A great headshot is 20% smile and 80% angles. Master a few small adjustments and you'll look confident and approachable in any photo.
Whether it's for LinkedIn, a resume, a company page or a speaker bio, a professional headshot has one job: make you look competent and likeable at a glance. People over-focus on the smile and ignore the things that actually matter — how the shoulders are turned, where the chin sits, and what the eyes are doing. Fix those and even a phone photo can look professional.
Square up to the camera, then rotate your shoulders slightly to one side while your face stays toward the lens. Straight-on shoulders look like an ID photo; a small turn adds dimension.
Tip your upper body about 10 cm toward the camera. It subconsciously reads as engaged and confident — the opposite of leaning away.
Before the shot, roll your shoulders up, back, and down. It resets posture and opens the chest so you don't look slumped or tense.
Push your forehead a touch toward the camera and bring the chin slightly down. This sharpens the jawline and eliminates the dreaded "double chin" angle. It feels unnatural; it looks great.
For an even sharper jawline, lightly press your tongue to the roof of your mouth. It tightens the area under the chin without looking forced.
A real smile crinkles the eyes ("smize"). To trigger it, think of something genuinely funny right before the shutter, then let it settle. Eyes that aren't engaged make any smile look fake.
Most people only try the full open smile. Capture a range in one sitting so you can choose the tone that fits your field:
Cycle through all three in a few shots — blink, exhale, reset, repeat. The keeper is usually the frame right after a real laugh settles.
Here's the honest take: if you have a good camera, decent window light and ten minutes, the tips above will get you a solid headshot for free. But if you don't have a flattering photo of yourself, hate being photographed, or need a polished corporate look today, AI headshot generators have genuinely caught up. You upload a handful of selfies and get dozens of studio-style headshots in different outfits and backgrounds for around $20–40 — far cheaper than a $200+ studio session.
They're not all equal, though. Some are great for realistic corporate looks, others over-smooth skin or change your face too much. We tested the main ones so you don't have to.
Answer 5 quick questions — purpose, budget, style — and get one honest recommendation plus two runner-ups, with a side-by-side comparison.
Take the AI Headshot quiz → Or pose it yourself📸 Posing a real headshot now? Open the Pose Idea Generator and pick "Professional Headshot" for directions you can follow frame by frame.
Turn your shoulders about 15° off-camera while your face stays toward the lens, lean in slightly from the waist, and push your forehead a touch forward with the chin slightly down to sharpen the jawline. Keep the camera at or just above eye level and smile with your eyes, not just your mouth.
Push your forehead slightly toward the camera and bring the chin down a touch — "turtle forward, then down." Keep the lens at or just above eye level rather than below it, and lightly press your tongue to the roof of your mouth to tighten the area under the jaw.
A warm, soft closed-mouth smile with a relaxed brow is the best default for LinkedIn. For finance, law or consulting, a confident lips-together look with steady eyes reads as serious; for sales or creative roles, a genuine teeth smile from a real laugh works well. Capture a range in one sitting and pick the tone that fits your field.
If you have a decent camera, soft window light and ten minutes, the posing tips here will get you a solid headshot for free. But if you have no flattering photo, dislike being photographed, or need a polished corporate look today, AI headshot tools now deliver dozens of studio-style images from a few selfies for about $20–40 — far cheaper than a studio session. Quality varies between tools, so compare before you pay.