Boardroom-Ready: Mastering DIY Headshot Lighting

The best way to achieve professional lighting without me is…

Grab your shovel, we’re burying the lead for a minute. Warning, this article may offend me and anyone in my industry. I’m essentially going to describe how to get beautiful, flattering and forgiving lighting for DIY headshots —one of the key elements in nailing a headshot. “One of the” being an operative phrase, mind you.

You see, I’ll admit, this information will get you a good headshot photo —guaranteed! I’m more than happy to share some insider secrets to bring value to anyone looking for a professional photo without having to hire someone like myself. Prior to diving into the ultimate budget—neutral headshot photo lighting, a disclaimer:

There is a VAST difference between a “good” and a “great” headshot photo. I’ll explain this a bit later on in more detail.

For now, let’s dive into the BEST way to light your DIY headshot (at least for something passable until we talk about the benefits of investing in a professional like me). This, provided you have access to someplace indoors, is a zero dollar set up. Find yourself a window, preferably south facing, but as long as it’s not facing direct sunlight —you’ll be good to go. If I was doing this, I’d want something like a light, neutral colored curtain, or very thin sheet to cover the window, thus diffusing the incoming light. Ideally, a cloudy day is best.

You’ll want whatever camera you’re using to sit directly in front of the window, facing perpendicular to it, towards the interior. If you have the option of a solid background facing the window, great, if not, there are a million options for easily removing an unwanted background after you’ve gotten a great headshot photo. Generally speaking, I position my camera about neck/chin high for headshots. You’ll want to do the same, reason being you want your headshot photo to portray strength and confidence —something a higher camera height won’t achieve. You can use a tripod for this, or grab a friend/spouse/anyone to stand in as your ‘photographer’.

You’ll want to face the camera/window, close enough so everything from approximately your sternum/lower chest is cropped out and the top of the photo is anywhere from just into your top hair to perhaps a slight gap above your head (depending on your personal preference). Ideally, you also want to have enough natural window light and be near enough so that the white’s of your eyes are a nice clean white (not dull gray). Typically, I have clients stand angled slightly off center, with feet a comfortable shoulder’s width apart, and taking a few guess shots whilst slowly turning your nose from slightly off-center, then pointing dead straight at the camera, and finally pointing off center in the other direction (note, even if your face is facing left or right, your eyes should be in the direction of the camera (otherwise it looks like your looking off into space :).

After taking a few headshot photos facing left, right, and center, stop and take a gander. You’ll be deciding what you think your “best side” is.

Then (unless you’ve found a good one already), take some additional photos concentrating on whichever angle you thought was most appealing to you. You’ll want to focus on a natural expression, that perfect angle, and ensuring the lighting from the window is strong enough (again, whites of the eyes). Especially if you’ve got someone assisting with camera duty, you should walk away with some decent quality, well—lit headshot photos.

Why only “good” though, and not “great”?

In my experience, a good headshot or professional photo is simply a well—lit, shoulder up, photograph of your face with a somewhat inviting expression. Believe it or not, even with everything I described above —achieving this solo, without professional guidance is tricky at best. It is doable, but it’s tough (I do a self portrait at least each year, so I’d know!).

A great headshot photo —that tells a story. It captures a brand or your essence. I often hear from folks commenting on a client’s headshot that know them personally that “Wow, that looks like [insert client’s name]”. Moreover, a great headshot should convey and elicit the exact feeling you or your team’s brand is about. I often use the example of a defense attorney versus a pediatrician —as most people would understand generally speaking, a defense attorney would likely appear more serious, about their business, where as a pediatrician would likely appear more open, friendly, even a bit ‘over the top’. There is a vast array of subtlety in between as well.

Point being, a truly spectacular professional headshot should capture the exact expression, lighting, posture, vibe that represents your brand. Sure, you may be able to use window light and some of my insider tips to achieve something usable —if you want something that’ll #EndTheScroll though, let’s chat!