Yes, you can take a headshot with your phone, and here is how.
- Good Even Light – Make sure you have good light that evenly fills your face and especially your eyes. Do not use the flash on your phone, It works as a flashlight, but is a poor option for headshots.
- No Selfies – Keep your phone as far away from your face as possible, and use the longer focal length on your phone, The standard phone focal length is 24-30mm. At this focal length your face will look distorted. Your nose and corners of your eyes will appear bigger, and the sides of your face smaller. The focal length should be at least 50mm to make sure your face looks natural. Most professional headshots are taken at 85mm to 105mm focal length. Usually, your arms are not long enough to get the camera far enough from your face, so you will want to have a phone holder or stand for your photo.
- Avoid mixed lighting colors. Interior lights can vary greatly from warm tungsten to green florescent lighting. You should use window light as much as possible to avoid the color casts in your phone headshot.
- Find a simple background. Busy backgrounds are distracting. You want the attention on you, not what is behind you.
- Be ready to take a lot of images. Selfies are hard, even for professional photographers with professional cameras. Facial expressions are fleeting and nuanced. That is why a headshot specialist is so helpful in capturing a professional headshot. Even professionals use professionals to get the best results in headshots.
Find out more about professional headshot services and scheduling your studio session.
I used AI to create the photo in this post. I used my professional headshots for the images on the table.