A business headshot is one of the easiest portraits to make well, because the requirements are narrow: a clear face, flattering light, a clean background and a confident expression.

The Light

One large window with indirect daylight is all you need.

  • Position the subject facing the window at about 45°, not straight at it. Straight-on window light is flat; 45° gives shape to the face.
  • Distance from the window controls contrast: closer gives softer, more wraparound light with fast falloff; further gives more even but harder light.
  • Add a white reflector — foam board, a white sheet, even a laptop screen showing a white page — on the shadow side, about a metre away, to open up the shadows.
  • Avoid direct sun through the window; if it's harsh, hang a thin white curtain or tracing paper over the glass.
  • Turn off all room lights to keep the colour temperature consistent.

Camera Height and Distance

  • Camera at eye level or very slightly above. Above is generally flattering — it opens the eyes and defines the jaw. Below the eyeline almost never flatters.
  • Stand further back and zoom in. Focal length changes facial proportions: a wide lens up close enlarges the nose and narrows the ears. Use an equivalent 50–105 mm and step back. On a phone, that means using the 2× or 3× lens from a couple of metres away rather than the main lens from arm's length.
  • This single change — back up and zoom — is the biggest difference between a snapshot and a portrait.

The Background

  • Simple and non-distracting: a plain wall, a blurred room, a bookshelf far enough behind to blur.
  • Separate the subject from the wall by 1.5–2 m. This blurs the background naturally and prevents shadows falling on it.
  • Avoid patterns, doorways and lines that appear to grow out of the head.
  • If the room is unusable, shoot against the cleanest wall you have and consider replacing the background afterwards — a well-lit subject cuts out much more cleanly than a badly lit one.

Posing People Who Feel Awkward

Almost everyone dislikes being photographed. What helps:

  • Give physical instructions, not emotional ones. "Turn your shoulders slightly left, chin a little down and forward" works; "look confident" does not.
  • Chin forward and slightly down. It feels unnatural and looks dramatically better — it defines the jawline.
  • Shoulders at an angle, face toward the camera. Square shoulders look like a passport photo.
  • Weight on the back foot, hands doing something definite — in a pocket, holding a lapel — rather than hanging.
  • Talk and shoot continuously. Real expressions appear between poses, especially just after a laugh. Take far more frames than you need.
  • Let them see a good frame early. Confidence rises immediately once someone knows the photos are working.

Finishing

Crop square with the eyes on the upper third, keeping headroom for circular masks if it's for a profile. Correct white balance to neutral, apply light retouching only — remove temporary blemishes, leave permanent features and skin texture alone. Export at 1000 px square as a master, and generate the platform sizes from that.