"Five years from now, your phone could double as a supercomputer," says Intel. Mobile phones have come a long way from making simple phone calls to becoming versatile computing devices that could fit inside our pockets. Smartphones have now become an integral part of our lives and one of the core features on which smartphones are now being sold in the market are cameras.

According to the reports published by passport-photo. Online, 91% of people use smartphones to take pictures. In contrast, only 7% use digital cameras to capture special moments in their lives. The usage of smartphone cameras is expected to grow by 94% by 2026.

One of the new use cases of smartphones has recently surfaced due to the rise of remote work culture. Now people are more inclined towards using their smartphones to take a headshot photo rather than going to a photographer and then getting it clicked.

But what does it take to click a perfect headshot from your smartphone? We know the quality will differ from the professional lighting used in a studio. Still, with this guide, we will ensure you find the perfect balance between getting a professional headshot without leaving the comfort of your home.

Steps On How To Take A Professional Headshot From Your Phone

One of the first things you need to know before you start is to stop thinking about using an expensive phone to take these photos. You can use any latest mid-range to high-end smartphones released in the past four years. You are good to go as long as you have a reasonably good camera.

*Step 1: Get Yourself Ready For The Shoot *

When you are going for a photo shoot, you need to take advantage of wearing solid colors. These colors are easy on the eyes and have very little chance of overwhelming the frame. Without a doubt, when you are taking headshot photos, the neutral colors of your clothing will give you the best results.

Also, when deciding what to wear, wear something that contrasts your background. In truth, nobody wants a picture where you blend with the grey wall in the background. To make your photograph look natural, you should wear something you usually wear to the office. Draping your tux is unnecessary, but if you feel more confident in it, you should do it. On the other hand, you can use online tools or apps such as AI headshot generators to edit your clothes and put on something else that goes with your style.

*Step - 2: Find Your Pose & Style Your Hair *

When taking a headshot, it is essential to strike a pose that makes you look confident and your body posture straight. Even though your face is shown in the final shot, you still need to take a picture in a natural pose. You have to lean towards the camera, keep your back straight, and at the back as much as possible. Also, ensure you don't stand flat-footed or put weight on your back foot, as it can reveal your chin. A bit of body tilt can do wonders, but too much tilt can

Apart from this, if you have a preferred side of your face for taking photos, you should put that side in front when clicking a picture. On the other hand, if you need to know which side of your face is better, click three photos of both sides and then compare them.

After you are comfortable with your expression and posture, the next thing to do is styling your hair. It would help if you were careful with your hair to bring in the contrast from the background. Avoid unusual haircuts; you should keep your hair exactly how you keep it on regular days. If you have stray hairs, putting a hair spray or water allows you to make them look better and shiny.

*Step - 3 Lighting *

The truth about lighting is that it should be coming from the sun, and it could be better if it is diffused or, in other words, scattered due to the presence of clouds. When you are taking a headshot for your website, LinkedIn profile, or any social media platform, you need to keep your face in a well-lit environment. The light must portray what you look like when you meet someone in person.

On the other hand, please do not take a photo in direct sunlight as it will result in bright highlights and heavy shadows on your face, causing your headshot to come uneven. Some of the best days for shooting outside or in nature are the ones when there's an overcast, as light is pretty even on those days.

If you have some warm lights at your home, you can use them to create an artificial lighting effect that elevates your portrait. Besides this, for indoor photo sessions, it is best to put your phone in front of the window from where the natural light of the sun is coming and then stand in front of your phone directly facing the window, taking all the natural light on your face.

*Step - 4 Arranging The Background *

If you check some of the best artworks, you will find that the backdrops are often simple. This is necessary because if there are things present in your background, they will cause distractions to the viewer. You must think that the background of your photo is like a canvas, so it has to be clean and clutter-free.

When selecting the background for your headshot, make sure it doesn't have too many colors or patterns. This will allow the viewer to instantly focus on the main subject of the headshot, which is your face. It will also lead to visual contrast between the subject of your headshot and the surroundings.

On the other hand, you might need to add some texture to your background to add depth to your photo. For example, if your home's concrete walls are looking to blend in, you can use the wooden fencing of your backyard as an alternative.

When you click the headshot, you must show the best of your behavior, meaning you have to be smiling. This shows even in some parts of life when you disagree with someone, you don't make a face. But you carry yourself with a positive attitude and with a smile on your face.

Step - 5 Phone Settings

After completing the above four steps, the last thing you need to do is tweak your mobile phone camera settings for that perfect headshot. Here are some of the settings you need to work on.

• First, make sure your camera is placed in an upright/ vertical position. Your phone has to be as steady as possible. So it is better to go with some DIY stand; for this, you can use books, a water bottle, and other things on whose support your phone can stay in the same position.
• It is important to use the HDR mode present in your phone as it combines various exposures to create one single picture with more details and a much wider range of color tones.
• You want your phone's camera to focus on your face to keep the image as sharp as possible. Also, you don't need to click a picture of your torso and legs as you click the most recognizable part of your body, which is the face.
• Besides this, don't use digital zoom, it will result in lower resolution and the quality of your image. If you are not using a stand as someone is taking your photo, then ask them to take a step closer to taking the picture instead of zooming in.

In Conclusion

So, these are some crucial steps you must remember when taking a headshot using your phone. Apart from this, one of the best things about mobile phone cameras is that you can click as many pictures as you want until you find the perfect one, so don't be afraid to experiment. You can always delete them later or make memes out of them.