E-Magazine: Headshots from Home
Headshots from Home
As Georgia HOSA always seeks to display, professional development and preparation for our future careers in healthcare does not stop for anything. No matter what the challenges of virtual interaction pose, it is vital that we adapt our goals to match. This applies to conferences and our individual professional development. At the intersection of the two lies one particularly useful skill: at-home headshots.
Given that winning virtual competitors will be submitting headshots to be featured at Grand Awards along with the fact that LinkedIns, Resumes, and Portfolios often necessitate a professional headshot, it is important to learn how to take one. Not all of us have the money lying around to set up a professional photography rig or hire a photographer, so here are some tips for headshots on a budget.
1. Face your light source and find a bright background
Try finding a window or lamp that can provide light directly onto your face. You want to avoid a light source that shines down on you, up from under you, or to the side of you. This will lead to shadows on the face, which makes the shot less clean. If you can, invest in a ring light accessory that you can attach to your phone. This will make taking pictures in any lighting situation much easier. Having a background that is bright helps give your picture a professional touch. If you have a blank white wall, that’s ideal for a good headshot. If not, make sure the background is as minimal or professional as possible and do what you can!
2. Find a good angle, distance, and position.
The angle you use for your photos allows you to make them as flattering for your facial features as possible. Depending on what to accentuate, you should move your head or your camera angle accordingly. Distance is also key in taking a high quality headshot. If the camera is too far your face loses focus in the picture. If it’s too close, the picture looks unnatural. Find a distance that capture the ends of both shoulders, up to the neck, and the entire head. Make sure it lines up centered in the frame of the photo. As for positioning, it is important that the camera is stable. Although it may seem the easiest way, don’t just hold your phone out and take a selfie once you have your lighting and background set. This will result in a shaky, unfocused photo. Make sure to take the photo with the back camera, not the front camera, and take several different pictures you can choose from. Set up a tripod if you have one (there are plenty of online DIY workarounds to buying a tripod, links below) or ask someone else to take the picture, so they can hold the phone in both hands. If worst come to worst, a lot of issues with blurry pictures can be addressed with the next tip: editing.
3. Don’t over edit!
As we’ve seen on Instagram and Snapchat, there are plenty of fun and entertaining ways to edit pictures, but the goal of a professional headshot is to see your face clearly. Therefore overly editing the picture is not needed. Filters and excessively saturated photos are not considered professional. While editing, focus on brightening, sharpening, and clarity. It can be easy to nitpick every imperfection but overly edited photos can become very unnatural.
With these tips in mind, you’re prepared to take a solid headshot at home! You can put the headshot you take to use as an image for profile pictures, Resumes, portfolios, and SLC photo submissions.
DIY Tripod Ideas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTtJovKtujo
More tips and information:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/professional-headshot-tips-for-budget
- Reema Chande