How to Prepare for a Remote Headshot

Choose the right location

The best place is not always the most designed room. It is the place with clean light, enough space, a simple background, and minimal interruption.

A home office, living room near a window, office conference room, coworking room, or hotel room can all work if the photographer can see your face clearly and guide the framing.

Look for:

• A quiet spot where you can hear live direction.
• Enough room to step away from the wall or background.
• Light that can be softened or adjusted.
• A background that does not compete with your face.
• A stable surface for your phone.
• Minimal interruption from coworkers, pets, traffic, screens, or people walking behind you.

For deeper background and location guidance, see the background options page.

Find better light

Light is the biggest setup factor. Editing can polish a good capture, but it cannot fully rebuild harsh shadows, mixed color, or a face that starts in silhouette.

Use these rules:

• Face a window indirectly so soft light reaches the front and side of your face.
• Avoid direct sun on your face because it creates hard shadows and squinting.
• Avoid placing the main window or lamp behind your head.
• Turn off harsh overhead lights if they create shadows under your eyes.
• Add a soft lamp near eye level if the room is dim.
• Avoid mixing very warm bulbs with cool daylight when possible.
• Keep the brightest part of the frame on your face, not behind you.

Do not worry if the light is not perfect. The photographer will adjust angle, position, and framing before capture begins.

Set up your phone

A modern smartphone is usually the best option for the session. Follow the booking confirmation if it asks you to install the remote photography app or open a specific session link.

Before joining:

• Place the phone at eye level. A desk-level camera is usually too low.
• Use a stable tripod, phone stand, shelf, or stack of books.
• Start roughly an arm's length away. The photographer will fine-tune distance and framing.
• Use the rear camera if the app or session setup supports it.
• Wipe the lens before joining.
• Charge the phone or keep it plugged in.
• Turn on do-not-disturb so notifications do not interrupt capture.
• Keep the phone still once the photographer has adjusted the frame.

The goal is not to self-shoot. The goal is to give the photographer a stable view so they can direct and capture the image properly.

Choose a clean background

The background should support the headshot, not become the subject. A calm wall, curtain, or simple interior corner usually works better than a busy room.

Use these rules:

• Choose a neutral or quiet background when possible.
• Step a few feet away from the wall so the background does not feel flat.
• Move clutter, bright objects, screens, personal items, and visible branding out of frame.
• Avoid busy patterns directly behind your head.
• Avoid a background that matches your hair or outfit too closely.
• Keep the space behind you simple enough to read cleanly at LinkedIn and website size.

For curated background standards, see the background options page.

Wardrobe and grooming

Wear what you would wear to a meeting where the people matter. The crop is tight, so the neckline, front of the shirt, jacket, and hair shape will carry most of the visual impression.

Good choices:

• Solid colors or simple textures.
• Clean necklines and structured layers.
• Jackets, shirts, sweaters, or tops that fit well when seated or standing.
• Colors that separate from the background.
• Clothing that matches the intended use: LinkedIn, company bio, press, recruiting, or internal profile.

Avoid:

• Busy patterns that shimmer or distract.
• Large logos and graphic prints.
• Heavy wrinkles on the front of shirts or jackets.
• Pure white directly under the chin if it washes out your skin tone.
• Last-minute outfit choices that feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable.

Grooming: follow your normal routine. Natural retouching can clean up small distractions, but the best result still starts with hair, clothing, and skin looking intentional before capture.

Posture, expression, and comfort

You do not need to plan the perfect smile or memorize a pose. The photographer will guide posture, head position, expression, and small adjustments live.

Before the session:

• Sit or stand in a way that feels natural.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed.
• Avoid locking your jaw or holding one expression.
• Breathe between frames.
• Keep water nearby if your mouth gets dry.
• Let the photographer pace the session.

The first frames often feel a little tense. That is normal. Live direction is there to move you past that point and into a more natural expression.