LinkedIn Headshot Poses: Examples and Photographer Tips
TL;DR
There’s no such thing as a CEO or lawyer pose that you should aspire to, but there are a couple things that can look flattering in a LinkedIn headshot: relaxing your shoulders and turning your body away from the camera just slightly.
LinkedIn headshot poses at a glance
Here are three poses to keep in mind the next time you’re getting your LinkedIn headshots done (either with a professional photographer or with a friend/timer if you’re going the DIY route):
LinkedIn headshots in NYC · what to wear for headshots
Three Useful LinkedIn Headshot Poses
1. Seated with a slight forward lean
The seated portrait keeps the torso angled, with one hand resting on the leg.
Sit up straight and turn your body away from the camera just slightly, bringing your face back around to the camera. You can even lean slightly toward the camera (as long as you’re not hunching). You can have one hand rest on your thigh.
Make sure your shoulders are relaxed.
You can keep the hand in the photo (in a wider shot) or crop it out (for a more classic head and shoulders photo).
2. Straight-on and relaxed
Both forearms rest on the table while the face stays toward the camera.
Face the camera and rest your arms on something solid in front of you (i.e., a table). Clasp your hands if it feels natural, but don’t clench.
Compare a bigger smile to a more serious one, just make sure your jaw and shoulders are relaxed (shoulders creep up to your ears when we’re nervous).
This pose can work well for a tighter head and shoulders photo, although depending on the crop, your hands may or may not be in the photo.
3. Three-quarter turn
The torso turns away from the camera, with one hand near the opposite jacket cuff.
Similar to the first pose, except instead of sitting down, angle your body away from the camera and bring your face back around to look into the lens. Try relaxing one hand at the other cuff instead of having your arms stiffly at your sides.
Make sure that both of your eyes are in the photo and that you’re not tensing your fingers. If the pose feels too extreme (i.e., your neck feels strained or it’s messing up the fall of your jacket), try a less extreme angle.
Again, for a wider shot you can include the hands, but if you want to crop in closer for your LinkedIn photo, just make sure to keep both eyes in the photo (centered), with your face as the focal point.
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How to pose for a LinkedIn headshot
Build the pose from posture, angle, and eye line
Stand or sit up straight (but not stiff), relax your shoulders away from your ears, and distribute your weight evenly. Compare body language in different images to make sure you don’t look tense (with your jaw clenched, shoulders hunched, or fingers gripped too tightly). If you’re unsure, relax and start again.
Choose a body angle
Face the camera, or angle your body slightly away (bringing your face back around towards the lens). Stop well before it feels uncomfortable. Look through your photos before deciding which you like best.
Set the chin
Your chin can jut out ever so slightly, or you can lower it a smidge, just make sure it’s not tucked, or you’re peering out from underneath your eyebrows.
Use direct eye contact
For your main photo, look straight into the camera (unless this makes you uncomfortable, in which case relax and try again). You can take some photos looking away from the camera for other uses (like your website or social media profiles), just make sure you’re not squinting or glaring.
Choose the expression after the posture
Try different facial expressions (with no smile, a subtle smile, a full-on grin, etc.) without changing your pose. Which best communicates the right message for your personal brand? Which LinkedIn headshot poses feel most natural? Which best communicate who you are and what you do? You could have a neutral expression to project confidence (compare the shoulder line, chin position and expression together), or try a genuine smile if you’d like to look friendlier.
Check the crop before choosing a final
LinkedIn displays profile photos in circles, so make sure you’re happy with how your LinkedIn headshot looks in LinkedIn’s circular crop (as well as a square, smaller size). Your face should take up ~60% of the frame (according to LinkedIn), but make sure there’s still space around your hair and shoulders when it’s in a circle.
Full portrait
Square crop
Small circle
(All photos are the same image, just different crops)
Here are portraits with crossed arms against different backgrounds; compare how much shoulder and arm context you want to keep:
Try uploading your LinkedIn photo to see how it looks in the app’s circle photo crop tool before you choose your final pic.
Folded arms against a light gray background.
The same portrait style against a white background.
Folded arms with an interior background.
Technical specs
Your image should be at least 400×400 pixels (JPG or PNG, don’t blow up a smaller image, though. Stick with a larger version if you can), and can’t be larger than 8MB.
Don’t use a group photo (even if you crop everyone else out), and leave room around your face. And make sure you’re using the same LinkedIn headshot (or at least a version of the same shot) throughout your LinkedIn profile, About section, and LinkedIn feed for a consistent LinkedIn presence.
Clothing and preparation
Stick to well-fitted business casual or business professional attire (a tailored suit can work). Solid colors photograph with fewer distractions in professional LinkedIn headshots, as patterns can sometimes be distracting, but if you’re set on wearing a patterned piece, make sure you zoom all the way out to see how it looks on your profile. Make sure your clothes are wrinkle- and lint-free.
If you’re in a more conservative industry like law or finance, a classic navy suit and a gray background could be a nice combo to play around with (but defer to your company’s dress code).
