What is a professional headshot?
A professional headshot is a portrait photo that captures a person from the shoulders up. It is typically used for professional purposes like LinkedIn profiles, corporate websites, portfolios, and more. The key elements of a professional headshot are:
- Crisp focus and clarity, especially on the eyes and face
- Even, flattering lighting without harsh shadows or overexposure
- A plain background that doesn’t distract from the subject
- The subject looking directly at the camera with good posture and a friendly expression
The overall goal is to capture the person’s personality and convey their professionalism.
Can you take a professional headshot with an iPhone?
The short answer is yes, you can take professional headshots with an iPhone if you follow some best practices. While a DSLR camera is still the gold standard for professional headshots, modern iPhone cameras have advanced sensors and lenses that allow you to achieve great results when utilized properly.
Here are some tips for taking professional headshots with an iPhone:
- Use portrait mode – This blurs the background to make the person stand out
- Focus on the eyes – Use the tap-to-focus feature to get the eyes looking sharp
- Use natural light near a window – Position near a large window for soft, diffused light. Avoid direct sunlight which can cast harsh shadows.
- Get the right angles – Hold the camera at the subject’s eye level or slightly above. Shoot straight-on and cropped close.
- Keep it simple – Have the person wear solid colored clothing against a plain background.
- Use editing apps – Apps like Snapseed, VSCO, and Lightroom allow you to tune images to look their best.
- Use props and poses – Add a book, glasses, or other props to convey personality. Have them tilt their head or lean slightly.
- Scout locations – Find clean backgrounds like blank walls, fences, or hedges.
- Take lots of shots – Don’t just snap one, take dozens of photos and pick the best ones.
Professional Headshot Examples Taken with an iPhone
Here are some great examples of professional headshots taken with just an iPhone:
As you can see, with good lighting, flattering angles, and some post-processing, an iPhone can capture images clean and crisp enough for professional use cases like LinkedIn, company websites, and more. The key is learning techniques to work within the limitations of a smartphone camera.
Pros of Taking Headshots with an iPhone
Here are some of the advantages of using your iPhone to take professional headshots:
- Convenience – You always have your phone on you, so you can take great shots whenever the moment strikes.
- Easy sharing – You can instantly share finished photos from your phone via text, email, social media, etc.
- Familiar interface – You already know how to use your iPhone camera app in and out.
- Advanced technology – Modern iPhone cameras can produce great images with the right techniques.
- Powerful editing apps – iOS apps like Lightroom give you desktop-level controls to perfect photos.
- Seamless syncing – Finished photos instantly sync across your iCloud devices.
- Cost effective – You don’t need an expensive DSLR camera and lenses to get pro-level results.
Cons of Taking Headshots with an iPhone
However, there are some limitations to keep in mind when photographing professional headshots with an iPhone:
- Smaller image sensor – iPhone sensors don’t capture as much light and detail as larger DSLR sensors.
- Lower resolution – Less megapixels than many DSLR cameras.
- Limited creative control – You have less manual settings control on an iPhone camera.
- Challenging lighting – On-camera flash tends to be harsh. Low light performance can be poor.
- No lens options – You’re limited to the fixed lens built into the iPhone.
- Harder to direct subjects – No flip screen to show poses while shooting.
- Can’t inspect images – The iPhone screen makes it hard to zoom in and check focus.
So while you can definitely create professional headshots with an iPhone, a DSLR will be easier to work with and provide higher resolution, more detail, and less noise in the final images.
Should You Buy Gear for Taking Headshots with iPhone?
While an iPhone alone can work, you may want to invest in some additional gear if headshots will be an ongoing need. Extra equipment can help you surmount some of the iPhone’s limitations:
Clip-on lenses – Attachable lenses like Olloclip provide options like fisheye, macro and wide angle to offer more framing choices.
Remote shutter release – Allows you to fire the camera without touching the phone so you avoid motion blur.
Tripod mount – Lets you stabilize the phone on a tripod for sharper shots in low light.
Portable reflectors – Foldable discs that bounce light onto your subject to brighten shadows.
LED light – An LED panel or ring light evens out facial lighting for flattering results.
Audio gear – A lapel mic improves audio if you’re recording video interviews.
The right accessories can give you more control and expand the creative possibilities when using your iPhone for headshots.
How to Edit Headshots Taken with iPhone
Post-processing is important for making any headshot look its best. When shooting on an iPhone, you have fantastic editing apps at your fingertips. Here are some tips:
- Crop for ideal framing – Zoom in on just the head and shoulders.
- Adjust lighting – Increase exposure, fill light or use tone curves to improve contrast.
- Warm skin tones – Add golden hues for a healthy, glowing complexion.
- Enhance eyes – Brighten and sharpen the eyes to draw focus.
- Soften blemishes – Use healing tools and frequency separation to smooth imperfections.
- Refine hair – Brush over flyaways and strands to neaten look.
- Sharpen details – Add clarity to make hair, eyes and clothing textures crisp.
- Vignette to direct focus – Darken the edges to spotlight the face.
- Convert to black & white – For a classic, timeless portrait look when color is distracting.
Apps like Snapseed, Facetune, and Adobe Lightroom for iPhone/iPad offer these adjustments and more to take your iPhone headshots to the next level.
Conclusion
While an iPhone has its limitations for professional photography, in the right hands it can definitely produce headshots suitable for business, corporate, or personal branding use when properly lit, posed, and edited. The keys are learning techniques that play to the iPhone’s strengths while creatively working around its weaker points. With some practice and the right gear to augment its capabilities, an iPhone can provide an affordable, convenient way to take professional-grade headshots.