Anatomy of a great personal branding headshot

A great personal branding headshot (or even a corporate headshot) conveys that magic mix of confidence and approachability. You want to look like a friendly badass who’s really fun to work with, but also competent AF.

But how do we get that showing in a photo? First, we need to have our basics down: lighting, posing, composition, background. Once we have those fundamentals in place, we can focus on the body language and emotion.

Let’s look at an example of an amazing headshot from a personal branding shoot. 

Step 1: Start with a foundation of confidence

Confidence is the fundamental emotion in a headshot. A straight spine, wide shoulders, lean into the camera, a direct gaze are all marks of confidence that we’re wired to respond to.

Step 2: Add some mystery

Wonder why the Mona Lisa is so intriguing? It’s the mysterious smile. It draws the viewer in, makes them want to get to know you better. It increases the confident vibe we started with.

We do have to be a little bit careful not to overdo it, since too much mystery can make someone look coy and flirtatious. Not the right vibe for a professional image!

Step 3: Engage the eyes

Have you ever seen photos of people with “dead” eyes, eyes that convey no emotion? Or have you ever been in a conversation with somebody who just looks bored? Doesn’t make you feel good, does it?

The eyes are where it’s at. Engaging the eyes makes the viewer feel that you want to get to know them, you’re interested in who they are. That’s what makes you approachable.

Once again, we need to watch out against overdoing it. When we dial up the eye engagement, it can come across as desire or anger, so we need to keep it subtle in a professional context.