Check out our in-depth guide on what to wear for headshots for more on fabrics, colors, etc.
Before your headshot session, it’s a good idea to figure out which poses you’re most comfortable in, but don’t practice a fixed smile. You want to make sure your smile looks natural in the photos, so leave room to vary your expression on set.
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How to place hands
You don’t have to show your hands in a LinkedIn headshot, but if your arms are going to be in the shot, make sure they look natural. Here are some ideas:
Rest them on a table
Prop them up on your knee
Hold them lightly in front of you
Just make sure your fingers are relaxed. If your hands are competing with your face for attention, try a different pose.
Pose #1: Rest your forearm on a table
Pose #2: Prop them up on your knee
Pose #3: Hold them lightly in front of you
Pose #4: Touch your fingertips together
Match the pose to the photograph's use
Tighter crops (just your head and shoulders) are usually best for LinkedIn headshots, as they look better shrunk down into that tiny circle. Wider crops (showing more of your torso/hands) can add personality and professional context to environmental headshots that team leaders or people in client-facing roles might use on a company website, in a company bio or speaker bios, etc. Check with your PR rep to see if they have any requirements for headshots before deciding whether to shoot landscape or portrait.
Looking for help choosing your headshot? Check out our guide on how to choose a business profile picture. Shooting for your whole team? See our guide on team headshots in NYC.
Common pose problems and practical fixes
Pose checks to try in front of the camera
What you notice | What to try |
|---|---|
Chin jutting forward? | Pull it back just a bit. |
Shoulders up by your ears? | Exhale and drop them down. |
Smile looks fake? | Break character, look away from the camera, and try again. |
Arms/hands look stiff? | Drop them down to rest on something (or crop them out of the photo). |
Feeling turned away from the camera? | Turn back towards it until you’re comfortable (just make sure both of your shoulders are still in the frame). |
Profile picture crops off your face/hair? | Try a different crop, or back the camera up a bit. |
A short selection sequence
Not sure which photo to pick? Follow these steps:
- Line up all of the shots with similar facial expressions, just different body positions.
- Cross out any that show tension (in your hands, shoulders, neck, jaw, etc).
- Line up all of the shots from your favorite body position, just different facial expressions (no smile, half smile, full smile).
- Crop the rest into squares and circles, and see which ones still look good in miniature.
- Pick the right headshot that looks most like you, most professional, and most up-to-date.
LinkedIn headshot pose questions
Should your LinkedIn profile picture be looking at the camera? Cross your arms? What’s the best pose for a headshot for LinkedIn? Here are a few questions about posing for headshots, with answers.
What is a good starting LinkedIn headshot pose?
Start with a couple different poses:
- Body facing slightly away from the camera, face turned back toward the camera, standing or sitting with relaxed posture
- Shoulders square to the camera
- Keep your hands relaxed, down or on a ledge (depending on if you’re sitting or standing)
Try each pose and take some test shots. Pick the one that works best for you.
Should I use direct eye contact or look away?
Start with a shot where your whole face is turned toward the camera so both eyes are visible, without assuming this will bring more connection requests. You can always experiment with looking away from the camera, which can work well on speaker bios and a company website.
Are crossed arms suitable for a LinkedIn photo?
You can. Just know that sometimes LinkedIn headshots get cropped really close and you won’t see your arms crossed. In a wider corporate headshot (useful for company websites) make sure your elbows, hands and suit jacket still look great while your arms are crossed.
How should I pose for a DIY professional headshot?
If you’re planning on taking your own DIY professional headshot, here are some tips:
- Have someone else take the photo with you standing or sitting in front of a large window for soft lighting
- Make sure there’s not too much going on in the background
- Have the photographer stand at eye level with you (avoid taking a selfie with a wide angle lens up close)
- Try standing or sitting with the camera directly in front of your face and take a photo. If you’re comfortable posing a little bit, try turning your head slightly and/or leaning in slightly.
- Look over the photos to make sure everything looks good.
- Check how you look zoomed out on the photo (LinkedIn profile photos are small circles)
Can I use the same pose for team profiles and a personal brand?
Yes. Sales reps, account executives, startup founders and customer success teams can all start with a couple different poses for team pages or individual profiles (facing the camera, turning slightly, etc). From there, you can play with different levels of formality, backgrounds, smiles, etc. based on your brief rather than your job title.
Plan the photograph around the profile
Change your LinkedIn profile photo when your appearance drastically changes (new hairstyle, facial hair, glasses, etc) so your connections can still recognize you as their go-to person. Save a high res copy of your LinkedIn photo in case you need professional photos for op-eds, company bios, etc. A great LinkedIn headshot has good lighting, a simple background and a natural expression. A neutral studio background is one option, but if you want to add some personality or your personal brand leans more towards warm colors, consider a softer background color. Looking for a portrait session in NYC? Check out our LinkedIn headshot service with a professional photographer.
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