How To Take A Professional Headshot With IPhone [updated 2021]

How to Take Headshots with Your iPhone – and no other equipment [Updated for 2023]

9/21/2022

• How to get professional lighting with zero equipment – great lighting is the SECRET to great headshots
• A diagram showing you how to position yourself, both with AND without someone to help
• Some amazing (and free) apps to make the process easy (this includes changing the backdrop, retouching, and generally making the photo appear more professional)
• Bonus tips on clothing, hair and makeup, and much more.

• Part 1: The Setup - The lighting and background must look professional, and the shot needs to be framed properly.
• Part 2: How You Look - Your clothing, hair, makeup, and body position must look good.
• Part 3: Your Expression - Even if your shot looks extremely professional, having a fake smile or bad expression can cause people to lose trust in you.

Part 1 of 3"The Setup"

• "Why is he using an unprofessional picture on LinkedIn?"
• "Is she actually successful?"
• "Does he not pay attention to details or care about the first impression he makes?"

1. How to position yourself so you get the right type of shot and angle.
2. How to get a professional backdrop behind you (by using a real-life setup or a smartphone app).
3. How to get great lighting in your photo.

"The Setup"​Step 1 of 3: ​Position Yourself Properly

Original (No Background Change)

Blurred Backdrop

Flat Backdrop

• Option 1 – Use Portrait Mode. The simplest way to get a professional headshot with your iPhone is to use Portrait Mode to blur out whatever is behind you. It can instantly make your photo appear more professional and there's almost no work involved on your part.
• Option 2 – Use a free headshot app for iPhone and Android. There are numerous apps that allow you to blur out the backdrop even more than Portrait Mode, which can take any headshot to the next level. We'll outline them shortly.

Before

After

• Option 1 – Use a professional headshot app to remove the backdrop. There are some free apps that allow you to manually cut out the background, and they use artificial intelligence technology to make it easier and faster. The downside is that no apps are perfect, so it might take some extra time and if you look closely, the edges around you could be a bit rough.
  • Focos: This is an amazing app for Android or iPhone that blurs out the backdrop behind you a LOT!
  • Magic Eraser Background Editor: This app lets you cut out the backdrop so you can put anything you want behind you. If you have Android, you can use this one: Background Eraser
• Option 2 – Stand against a wall so the background is flat and not distracting. Although it's easier than using an app, you might not be able to get the lighting to look as good because most people don't have windows that directly face a wall.
• Option 3 – Buy a white (or colored) poster board and have someone hold it behind you. It doesn't sound easy, but it's probably the most realistic-looking way to get a professional backdrop behind you, while positioning yourself in front of a window to get the best possible light (more on lighting soon).
• Option 4 – Have us do it for you. You can send us any photo you take and we'll use Photoshop to swap out the backdrop so it looks perfect. We'll also retouch blemishes, whiten teeth, and adjust the lighting and coloring so your headshot looks extremely professional. See pricing here.

Dark Gray Backdrop (formal and serious)

White Backdrop (friendly and relaxed)

Choose the Right Backdrop for Your HeadshotDownload our Free "Headshot Backdrops Guide"

​​Avoid Common Backdrop Mistakes – Did you know that a dark gray backdrop could make a therapist appear untrustworthy? Learn the meanings of each backdrop so you choose one that works right for your career and goals. ​Backdrops Based on Industry – Lawyers, accountants, teachers, actors – they all require different backdrops. Learn which backdrop works best for each specific job. How to Find Your Personal Brand – Learn our simple step-by-step process called G.I.S.T. Method to figure out your personal brand and the overall aesthetic and look that will best capture it (even if it's different than the industry-standard).

The "Take Your Own Headshot" Toolkit5 Great Headshot Apps PLUS ​a Video Tutorial

​2 Backdrop Replacement Apps: Make your headshot look like it was taken at a professional studio with a high-end camera by using two special apps that can digitally enhance the backdrop. 3 Retouching Apps: Want to look slightly younger or thinner? Want to whiten teeth or add some more hair back in? These three free apps will make it easy to look your best! Easy-to-Follow Video Guide: City Headshots veteran photographer Samantha will hand-hold you through the process of taking your own headshot in a fun video tutorial!​

Part 2 of 3"How You Look"

• Posture: Stand up tall. If you think you look hunched, it could simply be the curvature of your spine. Try pointing your body at a slight different angle (like instead of turning left, turn to the right). This usually helps fix posture issues if standing taller doesn't seem to help.
• Clothing: Try to wear solid colors if possible, and make sure you're shirt isn't wrinkled! You can also read this great article on what to wear for headshots.
• ​Glare in glasses: A trick to fix glare is to angle your lenses down a bit. Basically you can raise the back part of the glasses off your ears so the lenses are tilted down. It shouldn't be noticeable in the camera but works really well!
• No flash: Make sure the camera flash is OFF or it will make you look shiny and unnatural in the picture.
• ​If you have a double chin, try doing "The Turtle": Push your forehead towards the camera by about an inch to help make your jawline sharper. Don't push too far or it will look weird... just do it a little bit.

Part 3 of 3"Your Expression"

​3 Numbers All Actors Should Know

• 40-60 Submissions – This is how often full-time, working actors submit themselves (whether they have an agent or not) each month.
• 10-20 Auditions – This is how many times full-time working actors audition (or at least record and submit self-tapes) each month.
• 3-5 Bookings – This is how often full-time working actors book real, paid acting jobs each and every month.

• "Should I take another acting class?"
• "Do I need better headshots or should I pay to shoot a reel?"
• "What's the fastest way to get an agent?"

• Book Broadway roles
• Land network television and Netflix shows
• Sign with agents and managers
• And much more – faster than you'd expect (you can see some success stories here).

The Actor's Toolkit: Get called into auditions up to 10X more often by positioning yourself properly – even if you have ZERO footage Discover the most reliable casting sites, plus 3 specific submissions strategies to get higher-quality auditions from them PLUS, a free 5-Day Email Mini Course on how to get your acting career off the ground (without an agent or reel)

​Martin Bentsen (author of this guide) is an actor marketing coach who uses strategic thinking to help actors book more work. He’s helped over 14,000 actors with their careers and actor headshots since 2009 and his photography studio City Headshots is ranked #1 on Yelp. He’s spoken at NYU, The New England Theater Conference, The Actor’s Green Room, and other venues.​Want to book more acting work by thinking strategically? Start with his free Actor’s Toolkit to create new opportunities right away, or visit his website at www.martinbentsen.com.

Sign Up for a "Virtual Headshot" Package

​​Further Reading:

• ​Actor Resume Template: A Free Google Docs Template That Works on Any Computer or Mobile Device
• ​What Colors Should I Wear for My Headshot?
• ​Family Photographer NYC & NJ
• Engagement Photographer NYC & NJ

I like taking pictures of myself with a cellphone.

Don't we all!