Great Headshot Photographers Use Many Skills Before, During, and After the Session

A good headshot takes more than knowing where to put the camera. Lighting, preparation, people skills, and careful editing all help create a photograph that looks like you on a good day.

A headshot session might look simple from the outside: a person, a background, a camera, and a light. But the finished photograph depends on decisions made before you arrive, small adjustments during the session, and thoughtful work afterward. In my more than 30 years photographing people in New Orleans and Chicago, I’ve learned that technical knowledge and people skills have to work together. Neither one does the whole job on its own.

Before a session, I want to know where the photographs will appear. A headshot for a law firm’s website may need a different approach from a portrait for an actor, a musician, or a small business owner. We also need to consider the layout. A tightly cropped profile picture has different requirements from a website banner that needs open space beside your face. Understanding the intended use helps me plan the background, framing, and lighting instead of leaving those decisions to chance.

Preparation also means helping you decide what to bring. I generally suggest clothes that fit comfortably and support the way you want to present yourself professionally. Bring an alternate shirt or jacket if you are unsure. Fine patterns can sometimes create distracting effects on camera, and a collar that will not sit properly can become a bigger concern than its color. If your organization already has a consistent headshot style, sharing a few examples beforehand helps us work toward a useful match.

Location matters, especially here. An office in the Central Business District can provide a relevant setting, but windows, overhead lights, and limited space all affect the result. Outdoors in City Park, there may be attractive backgrounds, but heat, humidity, wind, and shifting sunlight require planning. For someone who needs a polished photograph between meetings, a controlled indoor setup may be more practical than an outdoor session. The right location is the one that serves the photograph and your schedule.

During the session, understanding strobe lighting is essential to my work. The position, size, and distance of a light change how a face appears. I pay attention to shadows, reflections in glasses, and the separation between you and the background. Good composition matters just as much. Camera height, shoulder position, and the amount of space around your head can make a photograph feel balanced or awkward. Those details should be handled without making you feel responsible for managing them.

People skills are what allow that technical work to come through naturally. Most people do not spend their days in front of a camera, and being told to relax rarely helps. I would rather give clear, manageable direction: turn slightly, lower your shoulders, or bring your chin forward a little. Conversation and a comfortable pace make room for genuine expression. I also watch for signs that someone needs a pause. A strained smile usually calls for a reset, not another instruction to smile harder.

Afterward, editing requires its own judgment. Selecting the strongest photographs means looking beyond sharpness to expression, posture, and whether the image communicates what we intended. I use current editing technology where it improves the finished photograph, including tools for precise masking, color correction, and restrained retouching. Temporary blemishes, stray hairs, or distractions in the background may deserve attention. Skin texture and the features that make you recognizable should remain. Looking your best should not mean looking like someone else.

The final delivery deserves care, too. Different uses may call for different crops, resolutions, and file sizes, so it helps to discuss those needs early. A successful headshot is not simply a technically correct picture. It is a photograph you feel comfortable sharing, prepared in a form you can actually use. Getting there takes planning, lighting, composition, communication, and editing, with each part supporting the person in front of the camera.