears.
- Uncontrolled light. Window light and overhead office lights create harsh shadows or flat, gray skin.
- No direction. Nobody is watching your angle, posture or expression, and you can’t see them yourself.
- No consistency. Photos taken by different people in different places never match on a team page.
If you do take your own photo: face a window, put the camera at eye level a few feet away, use a plain wall, and take many shots.
AI-generated headshots
AI apps can turn a set of selfies into polished-looking portraits in minutes. They’re quick and inexpensive, but they come with real drawbacks:
- They may not look like you. Small changes to your features add up, and people notice when you look different in person.
- Odd details. Ears, teeth, glasses, hands and clothing are often subtly wrong.
- Authenticity. A headshot is meant to show who people will meet. An image of an idealized version of you can undermine the trust it’s supposed to build.
A professional session
What you get with a professional headshot is control and direction:
- Lighting designed for your face, in the studio or in a temporary studio at your office.
- Expression coaching, so you look confident and approachable rather than posed.
- Posing and grooming details handled for you: angles, collars, ties, glasses, flyaways.
- Professional retouching that polishes while keeping you recognizable.
- Consistency for teams, with matching lighting and backgrounds.
- Usage rights for all media, worldwide, for 10 years.
Which one do you need?
If the photo is just for a personal social account, DIY may be fine. If it represents you or your company to clients, recruiters or the press, a professional headshot is an investment that lasts for years.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a professional headshot cost?
With me, a Pro Session is $250 and team headshots start at $160 per person. See the rates page.
I’m not photogenic. Will a professional session really make a difference?
Yes. Most of what people call “photogenic” is angle and expression, and both can be coached. Read how to look confident and approachable in your headshot.
See real results on my headshot photographer in Indianapolis page.
Ready for a headshot that looks like you on your best day?
Every session includes expression coaching and professional retouching, in my studio in Indianapolis or at your office. See sessions and rates, or tell us what you need and we’ll help you plan it.