How-to
Headshot poses and expressions
Posing for a headshot is mostly a list of things not to do. The best portraits look like a moment between poses, which is what you are aiming for.
Shoulders, chin and eyes
Turn your shoulders a few degrees away from the camera and bring your face back to the lens. That single adjustment gives the head-and-shoulders composition some shape and stops it looking like a passport photo.
Then bring the chin slightly forward and down — not up. Pushing the forehead towards the camera keeps the eyes open and defined; tilting the head back narrows them and makes anyone look condescending.
- Shoulders angled 10 to 20 degrees from the camera.
- Face turned back to the lens, eyes on the lens not the screen.
- Chin slightly forward and level; never tilted up.
- Relax the jaw and take a breath before the frame.
Hands, and the poses to avoid
Hands are the fastest way to make a headshot look staged. Folded arms, a hand on the chin and a hand in a pocket all read as a pose rather than a portrait, and they date quickly. Keep the hands out of frame for a head-and-shoulders shot.
The other dated conventions: leaning against a wall, looking off-camera into the distance, and holding a prop. All three were standard in corporate photography twenty years ago and read as archive material now.
- Hands out of frame, or relaxed at the sides.
- No folded arms, no chin-resting, no props.
- No leaning, no looking away, no dramatic angles.
- Arms slightly away from the body so the silhouette is clean.
Getting an expression that looks real
A held smile looks held. The technique that works is to let the expression arrive and then take the frame immediately, rather than holding a smile while the timer counts down. Shoot in bursts and expect to use the fourth or fifth frame.
For a neutral, composed look, think about something technical rather than about your face — the expression that results is relaxed without being blank. Either way, the eyes have to be engaged: a portrait with flat eyes reads as unfriendly, whatever the mouth is doing.
- Shoot bursts; the first frames are always tense.
- Talk, or think about something specific, rather than holding a pose.
- Eyes on the lens, not on the phone screen.
- Take twenty frames and choose later.
If you cannot get the pose right
Some people never look good in a self-taken photo — the pose is self-conscious because they can see themselves doing it. That is exactly the case for generating a set from photos taken by someone else, or from a set of varied photos taken over time.
AI Headshot Pro: Zenith Studio produces a set of portraits from those photos, which means you can choose the frame with the best expression and let the app handle the rest.
How it works
Three steps from a phone photo to a finished image
Upload your photos
Six to ten selfies with different angles and expressions.
Pick a style
Business, editorial, black and white, cinematic — or a profession set.
Download the set
A consistent batch of portraits, ready for your profile.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How should I pose for a headshot?
Angle your shoulders slightly away from the camera, bring your face back to the lens, keep your chin level and slightly forward, and keep your hands out of frame. The result should look like a moment rather than a pose.
Should I smile in a headshot?
For most professional contexts, a small, genuine smile works better than a neutral expression, because it reads as approachable. The key is to let it arrive naturally rather than holding it — shoot bursts and pick the frame that looks relaxed.
Why do my headshots look awkward?
Usually because of the camera height and the pose: a phone held at chest level, a tilted head and folded arms. Raise the camera to eye level, angle the shoulders slightly and keep the hands out of frame.
Where should I look in a headshot?
At the lens, not at your own image on the screen. Looking at the screen gives the impression of looking slightly away from the viewer, which is subtle but noticeable in a portrait.
Try it on your next photo
Free to download on the App Store. iPhone and iPad only.