Did you notice my new profile picture? I hope you like it because I really do! I’m one of those people who never likes pictures of themselves, so I’m particularly proud of this one… and it’s not professionally done… it was taken by my husband.
Photography happens to be another one of my hobby/addictions and I’m in the early stages of this addiction. It all started when my husband bought a ‘nicer’ camera (he has to take a lot of pics for his work). Then I took a series of general public photography classes taught by a local photographer. I can’t believe how much better my images turned out after that class.
So here are some tips to help you get a good head shot quickly and easily:
Tips For Taking Your Own Headshots
- Use all of your cameras – You don’t have to have an expensive camera to get a great picture. True, it doesn’t hurt to have a really nice camera, but it’s really not necessary. My point is that you may be pleasantly surprised that you actually already own something that will give you a great photo. Here’s some pictures that I’ve taken and the camera I’ve used…
Taken with an iPhone4
Taken with NikonD3000 (This is one of my favorites!)
Taken with NikonD3000
Taken with iSight camera on MacBook Pro
- Take pictures outside – Lighting can make or break a photo. Basically you want there to be light all around you so that you don’t get any shadows on your face. The easiest way to get great lighting is to just take your pictures outside in either the morning or late afternoon. Bad lighting is the reason why I always look like I have a black eye in my videos…
Example of Bad Lighting
- Zoom in – Try to get exactly what you want in the shot. Don’t take a wide shot thinking that you’ll just crop all the extra stuff out later. When you start doing a lot of cropping and blowing up digital pics the image will start becoming distorted. So, for your head shot, just take pictures of your head, not your whole body.
Before
After: Too fuzzy!
- Use the auto option on your camera – Your camera will auto adjust the fine details to give you a good picture. So, let your camera do it’s job. If you have the right lighting, your flash probably won’t be used… this is a good thing because it’s less likely you have red eye to deal with.
- Don’t go crazy when you edit your picture – If you use the proper lighting and get the right things in your picture you won’t need to do any editing at all. Keep in mind the purpose of this photo… to show people who you are so that they continue to communicate with you, so make sure it looks like you.
So grab your camera and get some great shots!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, Michelle! Yes, I love your new headshot AND I want to tell you MY secret for getting a great photo . . . . Take a MILLION pictures! That’s right! Because if you take enough of them, one is bound to come out great! No professional photographer gets a great shot by taking just one.:) I say, want to take my picture? Sure you can as long as you take A LOT of ‘em (and trash the bad ones, of course!)
Yes! It’s great to live in the digital age… no need to ration film!