When it comes to business meetings, it’s important to make a great first impression. The same goes for your LinkedIn profile picture (or “headshot”). Think of it as the visual equivalent of a handshake: you want to achieve the right balance of friendliness and professionalism, and a good way to reflect this is in your personal brand.

Certain colors, fonts and other details, including your LinkedIn headshots are all individual parts of your brand identity that should (ideally) work in harmony to create a consistent visual representation of your business, whether that’s irreverent and quirky, or more serious.

One Headshot, Two Options

Prior to social media and image sharing apps like Instagram, photographers were the go-to resource for professional shots. Fast-forward to the present day, and despite the fact everyone now carries a camera in their pockets, photographers are still very necessary.

Even if you are reasonably confident in your own photography skills, a professional guarantees flattering lighting and all the right angles. Before booking, do your research to check whether it’s their niche: generally specialists tend to be a safe bet but if you do find a “jack of all trades' ' check their portfolio first to see how well previous headshots turned out.

Do It Yourself

Another ongoing phenomenon that rose out of social media was the selfie, but if you are taking this particular route, it's best to avoid using the front camera of your phone as this tends to create a distorted mirror image. Where possible, try to get someone else to assist, or if you are quick on your feet, there’s always the timer function. For optimal natural lighting, wait for a slightly overcast day when the light tends to be more muted.

As far as possible, try to dial down any visual “noise”. Choose an unobtrusive, neutral background. For indoors, open-face brickwork or a plain solid-color wall. For outdoors, dappled leaves or somewhere beside a body of water are good options so long as the background remains somewhat blurred. Harsh indoor lighting is notoriously unflattering , while head-on natural light can be harsh.

Put Your Best Face Forward

Your profile should be of you and no-one else, so avoid group shots and keep yourself front and center, Using the rule of thirds takes this concept to a new level: if you choose the crop option on your phone settings and you see a grid appear, making sure your eyes are aligned with the bottom of the top-center square will keep you perfectly-proportioned.

In terms of expression: a natural, easy-going smile is best, although in some cases it can be challenging. You may have heard all sorts of advice, from smizing and squinching to saying certain words. You can try these techniques, but overall, try to keep yourself relaxed to avoid a fixed grin or a wide-eyed, deer-in-headlights look, and look into the camera rather than gazing off to the side.

It’s true what they say about dressing for the job you want. For formal positions, you can’t go wrong with some sharp tailoring. For business-casual, button-downs are best. If the role is casual, avoid graphic prints. Add in a little color theory by choosing an outfit that pops against your background, and you’ll have a shot that’s head and shoulders above the rest.